I want xxx
You can have xxx if you give me yyy
I am not prepared to give you yyy.
Then you don't get xxx
You do realise I don't need xxx I just want it!
Yes but I want yyy.
You do realise by giving me xxx you get more out of it than we do!
Yes but I want yyy.
Ok. No. I will get xxx by utilising another avenue that costs zzz which is a Fraction of the cost of yyy.
My rendition of one aspect of red lines.
Or another
I want xxx
You can have xxx if you give me yyy
I am not prepared to give you yyy.
Then you don't get xxx
You do realise I don't need xxx I just want it
Yes but I want yyy
Ok how about I give you yxx
No I want yyy
Ok how about yyx.
No I want yyy.
You do realise that by giving me xxx you get more out of it than we do.
Yes but I want yyy.
OK. No. I will get xxx by utilising another avenue that costs zzz which is a fraction of the cost of yyy.
I could go on but in either scenario which is better?
Prompted I suppose by all the tal of red lines and negotiations but about nothing specific.
I just don't see the point in advertising red lines before hand because you end up having to justify why you didn't get what you said you wanted. Look How ridiculed Cameron was when he brought nothing back from Brussels.