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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsYes there are Pros and Cons, but I think the Senate deal fails for one main reason
It is a full year before the 2026 midterm elections. Trump has only been in office for 10 months, with his full team installed and functioning for less than that. He is escalating his behavior every month. The worst is yet to come.
I accept the argument that great pain to millions has been side stepped by ending the government shutdown now. That is temporary however. I don't know how (but one can guess) Trump will strike hard next, but he will. Directly, or indirectly, the next moves he makes will result in even greater suffering for more people than his hard ball tactics during the shutdown were certain to bring now, had the shutdown continued. These are not normal times and normal political calculations do not apply. Either there will soon be an unprecedented (at least since the Civil War) major showdown with Trump's regime, or he will consolidate its power further without meaningful constraint. The latter is unacceptable, so it is only a question of when that major showdown occurs. It should have been now.
The showdown that is inevitable will result in many victims, including those who Democrats have vowed to defend Trump is further emboldened each time his thuggish tactics and hostage taking succeeds. So the next potential showdown with Trump will see even more Americans held hostage to his demands. More dangerous than Trump's increasing belief in his own power though is the effect that Trump's successful bullying has on those around him. They come to believe Trump will always win a showdown, so they might as well do what's needed to remain in his favor for the duration, since"Resistance is Futile" as The Borg used to say.
This government shutdown presented Democrats with the best available battlefield to fight on. When a full blown showdown with Trump become unavoidable, which will no doubt happen well before the midterms, it's unlikely we will be in as strong a position as we were now. I hope I'm wrong about that, but I am certain that the pain "moderate" Democrats were hoping to forestall has at best only been delayed, but not in any way averted.
SARose
(1,819 posts)Were not living in normal times. The art of compromise is a joke. Two or three of the Dems are retiring ! WTH?
Fascists dont compromise.
Republicans lie.
The cruelty is the point.
To our leaders - wake up! You just made the entire Congress irrelevant. I dont want to hear how some Dems believe they will finally get MAGA to vote on Obamacare exemptions. There wont be a vote so tiptoe through the tulips on your way out the door.
Trump now can do whatever he wants.
Time for any Democrat over 70 to retire.
Tom Rinaldo
(23,174 posts)SARose
(1,819 posts)😬