George Takei  🏳️‍🌈🖖🏽

If a budget deal emerges from these talks, unbalanced extremists on the right and progressives on the left are going to be unhappy--the look atter of which includes myself.

I am feeling resigned to an inevitable compromise.

There's sadly almost no way around this.

May 25, 2023 at 4:19pmWeb
Show threadNfoonfMay 25, 2023
@georgetakei democracy is when no one gets what he wants. Its the art of the compromise
Show threadPusher Of Pixels (old account)May 25, 2023
@Nfoonf @georgetakei Dems control the house if not for NY and CA literally giving GOP seats with 'fair' districts that TX and the rest of the Red states don't do likewise
Show threadramMay 25, 2023
@Nfoonf @georgetakei This is akin to saying "democracy is when we accept hightening inequality and removal of human dignity".
Show threadNfoonfMay 26, 2023
@ram @georgetakei no really. Compromise is the essence of democracy. you probably need to have experienced a coalition government to understand this.
Show threadramMay 26, 2023
@Nfoonf I'm Canadian. We had a coalition in 2011. Compromise with the GOP means death for tens of thousands. That is not democracy, that is succumbing to fascism.
Show threadNfoonfMay 26, 2023
@ram what would you want me to say? that democracy as a concept is bad and that its best to smash each others heads in? it is not the fault of a concept of statehood but of lack of respect to this concept that brings the world to this fucked up state.
Show threadNfoonfMay 26, 2023
@ram systems that enforce people to compromise are inherently more stable. look at new zealand which dropped the UK/canadian election system and prospered since then ever since.
Show threadramMay 27, 2023
@Nfoonf Democracy is good, compromise *can* be good, but is not inherently. A party whose values are anti-democratic in a system that's intentionally non-democratic historically (deciding whose people and has the right to vote) and in modernity (limiting access to polling, restricting criminals in some states) is not a party that should even continue to exist and exercise their anti-democratic rule over the people.
Show threadramMay 27, 2023
@Nfoonf I'd argue that the party-system as a whole is anti-democratic, but that's a much broader conversation.
Show threadsurfieMay 25, 2023
@georgetakei There should be no compromise with hostage taking terrorists.
Show threadKevin LeecasterMay 25, 2023
@surfie @georgetakei
If Biden provides things that McCarthy can sell to his base that are compromises, but actually help advance his agenda like permitting reform for clean power plants than is that really a compromise though.
Show threadShoku the MN Wolf 🏳️‍🌈May 25, 2023
@georgetakei I really hate that we have a political party in this country that seems to have the philosophy "We don't care how much you hurt us as long as you hurt THEM more."
Show threadUrzlMay 25, 2023

@georgetakei Democrats need to step up and push the 14th Amendment angle.

Eliminate the debt ceiling, it's unconstitutional.

Show threadLiz "Not A Convicted Felon" D.May 25, 2023

@georgetakei

I am really worried that Biden will okay work requirements for Medicaid and food stamps. Perpetuating the myth that the poor are lazy.

This is why we must vote.

Show threadKrazyKatMay 25, 2023
@georgetakei By design, Uncle George. By design.
Show threadDan Wentzel 🏳️‍🌈May 25, 2023
@georgetakei That would be true if Republicans actually want any kind of debt ceiling deal at all. I'm not convinced.
Show threadLibertyForward1May 25, 2023

@danwentzel @georgetakei Same ol' story. Give them everything they want, then they flip the table and stomp off in a huff. Meanwhile, dems look spineless which cranks up voter apathy already severely aggravated by gerrymandering.

Either way, their donors and lobbyists get what they want and the rest of us get screwed.

Show threadb1gpapaMay 25, 2023
@georgetakei
For this round—and probably the next one—sadly, no. Not until ‘25 do we have any hope of finally repealing the damn ceiling. (I understand the desire for one, but frankly, it’s a lazy solution.)
Show threadWapitiEaterMay 25, 2023

@georgetakei

Isn't that the nature of effective compromise? No one is really happy with the result - but progress is made.

Show threadRick MycroftMay 25, 2023
@georgetakei @Zotter Not always.
Show threadHolger FialloMay 25, 2023
@georgetakei Why is that today when someone suggest compromise, extremists from left or right see it as a dirty word. To save the economy compromise might be better. Next time independents and democrats run with better people in 24. Forget about it progressives.
Show threadChristopher WalkerMay 25, 2023
@georgetakei If only people could draw a link between the bogeyman of “government spending” (which we all know is bad but none of us can articulate exactly why) and the government benefits they depend on every day, a politician advocating cutting spending for the sake of cutting spending alone would never win another election.
Show threadLeftOfKarlMarxMay 25, 2023
@georgetakei #NotAllUnbalancedExtremeLeftists
Show threadGeorgeMay 25, 2023
@georgetakei Well, Mr Takei, I think the place where we of the commentariat can best put our energies in these trying situations is to think of ways that such budgets will harm and will help, concrete ways that is, and put those thoughts loud and clear on the record. Then when the s**t hits the fan later, post our predictions to every conservative ear we can reach. The problem these days is how deaf our media allow those ears to be.
Show threadViennaMikeMay 25, 2023
@georgetakei We need the minimum compromise necessary to provide a fig leaf to peel off 5 Republican House members for a discharge petition and subsequent vote.
Show threadPyperkubMay 25, 2023
@georgetakei Maybe. Our Country is dependent upon building win-win solutions out of compromises. Spending has been massive but NECESSARY in the wake of staving off 2 massive threats to the global economy ('08 collapse/'20 Pandemic). We *do* need to pay for that at some point. In a sane world, we would have RAISED taxes to pay for '08 as we resolved the issue, but paul Ryan's GOP Tax Cut under Trump did the exact opposite (as did Obama in making the Bush tax cuts permanent).
Show threadBlaise FaintMay 25, 2023
@georgetakei Should "look atter" be "latter"?
Show threadMBinTXMay 25, 2023
@georgetakei I usually think a good compromise is where both sides are equally disgruntled. Not in this case, though, because the debt ceiling is a false position with no movement except to raise it. That isn’t a starting point. It’s the only point. The budget can move both ways.
Show threadEliza DivineMay 25, 2023
@georgetakei Yes there is. It's called a nation wide strike. The United States should not be negotiating with terrorists, even the ones in the House of Representatives.
Show threadThe Zany XenomorphMay 25, 2023
@georgetakei I know it’s just a typo but I like “look atter “. It’s like a creepy snake. The peeping Tom of slithering critters.
Show threadromonsMay 25, 2023
@georgetakei 14th!
Show threadWoodswalkedMay 25, 2023
@georgetakei
“No way around this” except by upholding the Constitution.
Full faith and credit…
Show thread💉😷🌿🇺🇦🇺🇳🇪🇺Oiselarius (he/him)May 25, 2023

@georgetakei

1) vote right-wingers out from dog-catcher up.
2) appoint and confirm progressive judges every chance
3) message on point progressive ideals and just plane civics and human decency

Show threadNeil JoinsonMay 28, 2023
@georgetakei Any capitulation at all is a victory for the far-right extremists, and will embolden them to find other ways to hold America to ransom.