US government shutdown hilarity

[Demolition Squid]

The thing is, if they break rank and actually tried to find a middle ground, they'd be eaten alive by their own base. Or at least, I'm sure that's what they think. Ideological purity is more important than engaging with the issues and understanding the consequences of their actions!

Or... more likely, like Cain says, they understand the consequences, they just don't have any real motivation to care on either side.

[Pæs]

YOU GUYS ARE PUTTING CURIOSITY TO SLEEP ON MARS AND CLOSING THE GRAND CANYON UNTIL THE GOVERNMENT REOPENS? WAY TO BE OVERDRAMATIC ABOUT IT.

[Cramulus]

the ACA (which I still think is shitty legislation, btw.  Just not for the reasons they offer),

I'd love to hear your opinion on it!

I bet you've posted it somewhere around here already----but if you could point me in the right direction, it'd save you typing 

[Cain]

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[Nephew Twiddleton]

I suspect that in order to save face, the GOP could throw Ted Cruz under the bus. He's already set himself up to be the patsy by looking like a nut job.

[Cain]

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[Nephew Twiddleton]

I suspect that in order to save face, the GOP could throw Ted Cruz under the bus. He's already set himself up to be the patsy by looking like a nut job.

Not to mention he's Canadian.

yep

[Faust]

I went onto the market hoping to pick up some bargains that I can buy on the dip and sell off after this mess stabilises except:

THERE WAS NO DIP. The market literally does not care that this happened, it's business as usual. Just shows that the government has no impact whatsoever on big business.

[Cain]

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[tyrannosaurus vex]

I went onto the market hoping to pick up some bargains that I can buy on the dip and sell off after this mess stabilises except:

THERE WAS NO DIP. The market literally does not care that this happened, it's business as usual. Just shows that the government has no impact whatsoever on big business.

Or you weren't the only person with that idea, and the net result of people jumping in to pick up some discounted stocks effectively smoothed over the uncertainty dip. But you're right, the market does perceive this as business as usual. There won't be any significant losses unless it starts looking like it's going to last a while and directly affect things like international trade to a painful extent.

Also, it occurs to me that the last time the government shut down was 1995. The following year, the GOP took control of both houses of Congress with their hilarious "Contract with America" platform. This is a moment in time that the GOP has been trying to reproduce ever since. Maybe their calculus with the government shutdown this year plays into this larger strategy of trying to re-enact that takeover. They're probably betting that people will see them as the saviors of fiscal sanity in Washington, willing to sacrifice whole governments in the pursuit of that sanity. They're hoping this will lead to their being awarded  control of the Senate in next year's midterm elections.

Normally, I would say there's not much hope of that happening. But given Obama's singular adeptness at losing the game with a winning hand, I don't think anything is out of the question.

[Cain]

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[Mesozoic Mister Nigel]

Would probably take more effort to search than to actually spell out my objections.

In essence, the single-payer option was cheaper, gave greater consumer choice and was what the majority of people wanted.  It's much better for small businesses as well, and it wouldn't penalize people with insane fines for not being covered.

ACA is a handout to Obama's political backers.

Yes, basically.

Oregon is investigating a single-payer option. Well, it basically already has one, but it's looking at the viability of expanding it to cover everyone.

[Mesozoic Mister Nigel]

In the meantime, I got my letter yesterday, I qualify for fast-track enrollment and coverage starts January first. Boy is my doctor going to be surprised to see me! It's been a while. Dear doctor, guess what body part I don't have anymore?

[Cain]

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[tyrannosaurus vex]

I think your timeline is a bit screwed up there: Contract with America was in 1994.  Not that I think it undermines your key point.  2013 looks a hell of a lot like 1994, only with shinier gadgets, and a far worse economy.  I'm only surprised we don't have rumours about Soviet troops planning to invade via Mexico again, though I've not listened to Alex Jones lately (just checking, it seems there was such a flap in 2010-11).

There were plenty of shutdowns before the infamous 1995 one, but it's worth noting that they took place in a far less bitter and partisan political environment, with stronger economic conditions.

Point on the timeline. It was a midterm like now. 96 was a Presidential election year. I wish I could say I had faith that cooler heads will prevail, but the only thing that can possibly overcome gridlock like this is disdain for the government that somehow overpowers our disdain for each other.