For the record...

[Wayne]

Hi guys,

For the record, I'm still working and employed (not furloughed) but -- in essence -- in unpaid status, meaning that I don't know when my next paycheck will get here. In a shutdown scenario, any expenditures (such as paychecks, etc) must be approved by Congress and it is unclear if, or when that might occur.

I've been trying to check with everyone I know that's affected by the US shutdown. Some are furloughed, some are working, some only have money through the middle of the month.

I could sit here and point fingers and play the blame game, but the fact is that the US Government, specifically the Executive and Legislative branches, has failed the people. ALL OF THEM, and We The People are the only ones suffering.

How is everyone to blame?

- Obama rammed a shitty Obamacare down our throats.
- Democrats are refusing to compromise on defunding Obamacare
- Republicans are trying to force the situation on defunding of Obamacare.

In essence, everyone is to blame, but the proverbial "buck" stops at King Obama's doorstep for his continual efforts to destroy the American way of life and to socialize everything for "the greater good" (which is neither greater, nor good).

I'm rambling now, but whatever happened in America to the concept that if you want to get ahead, you have to work for it?

Wayne

 

[FluffyMcDeath]

From the title I thought you were going to attempt to do something outrageous like eat a house or tap dance for 200 hrs straight - but I see you are not trying to get into the Guinness book.

Sad to hear about your situation. Working for no money is very "end of the Soviet Union"-esque. Maybe it's time to stock up on vodka and toilet paper so you have something to trade when society collapses. If only you were working directly with the military or the secret police, it's much too dangerous to stop paying those guys.

Obamacare is a red herring really. The people don't want to be forced to buy private insurance, they want public single payer, every poll from the beginning of time shows that's the majority opinion - but the real objective is to strangle the whole government especially regulators . Big finance (Democrat these days) versus big oil (largely Republican): they want different things in general but they agree on one point; they both want a government that can't govern. Obamacare is just the excuse they need for a fight.

If the government can't raise the debt ceiling there is no reason for the government to shut down. They could simply issue coins to pay employees (they are entitled to do so and there are millions of those Susan B Anthony's sitting around). They could probably pay people directly with Government Bonds (which is what backs the US Dollar anyway so it's "better than money"). It may even be the case that Obama could "executive order" that - but don't expect him to because the guys from the Federal Reserve would arrange a tour of Dallas for the POTUS is he ever did a thing like cut them out.

 

[minator]

Obama is stuck between a rock and a hard place.

On the one hand if he doesn't negotiate he gets the shutdown and all its troubles.
On the other hand if he delays he will have given in to a small minority in congress. This will be a failure of democracy because it will mean the President is effectively no longer in charge. All because of a law that has already passed and was invented by the Republicans anyway!

The US system depends on compromise, by not willing to do this the Tea party are breaking the system. Clever tactics maybe but ultimately stupid and dangerous.

The real showdown will be later this month. If the US defaults it will cause financial chaos the world over.
The question is are the Tea party really that stupid?
...and is Boehner really that weak?

If so, there's a lot of trouble ahead.

 

[FluffyMcDeath]

Look on the bright side, Wayne. The money they are saving by not paying you can still be spent on buying Israelis public healthcare and buying Ak47s for Al-Qaeda in Syria to kill Christians with. Hellfires will still be launched (a weapon that costs about $1000 an inch) and third world countries will be destabilized ensuring future incomes for weapon manufacturers. Americans, it turns out, are not a priority for the American government.