Arguments tend to start when we are confronted – usually rather suddenly – by what appears to us to be the radical selfishness, intransigence or sheer nastiness of the partner.
The Republican hardliners who are driving the government to a shutdown do not want to be thought of as inflation doves, but that is the strange consequence of their intransigence.
America said afterwards they heard nothing different from the Russians during the closed-door meeting and also that the Syrian government couldn't continue to hide behind what it called Moscow's intransigence.