Will the Government shut down on the 27th of March?

[Razgovory]

The sequester happened because the Republican House was unable to agree with Democratic Senate and the Democratic president on alternative cuts.  It's stupid to call the inability to reach a better agreement stupid when you were a party to the negotiations.

Why?  Couldn't the other side be make ridiculous demands?  It may take two to tango, but only one to ruin the dance.

[Sheilbh]

We should call politicians out for lying or breaking promises not for being insufficiently jesuitical.

I still don't see the inconsistency. Everyone would probably agree that entirely equal cuts in all areas is not the best way to do anything. To make that point there is no need to then have a fully costed plan of cuts that should be made. Obama can call the cuts stupid; Republicans, if they want, can call the defence cuts stupid. Neither's being logically inconsistent, they're just stating facts as they see them which is what politicians try to do persuasively.

Obama always saw the sequester as a sword of Damocles that Congress would surely avoid. But also always promised that he'd veto any bill that repealed it without similar cuts. Not that it's in effect I don't see why he shouldn't be able to oppose it as a policy, as he always has.

[Admiral Yi]

Why?  Couldn't the other side be make ridiculous demands?  It may take two to tango, but only one to ruin the dance.

Not according to Shelf.

[Sheilbh]

Not according to Shelf.

I think Raz's right.

But it's also possible that two sides just can't agree - no element of the ridiculous about it. Arguably that was the big mistake about the sequester. It wasn't a threat to Congress, so much as it was a comfortable fall-back position. If negotiations failed the budget would still be cut by that amount and no-one would be happy about it.

No-one would win and the deficit would fall - even if it hurt things that you might support when you're struggling in a negotiation that might look good enough.

[Phillip V]

Health Insurers Prevail in Washington

'Shares of health insurance companies soared today after federal officials scrapped proposed payment cuts to carriers that run Medicare plans.

Insurers including Humana Inc., UnitedHealth Group Inc., and Cigna Corp. get paid by the federal government to run Medicare plans for more than 14 million Americans. Known as Medicare Advantage plans, the policies have been a growth spot for insurers as baby boomers turn 65 and appeal to seniors with perks like free gym memberships. Nearly one in three people on Medicare is on such a plan.'

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887324883604578399051181167338.html

[Phillip V]

15% of U.S. Receives Food Stamps

'Food-stamp use rose 1.8% in the U.S. in January from a year earlier, with 15% of the U.S. population receiving benefits.

One of the federal government's biggest social welfare programs, which expanded when the economy convulsed, isn't shrinking back alongside the recovery.'

http://blogs.wsj.com/economics/2013/04/05/some-15-of-u-s-receives-food-stamps/

[Ed Anger]

I missed the old paper food stamps in the little booklet. I remember people staring as I ripped the fuckers out of the books to pay for my food. The bigger the audience, the slower I went.

Now these kids have electronic cards. They take the fun out of everything.

[MadImmortalMan]

SSA disability has expanded a lot too.

[Phillip V]

SSA disability has expanded a lot too.

Disability Fund to Be Depleted by 2016

'Even as more people in the U.S. rely on disability benefits, the program that pays them is running into a problem: there isn't enough money coming in to cover the amount that's going out.'

http://blogs.wsj.com/economics/2013/04/07/disability-fund-to-be-depleted-by-2016/

[Ideologue]

It's shit like that really makes me think that our government is fucking stupid. We've had budget woes for how long now, and they're JUST considering getting rid of the barber shop? Seriously?

You do realize that closing the barbershop gets you about one one-millionth of the way to the goal, right?  It's such a half measure that it's essentially irrelevant.

It would make more sense to eliminate the USAF.

QFT.

Cut the Army, the USAF to its ICBM force, and reduce the Navy to its ballistic missile submarine contingent for second strike or counterforce strike capability.  Fight wars solely through cheap nuclear weapons.  Cost of Iraq War under old, flawed invasion/counter-insurgency paradigm: $812 billion.  Cost of Iraq War under new, successful ICBM-only program: >$100 million, and that's only if we replaced the missiles and warheads.  Savings accrued: 99.9%.  Use extra dough to nationalize banks, purchase artisanal guillotines.