Several times in 2012 (and before) our nation has been led to the "brink" of various financial decisions.
The latest one is the "fiscal cliff," which had to be dealt with before Jan. 1, 2013.
While a lot of posturing has taken place, and some behind-doors discussions, the nation has been taken to the brink of recession because a bunch of people in Washington, D.C., couldn't compromise.
Who is going to lose?
All of us.
It's not like they haven't had time to do this.
They have had time to politic.
They have had time to take vacations and holidays.
They have had time to vote on lots of other things.
They have had time to point fingers, blame each other and whine.
But they haven't made the effort to compromise.
Compromise isn't an evil word. It means that nobody gets everything they want, but everybody gets something they want.
And the American people aren't left twisting in the wind from a noose of taxes, burdensome fees, job eliminations as well as cuts and slashes beyond reason.
The "fiscal cliff" slate of automatic hits were created to be so obnoxious that nobody would allow them to happen.
Even if a deal was struck just before the stroke of midnight, it could not have been a thoughtful compromise but rather a rush towards a slamming door.
And we fear that much of our nation will suffer for it.
We will suffer economically and, possibly, defensively as other nations will consider us weaker and easier to target.
The resolve of 2013 should be to make our national politicans - President Obama, Senators and Congressmen - understand that this sort of politics is totally and completely unacceptable.
Our homes are not run this way.
Our businesses are not run this way.
Our states are not run this way.
Our nation shouldn't be run this way.