On Troikas 9: Republican Troikas

          Republican Troikas

             Recent political shenanigans inspired me to write this ‘Debt Limit’ troika:

             Moe says: do not spend, do not tax, and do not borrow.

             Larry says: do spend, do tax, and do not borrow.

             Curly says: do spend, do not tax, and do borrow.

             2/3 of them agree to spend, 2/3 agree to not tax, and 2/3 agree to not borrow. This is despite the fact that all of them agree that if you spend then you must tax or borrow!

          If instead of ‘cut spending’ it were ‘reduce deficit’, then we’d have:
          Moe: reduce deficit, cut programs, don’t raise taxes
          Larry: reduce deficit, support programs, raise taxes
          Curly: don’t reduce deficit, support programs, don’t raise taxes.

          Therefore by 2/3 each: reduce deficit, support programs, don’t raise taxes.  How Republican!

          Perhaps we have here a case of ‘austerity for thee but not for me’. Thus:
          Moe: support the Moe program, cut the Larry and Curly programs
          Larry: support the Larry program, cut the Curly and Moe programs
          Curly: support the Curly program, cut the Moe and Larry programs

          Therefore by 2/3: cut the Moe program, cut the Larry program, cut the Curly program: yet unanimously; support one of those programs. 

             Other political shenanigans later resulted in the following Mandate Troika from the Supreme Court:

             Four of the Supreme Court justices ruled:

             * that the Obamacare mandate is not a tax

             * that the mandate must be a tax to be constitutional

             * and that the mandate is unconstitutional.

             Four of the Supreme Court justices ruled:

             * that the mandate is not a tax

             * that the mandate need not be a tax to be constitutional

             * and that the mandate is constitutional.

             The Chief Justice ruled:

             * that the mandate is a tax

             * that the mandate must be a tax to be constitutional

             * and that the mandate is constitutional.

             So majorities on the Supreme Court ruled:

             * that the mandate is not a tax

             * that the mandate must be a tax to be constitutional

             * and that the mandate is constitutional.