Is There a Solution to this Mess?

In case you haven't been keeping up with the news about the crises over the budget deficit, we have a very serious problem in this country.  That problem is not the budget deficit and increasing the debt ceiling.  That problem is the inability of our leaders to solve problems.  We elected our leaders to run our government and to solve problems.  That is not being done.  All our leaders seem to be able to do is blame the other side on why a particular problem is not being solved.  All our leaders seem to be able to do is score political points at the expense of the other side.  All our leaders seem to be able to do is talk, talk, and talk.

I think I have a solution to this problem, but I do not have the power to implement this solution.  It is called binding arbitration.  Our leaders should be put in a room with no contact to the outside.  Then they work on a solution until they can all agree on it.  They will not be let out of the room until a solution is found and agreed upon.  Whatever the solution is, that will be the solution that will be implemented.  No debate. 

Obviously binding arbitration can't be used for every problem, especially in a democratic society.  However, binding arbitration has been used when there is no other way to forge an agreement.  We seem to be in that situation now with the issue of the debt ceiling and the budget deficit.  Just when we are getting close to an agreement, the talks breakdown when some group says no.  Some groups seem only to want to say no, and only no.  There is no willingness to compromise.  It is my way or the highway, to coin a phrase.  Our government can't work with this kind of attitude.  Our government, at least our government in Washington, is not working now.  Both sides are to blame.  I have my opinions about who is more to blame, but that doesn't matter.  I just want an agreement so that this country will not default on its financial obligations.  The long term consequences of defaulting will hurt us all in the long run.  I am tired of the blame game being played by our leaders.  What the people of this country want is for this problem to be solved so that we do not default, and then we can move on to try to solve the other big problems that we have.  Our leaders have been elected to solve our problems.  If they can't find a way to do that, then we will find someone who can do that.