In November, 1942 the Soviet army launched a counteroffensive against the German troops besieging Stalingrad that threatened to completely encircle German forces and thus cut them off from resupply. General Paulus, commander of the 6th German Army and other Axis forces, begged Hitler to allow him to breakout with a tactical retreat that would save the Army. However, having publicly committed himself to the goal of taking Stalingrad, Hitler refused, insisting that resupply by air and National Socialist ardor would be sufficient to win the day.
It wasn't. In short order the 6th Army began to starve and run out of ammunition. Paulos and 110,000 Germans surrendered on February 2nd. Only about 6,000 ever returned to Germany alive. It was the greatest German military catastrophe at that point in WWII, and marked a turning point in the war from which the Germans never recovered.
The House Republicans have essentially repeated the same mistake Hitler made at Stalingrad. They are so focused upon an ideological ideal--"No new taxes!"--that they are incapable of understanding that goals must be served by means. But in pursuit of their stated goal, the GOP has adopted means that are counterproductive to it.
Had Hitler allowed Paulus to withdraw, then the 6th Army would have survived largely intact and lived to fight another day, but dead soldiers cannot accomplish anything. In much the same way, by their fanatical refusal to sign on to any tax increase now, the House Republicans have guaranteed an even larger tax increase later. Their chosen means directly contradict their stated goal. This is clearly madness.
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