Opinion: Never compromise! Unless it’s time to compromise....
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In Philadelphia on Saturday, Sen. John McCain (whose politics I wrote about last week) delivered this zinger about the James Baker group’s forthcoming don’t-stay-the-course recommendations for Iraq: ‘Well in war, my dear friends, there is no such thing as compromise; you either win or you lose.’
Nice one! Someone should tell ... John McCain.
In his 2004 book Why Courage Matters: The Way to a Braver Life, McCain wrote about two Navajo chiefs -- Manuelito and Barboncito -- who clashed with the U.S. Army. Manuelito was incredibly stubborn, war-like and brave; Barboncito could also fight, but he was more apt to ... compromise. In his summary paragraph on the two men, McCain reserves his highest praise for the compromiser:
One man had been strong and proud, a firebrand, who proved he had the courage to fight almost as hard and as long as his pride demanded. But neither his courage nor his strength, though very great, was inexhaustible. The other, wiser man also had exemplary courage and pride. He too could fight longer than others. But had the courage to endure defeat without despair, without losing hope. His courage proved the stronger and more effective of the two.