This used to happen a lot:
Polimom (6:30 pm): Adorable Child (AC), I’ll let you watch television until 7 pm,, at which time you have to turn it off and do your homework. I won’t let you watch tv for the rest of the week if you don’t.
AC: OK, mom.
Polimom (6:55 pm): AC, you have five minutes ’til the tv goes off.
AC: OK, mom.
Polimom (7:15 pm): AC, it’s past time. I asked you to please turn off the tv and do your homework.
AC: But MOOOOMMMMMMM! It’s almost over!!! Five more minutes… please??????
Polimom: Sigh…. Okay… as soon as it’s over. (What time is it over?)
I’m betting every parent out there knows how the (lack of) technique described above worked out, and I’m happy to say it goes rather differently now:
Polimom (6:30 pm): AC, the tv goes off at 7 so you can do your homework.
AC: OK, mom.
7:00 pm: Silence from the den.
AC (7:30 pm): I’m done now with my homework, mom. Can you look it over, please?
This miracle in behavior did not come about because I continued to extend deadlines or overlook lines I’d drawn in the sand. It just doesn’t work that way. However, the battles that ensued during the brief time it took to correct her behavior were ugly.
Polimom (6:30 pm): At 7 pm, the television goes off and you do your homework. If the tv is still on at 7:01, the tv stays off for the rest of the week.
AC (7:01 pm): NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
So what’s different here?
Rice, who is in New York for the U.N. General Assembly, said Washington would continue to push the world body to impose sanctions against Iran after it failed to heed an August 31 U.N. deadline to give up enrichment activities.
“The international community also has a credibility issue. We said as of August 31 suspend (enrichment) or we will pursue sanctions. We are talking to our partners about that course,” Rice said in an interview with CBS.
Or here?
The French leader is balking at the U.S. drive to sanction Iran for defying Security Council demands that it freeze uranium enrichment.
“Should they continue to stall,” Bush said of Iranian leaders, “we will then discuss the consequences of their stalling.” The president, speaking after his meeting with Chirac, said those consequences would include the possibility of sanctions.
Chirac proposed on Monday that the international community compromise by suspending the threat of sanctions if Tehran agrees to halt its uranium enrichment program and return to negotiations. The U.S. and other countries fear Iran is trying to build nuclear weapons, while Tehran insists its uranium enrichment program is to make fuel for nuclear power plants.
Answer: nothing.
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