Iam now in my 80s, and I reflect on the times when I used to enjoy politics. Then, if the nation faced a real problem, the political parties could reach a compromise and find a solution. Perhaps no one thought the solution was perfect, but it did advance the state of the union.

As a retired micro-economist, I could appreciate the basic principle that both sides in a transaction end up better off than before.

We have reached a point where politicians regard themselves as engaged in a zero-sum game , and nothing really important gets solved. Just bitter debate, hatred, and in the sad extreme, killing one another.

Principles matter, sure. But remember that compromise produces unity and mutual respect.

Giles Burgess, Portland

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