(FYI: This is not a sports post. I promise.)
In an epic shootout, neither team seemed able to miss. Each was continuously on the offensive. They would sling the ball down the field, seemingly with ease, with previous rumors of solid defense having eerily dissipated as the game continued to unfold. Fans in the stands, proudly donned their colors, cheering loudly and only for the team they’ve become devoted to via passion and habit… habit and passion. Yes, the fans have been rooting for their team for so long, so loyally, so blindly, that it did not matter the epic effort both teams were putting forth. It did not matter the significance of the moment nor any semblance of ethical play. The reality is that the play of the other team did not matter regardless of how historic or unprecedented.
It also did not matter what the other team said — before or after the game. They are, after all, the other team. The other team always talks trash… right?? Or so we perceive.
The bottom line is that the fans and the team only want one thing. They want to win.
Our culture’s prioritization of winning unfortunately often allows foolishness to fall under the guise of something it’s not. We want to win. And so we quit listening and considering and offering one another the respect each man deserves in order to form that more perfect union. As opposed to looking for the best, most effective solution, we instead focus on winning.
Friends, regardless of how often the President and congressional Democrats and Republicans examine their internal polling data, no one is winning the current government shut down. Regardless of the cyber space status updates by the fans in the stands, no one is winning. In fact this game is not about winning.
There is a problem that needs to be solved more than the scoring of any political points. The problem with the current shut down and debt ceiling debate is that Democrat and Republican congressmen and presidents have kicked the budgetary can down the road for far too long. They have each utilized a politically expedient approach to fund their party initiatives instead of responsibly fund the federal government.
Let’s face it… our elect have been arguing (and yes, the so-called mature are arguing) over a “C.R.,” a “continuing resolution.” Continuing resolutions are only necessary when no budget exists. No federal budget has existed for the last 5 years. Sen. Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) has even said there’s “no need” to have one. Every financial entity, my friends — from our minute households to major corporations — operates on some kind of budget. Our federal government has avoided crafting and passing a budget for 5 years.
Budgets let us know the specifics of how much we’re spending and what we’re spending our money on. They provide a framework for fiscal accountability, financial prudence, and future planning; they thus allow us to ensure entitlement spending doesn’t exponentially — and unsustainably — expand. Without a budget, there is little to no accountability, prudence, and planning.
Hence, the bottom line of the current issue is not about Obamacare nor about the Republicans or Democrats holding anything “hostage” (geepers). The bottom line is that the stalemate exists because our elect continue to kick the fiscal can down the road and neglect dealing with an unsustainable pattern of deficit spending. CR’s are not budgets; they are only provisions for continued spending. The debate over more unsustainable spending — without accountability, prudence, and planning — is the bottom line of the current shut down.
Back to the epic shootout… I was actually thinking of Sunday’s Broncos-Cowboys game, the 4th highest scoring game in the history of the NFL. Each team was playing to win… unfortunately, for far too many of us, just like them, just like the elect, winning is often more important than recognizing the significance of the moment and any semblance of ethical play.
Respectfully,
AR
Amen