Reply #53: My favorite part of your OP ...

[ColbertWatcher]

Then, anyone who has ever been in a bazaar in the Middle East knows that you never start with the price you would settle for, and you are not obligated to give the seller's initial offer any consideration. Too many here want to start with a compromise, begin the negotiations upon some imaginary “middle” ground. This has the effect of continually shifting the political context to the right, since we wind up halfway between our compromise position and their hard and fast extreme position.

Thank you for posting this. Kicked and recommended and bookmarked.