A week ago I predicted that the Republicans would fold like a cheap deck chair, and and issue a grovelling apology for their evil attempt to implement their election platform merely because they won the House of Representatives.
Some of them are apologizing, but so far, no folding.
The Democrat strategy is to do random bad things to the American public, and have the tame press blame the Republicans for it. By and large they are reluctant to shut down any government activities that are actually affected by the withdrawal of funding, since the primary purpose of government spending is to benefit government employees, not to make them do any actual work.
Stuff like this is the main damage – the government continues as usual, illegally, in the sense that government employees continue to receive pay and exercise power, but issues nasty orders forbidding other people to work and produce.
But, if government activities, including Obamacare, continue as usual, despite not being legally funded, why do they pay any attention at all to these votes? Instead of continuing business 99% as usual, why not continue business 100% as usual?
Because the vote undermines the pretense of democracy. Have to get the people to arguably vote for what the government is going to do anyway.
When the Republicans fold, rendering their election victory irrelevant, that makes those irritating white voters irrelevant.
No reason to fold until Obama care is working correctly. That was the whole point of the shut was to give the media something to yap about instead of the fact that Obama care can’t even register people.
Now Congress has explicitly voted to pay all back wages for this “shutdown”. What exactly is not getting done? A few NASA programs are delayed? This reinforces everything Jim has said.
The vibe in Washington is that money doesn’t exist unless Congress passes a law and creates it. Out of nothing, I guess. No theory and practice of wealth creation need bother the ruling class.
Now Congress has explicitly voted to pay all back wages for this “shutdownâ€.
True. I think that’s a surrender signal. The question is: do both sides have the ability to back down, perhaps 3 sides depending on the Presidents actual situation? Multiple back downs are needed to keep the machine going.
We may be seeing the dissolution of the Estates during a time of political turmoil and finances far worse than those of the Bourbons in 1789.
And it may be powers that be have made a business decision about Washington. Mark 8/31 as a possible fatal mistake in saying NO about Syria. A lot of dangerous peoples wallet’s got lighter over that. Bandar can’t be too pleased either, not to mention State and WAR, INC [contractors, not to be confused with the military]. ACA enrollment being an utter flop doesn’t help either. Rank incompetence, the enterprise software didn’t even break down by State or region. “It works fine at only 50K customers at a time.” WTF is your CV…Obama’s campaign got more than that…
We should know more Oct 17th. A decision may have been made that it’s over. I admit to wanting this…
Why any need to back down?
The actual government would like to have the blessing of democracy, yet continues to expend money implementing Obamacare without waiting for the blessing.
We need someone to back down only to avoid revealing that democracy is irrelevant and powerless, a thin facade over the permanent government.
I agree with this:
http://www.jasonlewisshow.com/2013/09/defund/
I don’t agree with the premise – that the Republican party exists, and that the parties control the government.
Flint-hearted Harry hates children with cancer!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CSN92TsJK28&
Harry: “What right do THEY have to pick and choose what part of government is going to be funded?”
*snerk*
This can play forever, until every part of the government gets funded, or continues to operate illegally, except Obamacare.
Unfortunately Obamacare is continuing to operate illegally.
The problem is not that government is defunded, but that the impotence of votes and parties might be revealed.
If the republicans stick to their guns, which is easy to do when the government is almost entirely funded, and is only shutting stuff down out of kitten hating nastiness, then we might get yet another wake up call about the impotence of votes and voting, similar to those we have already received on gay marriage and affirmative action, where the government just ignores the votes, continues with its policy, and continues reshaping the electorate until they will vote for the policy that has already been implemented.
[…] Republicans not folding yet « Jim’s Blog […]