Real Iowa

In a previous article entitled Compromise and the Constitution, I discussed the repugnancy of Congressmen bargaining with the basic law of our land.  However, the Constitution is not the only area where compromise is anathema.

After all, neither the Constitution nor the Bill of Rights was written to grant rights to free Americans.  Quite the contrary – our highest laws were adopted to secure the rights that pre-exist the charter of the Union.

Before the Constitution, there was another document, still more basic to our understanding of the American ideal of government.  It was written to submit facts “to a candid world,” and as an appeal “to the Supreme Judge of the world.”  Of course, I refer to the Declaration of Independence. (more…)

Compromise can be a good thing.  When a company and a union are able to form a contract, it’s because both sides compromised in order to reach an agreement mutually beneficial to the parties involved.  The same is true when an individual buys a car, accepts a job offer, or decides with their husband or wife how to manage the family finances.

In each of those cases, we’re talking about a compromise that deals with opinions, with economic contracts, etc.  We’re not talking about compromising bedrock convictions.

Sadly, that distinction appears to be lost on Washington of late.  We’ve heard a lot in the last few years about bi-partisanship, about “reaching across the aisle,” about politicians that bargain away this, that, or the other in order to “get something done” and avoid gridlock.

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