6 ms·

Maybe, for the right wing, this situation is working out as intended. They want to starve the beast (government) into becoming as small as possible. Trying to s

by prmph 8y ago

Maybe, for the right wing, this situation is working out as intended. They want to starve the beast (government) into becoming as small as possible. Trying to show that things can go on just fine without much of the government, and reducing the attractiveness of government jobs, are all means to this end

rabidrat 8y ago
I think this is exactly what is happening, and why the GOP senators are complicit with the shutdown.
- bwb 8y ago
  Which is frustrating as its a self-fulfilling prophesy, treat people like shit, and when that department/gov agency doesn't work well blame it on vague big government rather than the fact you don't pay competitively and you ran out everyone who had talent. Government service should be honored, these people take a pay cut in most cases to keep OUR society running. I miss the days when public service was respected.
  - FeloniousHam 8y ago
    > Government service should be honored, these people take a pay cut in most cases to keep OUR society running. Government "service" is just a job, and these people take a pay cut in exchange for job security (and in the cases I'm personally familiar with, fantastic health insurance). The shutdown is nonsensical, expensive, and a pointless hardship for everyone affected, but there's no need to elevate government employees to sainthood.
    - rabidrat 8y ago
      Honor != sainthood. Like teaching and nursing, some people feel a calling to help, and are willing to make not-insignificant sacrifices to do so. They're not in it for the money and won't be transferring into fintech for better wages. My partner is a "civil servant" and I see on a weekly basis how she is consistently overworked and undervalued. But she has a mission to improve our city's infrastructure for cyclists and pedestrians, and you just can't do that effectively as an engineer outside of the public sector.
      - bwb 8y ago
        Well said, I am so tired of people like FeloniousHam who do not understand the work that goes into making society and civilization work. It is a calling and should take an honored place in society just like teachers, firemen, police, etc.
dopylitty 8y ago
Except things aren't going on just fine. There are huge consequences for everything from people who depend on HUD for housing to domestic violence shelters who depend on Justice Department grants to be able to afford diapers. New weather models haven't been published because the scientists creating them are furloughed. Air traffic control is impacted. Craft breweries can't release new beers because there's nobody to validate that they're safe. The list goes on and on. Imagine the things we're not seeing yet because the impacts will only be felt years later. In fact if there's not already a gist of impacts from the government shutdown there should be one. I do agree that they may be intentionally reducing the attractiveness of government jobs and decreasing the quality of government programs in an effort to shift more wealth to their already wealthy private sector buddies.
- rmah 8y ago
  To many people with certain political leanings, that's just fine.
  - dopylitty 8y ago
    That's true. I took the original poster as meaning things appear to be just fine from a regular person's point of view rather than a libertarian extremist point of view.
- t0mbstone 8y ago
  Things that many Republicans don't want their tax dollars going toward: 1. Poor people who are in need (those lazy people who are abusing welfare just need to get a job). 2. Weather models (global warming is a lie made up by liberals). 3. Air traffic control shouldn't require federal participation and should just be handled by private companies. (All that regulation just gets in the way of airline profits!) 4. Craft breweries should be able to release beers without having to go through months of red tape. (All that government regulation is hurting business owners!) 5. etc, etc... Many Republicans actually love the idea of less regulation, so a government shutdown is great!
  - 8y ago

by prmph 8y ago

rabidrat 8y ago

I think this is exactly what is happening, and why the GOP senators are complicit with the shutdown.

bwb 8y ago
Which is frustrating as its a self-fulfilling prophesy, treat people like shit, and when that department/gov agency doesn't work well blame it on vague big government rather than the fact you don't pay competitively and you ran out everyone who had talent. Government service should be honored, these people take a pay cut in most cases to keep OUR society running. I miss the days when public service was respected.
- FeloniousHam 8y ago
  > Government service should be honored, these people take a pay cut in most cases to keep OUR society running. Government "service" is just a job, and these people take a pay cut in exchange for job security (and in the cases I'm personally familiar with, fantastic health insurance). The shutdown is nonsensical, expensive, and a pointless hardship for everyone affected, but there's no need to elevate government employees to sainthood.
  - rabidrat 8y ago
    Honor != sainthood. Like teaching and nursing, some people feel a calling to help, and are willing to make not-insignificant sacrifices to do so. They're not in it for the money and won't be transferring into fintech for better wages. My partner is a "civil servant" and I see on a weekly basis how she is consistently overworked and undervalued. But she has a mission to improve our city's infrastructure for cyclists and pedestrians, and you just can't do that effectively as an engineer outside of the public sector.
    - bwb 8y ago
      Well said, I am so tired of people like FeloniousHam who do not understand the work that goes into making society and civilization work. It is a calling and should take an honored place in society just like teachers, firemen, police, etc.

dopylitty 8y ago

Except things aren't going on just fine. There are huge consequences for everything from people who depend on HUD for housing to domestic violence shelters who depend on Justice Department grants to be able to afford diapers. New weather models haven't been published because the scientists creating them are furloughed. Air traffic control is impacted. Craft breweries can't release new beers because there's nobody to validate that they're safe. The list goes on and on. Imagine the things we're not seeing yet because the impacts will only be felt years later. In fact if there's not already a gist of impacts from the government shutdown there should be one. I do agree that they may be intentionally reducing the attractiveness of government jobs and decreasing the quality of government programs in an effort to shift more wealth to their already wealthy private sector buddies.

rmah 8y ago
To many people with certain political leanings, that's just fine.
- dopylitty 8y ago
  That's true. I took the original poster as meaning things appear to be just fine from a regular person's point of view rather than a libertarian extremist point of view.
t0mbstone 8y ago
Things that many Republicans don't want their tax dollars going toward: 1. Poor people who are in need (those lazy people who are abusing welfare just need to get a job). 2. Weather models (global warming is a lie made up by liberals). 3. Air traffic control shouldn't require federal participation and should just be handled by private companies. (All that regulation just gets in the way of airline profits!) 4. Craft breweries should be able to release beers without having to go through months of red tape. (All that government regulation is hurting business owners!) 5. etc, etc... Many Republicans actually love the idea of less regulation, so a government shutdown is great!
- 8y ago