Hey! The Government Is Shut Down!

[Reeltarded]

Not because of that, no, and 'quality' might have a different meaning for some people.

I'm knitting a shawl.

[Structo]

Not to be a conspiracy nut, but the thought has crossed my mind that this is
all planned.

Economists say in previous shut downs, that the stock market took off on legs.

Furloughed Fed employees saves billions a day when not working.

It's another time when we are looking in one direction but then the president points to another crisis and says, "No look over here!"

The ol' "wag the dog technique" to divert attention away from the big picture.

[Zippy]

Furloughed Fed employees saves billions a day when not working.

That depends on how they do it and whether you consider the "trickle down" costs.

The last time there was a federal shutdown, the employees received back pay for the days not worked. That means that it was more expensive to shut down the government because workers were paid for work not performed.

There are already repercussions from the current shut down. One example is the Head Start Program. Working families that depend on Head Start for day care of their children have to find alternative care for their kids, leave them at home unattended, or miss work. There are many more such examples, I'm sure.

Of course, the Congress members are getting paid $$$ for continuing to not do their job - passing an annual budget.

[vibratoking]

Yes, long live the Constitution!!!!!!

Discussing party politics is a complete waste of time and diverts from the real issue. It's not the Dems or the Repubs or whoever, it's the politicians. Party politics is the biggest fucking joke in the country at the moment.

Anyone notice what congress did with Obamacare? As it was originally passed, Congress was going to have to sever themselves from the private, for-life, special health care system they are currently entitled to. This would have forced them onto the health care exchanges with the common folk. Congress then voted to change Obamacare and exempt themselves from the exchanges and keep their current entitlement. This was almost ignored by the media. That's a good example of what's so fucked up about this country. Entitled politicians in bed with the media.

[Reeltarded]

Ehh.. We are making this way far too way way political.

First we must define what politics is.

Team sports. Where did it come from? It probably stems from primative hunting groups.. tribal armies.. ya know. So at some point people become more civilized and then they take their beefs to a field somewhere. Jousting. You know..

Time passes and... you remember the last century (as seen on tv)..

Governance of the people has evolved into a game that is as removed from the duty of the real as are football rules from here to Britain. It's played in the traditional arena as a backdrop, but it's nothing to do about the people. We don't need 24/7 legislation and millions of esoteric regulations. We don't need a middle man, and holy shit we don't need two ideological opposites posing as servants. It serves nothing.

There is honest discourse. Discourse isn't disagreement; it's arguing the semantics of how to get the right thing done. There was a time when even the most corrupted still entertained actual discourse, not piracy of the people.

They take our choice and they take our money three times in a bar of candy. French fries taste like shit now. Snacky cakes have no butylflammatate or yumminess.

We can't change our own diapers so they are going to put a surcharge on diapers for a public awareness campaign about changing your own diaper. A number to 1-800-826-MYOD gets you the National Butt Wiping Administration which is named to sound like they serve but instead if you report a diaper spill they are like the potty EPA so they swoop in and fine you $170,000 for a toxic spill on possible native American people's historic range.

Define politics.

[CHIP]

Todays leaders are people who think they know what's best for you. Their opinion is more important than yours. They seek POWER to control you,
because you're to stupid to be responsible for yourself.
You might eat too many twinkies and kill yourself!
You might drink 32 oz. of soda and blow up like the Hindenburg, for goodness sake!

[sepulchre]

It's not the Dems or the Repubs or whoever, it's the politicians.

+100

Uh, Yup!!

[Firestorm]

If you've ever lived in a condo where the association was controlled by busybodies you get the picture. Just multiplied by a gazillion. It's not enough to defend the coast and deliver the mail. No. We need a Department of Socks that Don't Match Because One Got Lost in the Wash.

There is no aspect of life so minute that they don't want to control it. And we make it easy by jumping down each other's throats to defend ridiculous positions: "It's my God-given right to have you pay for my birth control!" "If we don't speak up for the snail darter, who will?" "When it rains, there's a stream there. It must be wetlands, you can't let him build a cabin there! " "The ice has been melting since the beginning of the interglacial! OMG, it must be the see oh two."

[Zippy]

If you've ever lived in a condo where the association was controlled by busybodies you get the picture. Just multiplied by a gazillion. It's not enough to defend the coast and deliver the mail. No. We need a Department of Socks that Don't Match Because One Got Lost in the Wash.

Vote for me. I'm the White Socks candidate. If you lose one or wear one out, toss it and save it the mate. It'll go with any of the other white socks.

There is no aspect of life so minute that they don't want to control it. And we make it easy by jumping down each other's throats to defend ridiculous positions: "It's my God-given right to have you pay for my birth control!" "If we don't speak up for the snail darter, who will?" "When it rains, there's a stream there. It must be wetlands, you can't let him build a cabin there! " "The ice has been melting since the beginning of the interglacial! OMG, it must be the see oh two."

I'm still trying to understand how/when/why the Religious Right became part of the Republican Party. I must have dozed off in the '70s. What happened to separation of church and state? That was one of the fundamental freedoms of this country. Freedom of religion and freedom from religion.

[Reeltarded]

People lost the meanings of all the words. All of them.

On purpose.

[NickC]

People lost the meanings of all the words. All of them.

On purpose.

What do you mean by that?

Welcome my son, welcome to the machine.
What did you dream? It's alright we told you what to dream.
You dreamed of a big star, he played a mean guitar,
He always ate in the Steak Bar. He loved to drive in his Jaguar.
So welcome to the machine.

[Firestorm]

If you've ever lived in a condo where the association was controlled by busybodies you get the picture. Just multiplied by a gazillion. It's not enough to defend the coast and deliver the mail. No. We need a Department of Socks that Don't Match Because One Got Lost in the Wash.

Vote for me. I'm the White Socks candidate. If you lose one or wear one out, toss it and save it the mate. It'll go with any of the other white socks.

There is no aspect of life so minute that they don't want to control it. And we make it easy by jumping down each other's throats to defend ridiculous positions: "It's my God-given right to have you pay for my birth control!" "If we don't speak up for the snail darter, who will?" "When it rains, there's a stream there. It must be wetlands, you can't let him build a cabin there! " "The ice has been melting since the beginning of the interglacial! OMG, it must be the see oh two."

I'm still trying to understand how/when/why the Religious Right became part of the Republican Party. I must have dozed off in the '70s. What happened to separation of church and state? That was one of the fundamental freedoms of this country. Freedom of religion and freedom from religion.

The Religious Right is just a convenient constituency. Separation of church and state though, is an unfortunate quote from a letter Jefferson wrote as a private citizen. What the Constitution says is that Congress (and now the states by incorporation of the 14th Amendment) will have NOTHING to say on the matter, for, against whatever. At the time of the founding, states actually had state religions. Some were more tolerant than others.

But now, mandating that tolerance is exactly what the Constitution says we cannot do.

We're all confused. I've actually seen people claim a Federal right to a public restroom.

[briane]

hey dude!

THEY ARE NOT SHUT DOWN!

They still taking my money, just now they provide no services in return.

For the rest of us its called FRAUD.

When I pay for a sandwich - I expect a sandwich, not an empty plate.

[Firestorm]

I think I've said this before: two-part tax form; figure out what you owe, then allocate to what you're willing to pay for. Clean it up real quick.

[NickC]

I think I've said this before: two-part tax form; figure out what you owe, then allocate to what you're willing to pay for. Clean it up real quick.

I LOVE that idea!