The Basic Principles Of 'Game Theory' Show Why Congress Won't Reach A Grand Bargain en-us Wed, 31 Dec 1969 19:00:00 -0500 Mon, 29 Dec 2014 04:10:10 -0500 Mohamed El-Erian Captain Obvious Thu, 17 Jan 2013 09:49:22 -0500 So, we predict nothing different will happen. Is the better story, how to change the game so something does happen? Maybe they need to incentivised through that which motivates them. Many enter government not to purse Money, but Power. Sure money comes with Power, but they want to control. Start with something meaningless, but how they handle non-performing government entities, remove their funding (salary). Then get closer to their heart and remove their benefits and perks. Then force removal of office if failure to complete. Maybe raising the stakes for their game would force them to be accountable to their constituents and put their skin in the game? Another thought would be to create better transparency. Create a Facebook Page for each government official. How they voted for each vote and which votes they didn't attend. Where they get the funding etc. I only say Facebook because that is where most people are. kukulcan Tue, 15 Jan 2013 23:27:18 -0500 Recommended Republican Strategy: 1. Tie debt ceiling increase to passing a budget (actually raise the debt ceiling contingency on a budget). Draw a line in the sand - not budget no debt ceiling increase. Make it the unmovable principle from the start. This will be reasonable to anyone other than hardcore democratic electoral. 2. Pass modified Ryan budget , with total appropriation in the neighborhood of 3.2 Trillion. And send it to the Senate for an up-down vote. If Reid refuses to allow a vote, hold the line on debt ceiling, blame him for the default because the buck stopped there. 3. If Reid allows the vote and the house budget is defeated in Senate, ask the Senate to pass its own budget in an up-down vote (no filibuster), then allow for conference call negotiation. Insist on going through budget items line-by-line on c-span. If democrats refuse, blame them for obstruction and have things to hide 4. While #3 is on going, pass a continuous resolution with absolutely essential payments that includes interests, food stamps, salaries, SS, medicare, VA etc. etc.. Shut down all other non-essential government agencies and programs. If Reid or Obama refuse the continuous resolution, blame them for “Let grandma eat cat food”. 5. Make #3 a big spectacle as reality TV show, employ real-time TV, social media etc. Identify historical origination of each budget line item, the intended purpose and justification. Asking the questions like "Do we need to borrow money from China to pay for this?". Make the defenders of the spending to make their case on record. 6. Repeat #3 until the process is complete. Make it as long as necessary. Everyday the focus is on spending and deficit is a nightmare for democratic. If they do not participate the in process do not afraid to use the phrase "see you in 2014". Partial shutdown the government until the election. With no one be directly cut of payment and the democrats appear to the ones unreasonable I doubt republicans will lose seat. The key is to be firm in principle yet appear to be reasonable in every turn. Make democrats the ones to say no for the checks to come out. Technically, be flexible, for instance, extend the enough debt ceiling 3-4 weeks for the Senate to put together and vote for their own budget. Follow and make the legislation process works for republicans. The only way to deal with obscure out-of-control spending is transparency and resolve. In another word, take the matter to American people. Even simpler Tue, 15 Jan 2013 11:32:37 -0500 I'll make these even easier for people to understand: Our nation is scrood by giant debts and mostly our entitlement spending. No congressperson is going to touch entitlements because the boomer-complex and millions of older people will vote them out of office if they do so, even if it means shafting anyone under 50. There. That's the problem. Hank Tue, 15 Jan 2013 11:08:11 -0500 The Atlantic is a Scientology-bought publication.