This event had lots of sound ( talking heads ) and fury ( everyone pointing fingers at everyone else ). This event did not deserve but 10% of the media coverage it received. The participants congratulated themselves publicly ( for doing something that was not hard ,except politically ) and called themselves heroes and heap praise on their purported enemies. Nothing was going to really happen whether the gov ( USG ) was shut down or not.
#1 39 Billion dollars is chicken-feed. Too small an amount to make any difference. This was political theatre.
#2 Assertion made that budget cutters ( BCs ) are a 10% extreme minority. If you believe the US debt does not matter then yes , BCs are insane. If you believe the US debt will alter our lives and future lives for the worse ( as I believe ) , then the 90% non-BCs are insane.
#3 The budget agreement ( BA ) was for the troops. Ringing throughout this debate was , "Oh, we cannot hold military pay hostage". On the other hand, the USG sends troops all over the world to get shot at , killed, mangled and psychologically destroyed. The USG has no problem with that.
#4 "We kept the country running !" Conflating the USG with the country is one of the big propaganda ploys that politicians indulge in.
#5 Programs have to go ...... because they are too expensive .... because the USG (morally ) should not be running them ...... because the USG runs them incompetently.
a) Planned Parenthood i like this program ... it has to go
b) Funding for the arts why ???? it has to go
c) Funding for bases in Germany , Japan , Iraq , Afghanistan they have to go
d) Wars in Yemen , Iraq , Afghanistan , Libya , Pakistan , ..... they have to stop.
e) Troops all over the world Come home you guys
f) Medical care no handouts, bailouts, doctor monopolies , drug wars , prescription control......
g) Education no more funding and no more propaganda for the little and big tykes.
h) Social Security wind it down 5% each year for 20 years,,, then poof what a poorly run program.
I can go on but first I am run out and leech off on one of the many gov provided ( taxpayer funded ) titties out there.
#6 Gov shutdown would not have looked like much anyway .... most of the shutdown would have been to highly symbolic areas such as museums and public parks. Obama bragged that he saved the trip that students from Colorado were making to the Washington DC. ( Which included [gag] a trip to the tomb of the unknown soldier. )
