A few days ago I sat on a panel primarily made up of former Members of Congress. The Association of Former Members, along with the National Archives sponsored this discussion, which was moderated by a distinguished university professor. It’s safe to say it was a full-fledged, typical Washington group of well-intentioned pontificators. It’s amazing how smart we former Members get, once we are out of office. Surprisingly (to me, any way) it was well attended.
The subject of the evening was modern political campaigns and how they have changed. The obvious points were made about modern technology (i.e., “You can’t get away with nothing.”), social media, the huge amounts of money raised and spent, the negative TV ads and the increasing divisiveness in politics.
According to most of my colleagues on the panel, this divisiveness is responsible for almost everything that ails our government. Why? Because it keeps us from achieving the ultimate solution to all of our problems. And that solution? “Compromise.”
If we could only get back to the glorious days of compromise, we could solve our fiscal problems practically over night. The most favored compromise of the hour, of course, is the one favored by all of the “right thinking” people in Washington, the main-stream media, and the Democratic Party (maybe they are all one and the same): Let’s raise taxes in exchange for spending cuts. Presto! It’s the obvious solution to all our debt and deficit problems, if only “we,” meaning Republicans, would only compromise. So, when it came to my turn to speak, I had a slightly different view … 180-degrees different.
Unfortunately, due to limited time, I had to put aside a couple of ideas that immediately came to mind. For example, that President Obama was doing more to divide this country than all of the other politicians put together. Also, that tax increases in a near-recession are always a bad idea.
Instead, I focused on the main topic at hand, and I took the position that compromise itself was greatly overrated. Compromise begs the questions: “Compromise what?” and “Compromise to do what?” In fact compromise is often the easy solution for the politician, not the difficult one. It’s a way to kick the hard can down the road. Compromise is one of the reasons we’re in the fix we’re in today. What is the history of the “raise taxes and reduce spending” compromise that is so popular in elite circles today? It is this: We get the tax increases but not the spending cuts.
After having already enacted major tax cuts in 1982, Ronald Reagan agreed to raise business and excise taxes in exchange for spending reductions. Taxes went up, but so did spending by $450 billion.
President George H.W. Bush cut a similar deal with Democrats. Again, we got the taxes but the spending cuts never materialized.
There is simply no proven way to guarantee that the spending-cuts part of the compromise will be implemented. Is it any wonder that Republicans are taking a hard line of this? Since spending is the source of the problem anyway, cuts must be enacted first.
Meanwhile, even though we balanced the budget for a few years in the ’90s, we have steadily walked toward the edge of the fiscal cliff as our entitlement obligations grow. The edge is where we stand today. The elections in France and Greece demonstrate that it’s virtually impossible to cut spending once the bond markets, because of a country’s profligacy, throw a country into crisis. We must avoid this fate at all costs. But spending controls must be done straight up and not as part of another phony compromise.
-Fred Thompson
Excellent thoughts and it highlights that this philosophy is only for conservatives since our liberal friends are always right.
Also may I suggest that we implement another philosophy and that is to simple ignore showing any concern for the liberal medias opinion. Most of us in the real world do not read the New York or Los Angles Times or the Washington Post and they are never going to agree with conservative values.
Fred, thank you for clear-minded and directed ideas which are sadly lacking in our present government. We are tired of “negotiations” and “compromises” that never accomplish anything but protecting the political position of those in Congress and this abominable Administration.
Hey, you would make a great VP with whichever Repub candidate is chosen. Hope they invite you to the party!
By the way, to leave a comment is not clear that the “person icon” means I should leave my name. I ain’t dumb, but that is not clear. Don’t even know what the arrow represents. Since I have done web pages, these icons need to be clearer or replaced.
Mr. Thompson, I’ve been saying this same thing for at least 2 decades. Compromise with the Left is compromise with the Socialist enemy of all that is the Constitution and home-town America! Mitt Romney doesn’t show me that he even acknowledges the danger! Ron Paul does: Yet we are warned that a vote for Paul is a vote for Obama! Why don’t Republicans see that voting for Romney is a vote to continue the status quo of big spending, world peace keeping ,nation building, etc. in DC!!! There is no hope for America if Republican moderates insist on keeping the present style of Government by electing Romney! Our Constitution and Socialisn are water and oil – they do not mix!
Would you address the issue of subsidies? My impression is that: 1. Are not far from buying votes; 2. Give those who receive them an unfair advantage over their competition; 3. Contribute significantly to our budget problems; 4. Are justified only when the industry is essential for national defense AND could not survive without a subsidy.
Andrew Bennett
351 King Den Dr NW
Cleveland, TN 37312
423-479-7119 juafb@bellsouth.net
Good article, Sen. Thompson. I fully agree that when it comes to compromising, the right has done its part, allowing tax hikes… LOTS and LOTS of them. The left, on spending cuts? They feign amnesia when pressed on it. USA is now like that stereotypical family living WAYYYY beyond its means, and the parallel to the big screen TV and other luxury wastes are all the FAILED green energy expenditures and stimulii. The whole nation is rather complacent on spending cuts and assumes it won’t affect them much nor demand much of a change in their lifestyle. IT WILL! Every American is going to have to get used to a lot fewer government subsidized/furnished services and the place to start is in mentally preparing for it, then informative programs on dealing with it, followed by implementation. Thank you.
I’d only add that we have experienced this level of divisiveness in the past, contrary to prevailing wisdom. The 1930′s, 1850′s, and the 1760′s come to mind. Interesting that those dates are separated by 80 years.
You nailed it Fred. The same old trick### and pattern embedded in the DNA of every left of center Democrat. Like all spendthrifts since currancy was invented the Democrats eyes glaze over with any new tax windfall resulting in spending on anything and everything under the sun save reducing our crushing national debt. Again, back to the obvious. The problem is not how much we tax our citizens that is the root cause of our fiscal implosion. The problem, as many of our great patriots and leaders have already plainly stated, is the incomprehensible out of control spending of our federal government. May God save us from spending ourselves into a country who self destructs before our 250th birthday for the sake of our children, grandchildren and freedom loving generations to come.
Besides the fact that “compromise” to a democrat means that they get what they want and the Republicans are the ones to compromise…and they always do, I DON’T WANT MY REPRESENTATIVES TO COMPROMISE!
We usually elect fairly conservative Republicans, and for one reason….we want them to vote their ideology. Supposedly they believe that the government should be run conservatively. If they have to compromise that, why did we elect them?
Fred,
Please submit your resume to Romney campaign for VP or AG.
Greg In Fla
We picked the wrong candidate in 2008, and sadly we’re about to select the wrong candidate in 2012. I have no faith in Mitt Romney. G-d bless you Fred, but if either you or Newt Gingrich could come riding into that convention in August on a dark horse, I’d begin to feel like I could give a damn again.
So don’t you think we should give Senator Ron Pauls solution a try. He wants to play by the rules, the Golden one and the Constitution. He has good policy and he cares about liberty. Our liberty. Why does the GOP ignore him? Who has control over the media blackout? He has been portrayed to the mass that he is crazy. You know. You have an obligation. Americans are only entitled only to a goverment with integrity. We are close to the edge. What will happen if Dr. Paul isn’t electesd? What if Mitt Romney does to America what he did to Mass. when he was there? What happens if he can’t beat Obama? Ron Paul can win! He can beat Obama! And the republic is saved. What do you feel in your heart Fred?
Ron Paul has reached a generation in such a positive way and these kids are going to make a difference. Let’s give them a boost by not failing their country.