The Government Shutdown Countdown Lowdown MEGATHREAD

[Darth Wagtaros]

Hell is Languish.

Where the fuck is Marti then?

lurking.

[Jacob]

I think this rightwing tantrum is a disgrace to the US.

I am wondering what is the point of a debt ceiling if you just raise it whenever it is inconvenient, though.

The point of the debt ceiling was to score cheap rhetorical points about debt, without it having a serious negative impact on the US' economy (because they'd raise it when necessary). Alas, the scoring of cheap rhetorical points got out of hand, so maybe they'll undermine the US and world economies for a few extra ones.

[Sheilbh]

I thought this was interesting on the Danish debt ceiling:
http://thehill.com/blogs/on-the-money/budget/278075-denmark-offers-road-map-to-resolve-debt-ceiling-crisis

[Caliga]

It's interesting how this doesn't seem to be affecting Wall Street all that much.  My portfolio is actually up 0.42%.

[Darth Wagtaros]

It's interesting how this doesn't seem to be affecting Wall Street all that much.  My portfolio is actually up 0.42%.

They probably knew it was coming for months. 

[Jacob]

What's your take on the situation, derspiess?

[garbon]

What's your take on the situation, derspiess?

I'd say it is unfortunate, particularly as House Republicans have little incentive to retrench at this point (unless their constituents start acting up) as do give up now would results in a massive loss of face among their voters.

[Rasputin]

life without the federal governement feels much the same as life without the national hockey league when it canceled the hockey season a few years back...I miss neither, and my life is unaffected.

I'm not sure we should ever restore funding to the feds beyond what's needed to blow up foreigners.

[derspiess]

What's your take on the situation, derspiess?

I'm not really paying much attention to it, to be honest.  But if you really want my $.02, I'm about evenly split as to whether this was a worthwhile effort to turn back Obamacare or whether the GOP's political energy would've been better spent elsewhere.  It will probably blow up in the GOP's face, because Obama always comes out of these types of crises without anything sticking to him.  So maybe the latter.

There-- that's about as much interest as I have in thinking about it

[Sheilbh]

But if you really want my $.02, I'm about evenly split as to whether this was a worthwhile effort to turn back Obamacare or whether the GOP's political energy would've been better spent elsewhere. 

Like trying to win an election so they could turn back Obamacare?

It will probably blow up in the GOP's face, because Obama always comes out of these types of crises without anything sticking to him.

I think it's because he's been very lucky in his enemies.

[frunk]

If Obama would have stared them down the first time they tried to pull this we wouldn't of had the annual repeats.  Instead we get to regularly suffer through the grandstanding and time wasting.

[Caliga]

life without the federal governement feels much the same as life without the national hockey league when it canceled the hockey season a few years back...I miss neither, and my life is unaffected.

I'm not sure we should ever restore funding to the feds beyond what's needed to blow up foreigners.

When I saw the fallout and that all essential workers and programs would continue to be paid/funded, I had to wonder: shouldn't everything the government does be essential, and shouldn't it not be doing anything beyond that?

[lustindarkness]

life without the federal governement feels much the same as life without the national hockey league when it canceled the hockey season a few years back...I miss neither, and my life is unaffected.

I'm not sure we should ever restore funding to the feds beyond what's needed to blow up foreigners.

When I saw the fallout and that all essential workers and programs would continue to be paid/funded, I had to wonder: shouldn't everything the government does be essential, and shouldn't it not be doing anything beyond that?

*ding ding* Winner winner chicken dinner.

[grumbler]

I've never understood what was so attractive about Bushcare that people will shut down the government and destroy its good faith and credit to preserve it.  Is it the massive inefficiency (costing more per citizen than the German system, and providing less than half the coverage)?  The rapid price increases?  The absurd drug prices?  The confusion about what it even is, how to use it, and how to select coverages among all the badly-written options?

Bushcare just doesn't seem to be something worthy of all this passion and self-inflicted humiliation.  And yet, here we are.  Why?

[grumbler]

]When I saw the fallout and that all essential workers and programs would continue to be paid/funded, I had to wonder: shouldn't everything the government does be essential, and shouldn't it not be doing anything beyond that?  

I sure hope not.  If the government does only the "essentials," then we don't have things like paved roads and the internet.