Government Shut Down

[CruelNatalie]

I'm not much into politics and think the entire government sucks. But I'd love to hear your feedback and what you think of this shut down. The last one, 17 years ago (I think) was during the Clinton administration and last about 28 days. I was too young to really remember. Do any of your remember what it was like?

Thanks
Nat

[Tury]

I try not to speak about government too much, it gets me pretty stressed out. I WILL say, shutting down seems more of an organized tantrum than anything else.

"I don't mind if politicians take money from company's, but I DO think they should be required to wear jumpsuits with their sponsors on them like Nascar drivers." - Robin Williams

[CruelNatalie]

I try not to speak about government too much, it gets me pretty stressed out. I WILL say, shutting down seems more of an organized tantrum than anything else.

"I don't mind if politicians take money from company's, but I DO think they should be required to wear jumpsuits with their sponsors on them like Nascar drivers." - Robin Williams

I agree with you but I really want to know. I think its another form of manipulation. I'd love to see a people revolution but worry that it would open the door to even more corruption.

[Imagynation]

I don't remember the last time as I was not online until 1998, and not much interested in news nor politics. However I've been watching the exchange rates all day before midnight, as that's a quicker way to know the outcome than wait for a news website to announce the result. Sure enough the USD dropped a few minutes before midnight (GMT-4) and the first news story wasn't untiol 7 minutes after midnight.

Much commentary so far on tv news seems to predict that if it lasts less than a week, it will have very little impact on anything, and corrections in the exchange rates and other economics will be regained IF only a week. The greatest worry all the gurus are talking about is what happens on the Ides of October if the USA defaults on its debt, which apparently WILL happen if the debt ceiling is not increased. To quote ABC (Australian Broadcasting Commission):

Republicans are also demanding Obama make concessions in the health care law to secure a lifting of the current $16.7 trillion debt ceiling, without which the United States would begin to default on its debts for the first time in history by the middle of October.

Obamacare would appear to be a rather costly exercise about to have its platinum Amex snipped in half, but remember never to waste your time worrying about things that have not happened yet, because most of them DON'T actually happen..

[CruelNatalie]

I'm not really that worried. lol I have myself set up to sustain almost anything. I own my own land and have a shot gun. What else do I need? hahaha But seriously my dad raised us to keep overhead low and to be very self sufficient. I feel bad for people who don't get this.

[Tury]

I can't believe I'm saying this, but I'd like to see Nezhul weigh in on this.

[Imagynation]

What else do I need?

Depending on the shutdown duration ...

.... a dog with big ears and insomnia.

[masterstroke]

Don't believe the media. The last government shutdown didn't affect me very much.

Unless you're a federal employee or a contractor who relies on work from a Federal Agency, the shutdown probably isn't going to affect you very much. Essential services that will continue include:

Social Security payments
Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)
Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA)
Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms (ATF) Website still operating.
Fire fighting,
National Weather Service,
Medical services at federal facilities,
Postal service,
Active Duty military,
Air traffic controllers
Prisons
Food inspectors
Border Patrol
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (Food stamps)
Current unemployment benefits

What might be affected is your ability to obtain a passport or visa. However, for now the State Department will be open to process passport and visa applications. if you're applying for federal benefits or compensation for the first time, your application will probably be delayed.

The U.S. Government is a massive bureaucracy. Here's a partial list of what's affected:

National Parks Service
Department of Interior
Department of Treasury
Department of Defense Civilians
Environmental Protection Agency
Department of Education
National Aeronautics and Space Agency (NASA)
Department of Housing and Urban Development
Department of Agriculture

Department of Health and Human Services which includes:
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC),
National Institutes of Health,
Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
Furloughing 50% of its workforce.

What this whole fiasco is about is a debate over the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare). Affordable health insurance. That's a whole another issue.

[kong]

I think that it is obvious that the governments role are:
Free:
Healthcare (a person should not pay over a maximum amount/per year (about 300§ tot)
School (The students should get economic contribution, and get an opportunity to take loans)
Roads
Police
Fire department
And the judiciary

Governments income :tax

If you want to have a more improved government in your specific state, then you have to pay (all who lives in that state) +tax
School+ (libraries)
Roads+ (parks)
ASO

In the Northern Europe these things are obvious. (Norway, Sweden, Denmark)

I think its really foolish that you have not come to realize that if the government is investing in education, it will be refunded when the students are educated, working and paying tax!

[Jaberwocky]

I myself am from The Netherlands and thus raised with in a different country with different values. This means I am not in the best position to judge, but I definately think that this shutdown is not a good thing at all.

As to who is to blame? If you ask me to pick between the democrats and the republicans, I would say most blame goes to the republicans. But when given the opportunity to be more subtile, I would say it is the political system. Cause democracy has one major flaw: "In a democracy people get the leaders they deserve - Joseph de Maistre."

If every person in my country (unfortunate that would include me) take a good interest in politics, we would have better politicians. This also includes a decent form of education for the voters to be able to comprehent the possible negative consequences of certain political decisions that "feels right". Something that does not help is that people automatically filter the information the recieve to fit in their own view of the world. And this information filtering is even made a lot worse the past decade as these days, search engines and tagging systems are already doing the filtering for you as soon as you start roaming on the internet, simply because they try to present you the information you like to see. Anyway, as educating every voter is an illusion, this quote unfortunately still stands: "It has been said that democracy is the worst form of government except all those other forms that have been tried from time to time - Winston Churchill."

Cause in the meantime, politicians can go to war based on reasons that lack a solid fundament,... more than once. Or they can appeal to emotions while neglecting sense, reason and consequences. And unless the reason to make it to the newspaper is a watergate sized scandall, after a few months the only effect is that the name sounds familiar, and lets vote on that that name because it sounds familiar.

Although I doubt a few of the provided statistics, this talk by a Chinese investor and political scientist might be interesting to watch. In this talk he explains how the political system of China works and compares it to democracy from his point of view. (To be clear, I do not wish this one-party system to be implemented in The Netherlands.)
http://www.ted.com/talks/eric_x_li_a_ta ... stems.html

[CruelNatalie]

Wow Jab that's very thought provoking. I often wonder about other government's and how countries are run.
I always bitch about leaving but I'm sure some places have it worse.

[dubble]

No, it won't affect us most of us... as has been previously stated/listed. Sucks that we hear about it so much as the world becomes smaller thanks to internet, social media, & modern communications. When it happened last it seemed to have gotten things pumped up in the years following, economically. Most people didn't feel it back then either or hear much about it unless you were wired. It's just sad that it happens & that our 'leaders' agree to disagree. I know the stock market was a great place to be during that time & in the following years! Clinton's budget began to align & led to a surplus so the deficit was being paid off. Then 'Dubbya' took over. Egad....& people hate Obama!?

So many egos & posturing in DC instead of taking care of the needs of the people & country. Founding fathers would be appalled... sad.

Maybe you should keep them all locked in chastity, CruelNatalie, until they can agree on something, compromise, & get some important issues resolved. *wonders just how cruel you can really be*

[liam801]

This all sounds pretty serious :/
Being from Brisbane in Australia haven't heard all that much, it seemms funny that over here its been a big concern that unemployment is up to 5.8%, goes to show that no ones ever happy.

[Nezhul]

I can't believe I'm saying this, but I'd like to see Nezhul weigh in on this.

America will be fine most probably. ANoother raise, another loan, just as always. US is too important for a lot of wealthy people to crumble just like that. Sadly.
So it'll be fine. Although if it keeps up Chine will be first economy before long, and US will be shifted from it's beloved 1st to like 3rd-5th. Not much further, as it is a strong country all the same.

I think what USA really needs is stop waging wars on anyone undemocratic (who has oil), and start cleaning their economy, because how you live now (spend more that you earn) will get you going for just so long.

[Nezhul]

If you want to have a more improved government in your specific state, then you have to pay (all who lives in that state) +tax

Yea, but don't forget that a lot of tax money are spend not on things, not on teachers/doctors wages, but on burocracy and wages for people who shift paper from one side of the desk to another. Again, paper costs a lot. And don't forget that a lot of archaic and highly inefficient social programs get money from tax too. And of course army! Your tax money fly in Lybian and Iraq skies and blow shit up (sometimes undemocratic people with guns, who are against US forces being on their lands, sometimes hospitals and living districts, highly undemocratic too...). It's more important than your health, you should know.