American Government is Shut Down!

Think again ... the big wigs still gets paid because only a direct law can prevent them for getting paid

Also USA WTF? This is so wierd ass wierdness , now you know ho we Mexicans feel everyday with our politicians ; welcome to the club ;D

I don't know it if was great. But it was probably better than right now. Either way, trying to be optimistic.

Obamacare makes health insurance mandatory and cheaper, which is just great because companies across the country have been slashing the number of hours employees work to keep them from being full-time employees so they don't have to pay their insurance.

But then will they try to pull the same stunt with the debt ceiling?

The debt ceiling thing is even dumber. Congress passes a budget. Congress passes what and how much the IRS can collect in taxes. The amounts don't match. So by law Congress wants to spend money than it takes in (and not make the Executive completely innocent, they have to consent to this). So as a procedure, the POTUS must get permission from Congress for the Treasury to borrow money to make up for the gap. And Congress is the one threatening not to do it damaging the finances of the USA because they don't like one program.

Extra kicker for the current issue: "Obamacare" is already funded whether or not Congress passes something or messed up the debt ceiling.

yeah but that's an arguement for single payer which would never have passed. Therefore we have to do this half assed step, and even now they're fighting with everything they've got.

lol sounds like a fair arrangement. We strike at dawn! He'll never see it coming

You know this is a public forum right? He can literally read everything you're typing. If you want to surprise him strike in the dead of night. He'll never expect it.

Welcome to the Freak Party. I gladly accept your allegiance.

@grantheaslip said:

tee hee

The Republican's plan since Obama was first elected is to oppose every single thing he wants to do so his Presidency is deemed a failure and that a Republican president will be elected after him. It failed during his first term and he was re-elected, but the Republicans are sticking to their plan in hopes that they will win the next presidency. They are a bunch of spoiled children who quit working when they don't get their way. They absolutely refuse to compromise in any way. It is either their way or no way. They don't give a fuck if that ruins the country because that will only make Obama and Democrats look bad. They are just truly awful human beings. There is no reason why America can't reasonably have universal health care. It works just fine in every other modern country, why can't it work in America? Because the Republicans are the party of "fuck you, I got mine." Not to mention that all politicians are a bunch of rich fucks who have no understanding whatsoever of what the average American deals with. Politicians get free health care from the government for their whole lives, so they don't understand the problems with health care that most people have. They seem to think that because they get free health care, everyone does. They are just so out of touch with the average person it is unbelievable.

That was the joke haha. But now, thanks to you, he's never gonna know when we actually plan on attacking :P

So does that mean that The Purge or something like that is in effect now?

I wonder if this is why Bing is currently down.

Personally, I'm thinking noon. But like, after everyone's eaten lunch.

This better not slow the release of GTA5 online.

That's when I usually nap.....2:30?

the house is literally voting on a meeting with the senate

that the senate literally rejected an hour ago

barf

Attacking before lunch would just be rude. Assuming no school tomorrow (and obviously there won't be cuz im at a public university and that's how government shutdowns work), i'm down to kill some savages.

This post-Breaking Bad world is a dark place.

I know it won't happen but I'm imagining someone in the House holding up a giant salt shaker sign.

That's only if you're in a university in D.C. State-run universities and offices will remain open.

shit really? i'm just outside at U Maryland College Park. I knew I should have applied to GW!

Have to wonder how republican citizens reconcile with 150 million dollars a day wasted every day of shutdown, and no new gun permits. Do you convince yourself Obamacare woulda been worse? Good luck with that. Good luck throwing those talking points together, spindoctors got their work cut out tonight.

I'd almost say this is good, because it reveals how utterly ineffectual our congress really is right now. But then you get to the part where people with government jobs aren't going to get paid and I sort of shake my head.

My dad got furlowed. Yeah... Fuck the tea party. It's weird he wasn't furlowed last time, but I guess now that he's older and is no longer the point man things would be different.

@blu3v3nom07 said:

@spraynardtatum said:

I wonder if this is why Bing is currently down.

beautiful picture but what does it mean!?

Yeah, it's a federal government shutdown. State governments are still operating business as usual.

I don't know, I think it's kind of fair to question why the government seems to think it's important to continue to pay for congress to not make decisions and the military to wage two unnecessary wars, but the postal workers, DMV employees and other "non-essential personnel" can be asked to take a hike with no chance to recover any of the pay they're going to miss out on. Congress still gets a paycheck in all this. We should be fucking rioting over that.

Viva la revolucion!

Not really, see you on the flip side.

@spraynardtatum said:

@blu3v3nom07 said:

@spraynardtatum said:

I wonder if this is why Bing is currently down.

beautiful picture but what does it mean!?

I don't even know.

The fact that the President was aware of this but didn't compel Congressional leaders to sit down with him in a room all weekend to get this settled before the deadline is indicative of the fact that he is as much a part of this game of chicken as House Republicans.

This technically happened a few years ago, as well, and then they got it resolved within the day. In this instance, though, it may take a while longer. It is deeply unpopular amongst the public on all sides, and they'll have to bow to that pressure eventually. Fortunately, for the time being, this is more of a "government cutback" than a "government shutdown", and while it's already awful for many federal employees, most of the damage can be avoided as long as it is refunded within the next week or so.

Conservative and liberal citizens are pretty united in thinking this is dumb and counter-productive. The Affordable Care Act does need some serious changes, but those amendments should be debated, not shoved into the issue of funding the budget.

@blu3v3nom07 said:

@spraynardtatum said:

@blu3v3nom07 said:

@spraynardtatum said:

I wonder if this is why Bing is currently down.

beautiful picture but what does it mean!?

I don't even know.

Still not working for me but, it was all just a silly joke to begin with.

What's most disgusting is watching Fox immediately try and explain how this is a good thing for the republicans, that they're winning this fight by shutting the government down.

Blaming stupid kids who signed up because they're poor or whatever isn't the answer, plus it's not like not paying the person at the DMV is going to have super dire consequences beyond their ability to feed their family, whereas not paying the military could cause... well, more death beyond the drone strikes. There's a place for an anti war stance (which I share) but I don't think that place is here.

Afaik, food stamps and social security and, of course, obamacare are still funded. I am also pretty sure on postal workers. VA will take a bit of a hit but still has stuff going. National parks are shut down.

That's all I know, really

@spraynardtatum:

@the_laughing_man: So you know what's super funny but not actually at all funny? Those big wigs who didn't pass the bill actually WILL still get paid! Indefinitely!

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2013/09/30/how-congress-will-still-get-paid-in-a-government-shutdown.html

You're joking right? They're trying to paint this like a good thing?

Most people have no idea how very little this matters.

You clearly haven't been paying attention to the entire european continent. Or China. Or Russia. Or any other former or future driving world power.

of course they are! what else would they do?

journalism?

Lets all get a bunch of grenades and hurl them at endangered species in national parks.

dude, belgium didn't have a prime minister for a year and they were still more stable than this.

Well this is surely going to make the republicans popular for all the people affected by this bullshit.

I will take the republicans seriously when they start acting like adults instead of babbling morons. Oh wait that will never happen.

agreed

Well its their job to keep things "Fair and Balanced" ...right?

Wait? This is real? I've been out of the loop news-wise for awhile. I heard someone mention the government maybe shutting down but i thought it was like a joke.

The fuck is going on?!

@castiel: The problem with that thinking is that a lot of Americans are under the impression that the reason for this is that Obamacare is going to cost too much money, so they had to shut down the government. I spoke to a person the other day who thought exactly this. It's sad.

Ehem. Driving world power. No offense to Belgium.