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US troops won't get paid during shutdown: Pentagon

14 points by Suraj-Sun 13y ago

phaus 13y ago
Every year since I joined the military in 2003, the government has pretended that they weren't going to pass a budget and that Soldiers won't get paid. They are generally full of shit about this issue just like they are full of shit when it comes to nearly every other. Please stop electing career politicians for public office, they only want to hurt you. The last time it actually happened was in the 90s, and it only lasted a week or so. It's possible that the Soldiers won't get paid, but it will be the result of a bunch of wealthy old white men throwing a tantrum (both democrats and republicans alike) because they didn't get their way. Once again, please stop re-electing congressman and governors. More importantly, please stop electing them to be president. They are almost universally evil, in addition to being incompetent, selfish, and petty.
deleted 13y ago
[deleted]
hnriot 13y ago
Maybe we can all use the internet without the NSA watching during the shutdown too.
spikels 13y ago
Does this article really say that uniformed troops won't get paid but half of civilian defense department employees will?! Either this is another press fail or our government is even more fucked up than I thought. Perhaps like the sequester earlier this year all the damage from the "shutdown" is just for show. After all "essential" services will continue and the government decides what is "essential".
- dkuntz2 13y ago
  No. Nobody gets paid (at least as far as I understand it), but civilians deemed essential personnel will still be required to work.
  - spikels 13y ago
    I'm confused. The US government spends around $3.8 Trillion and takes in around $3.1 Trillion (2014 estimates). So it seems like it could pay 85% of its bills without borrowing. Wouldn't they be able to pay the less than $200 Billion annual cost of military personnel out of the $3.1 Trillion?
    - FireBeyond 13y ago
      Nothing to be confused about, if you realize the underlying rationale - which is not that they can’t pay the military, but that if they don’t, or threaten not to, that can be used as leverage for whatever else they may want.

14 points by Suraj-Sun 13y ago

phaus 13y ago

Every year since I joined the military in 2003, the government has pretended that they weren't going to pass a budget and that Soldiers won't get paid. They are generally full of shit about this issue just like they are full of shit when it comes to nearly every other. Please stop electing career politicians for public office, they only want to hurt you. The last time it actually happened was in the 90s, and it only lasted a week or so. It's possible that the Soldiers won't get paid, but it will be the result of a bunch of wealthy old white men throwing a tantrum (both democrats and republicans alike) because they didn't get their way. Once again, please stop re-electing congressman and governors. More importantly, please stop electing them to be president. They are almost universally evil, in addition to being incompetent, selfish, and petty.

deleted 13y ago

[deleted]

hnriot 13y ago

Maybe we can all use the internet without the NSA watching during the shutdown too.

spikels 13y ago

Does this article really say that uniformed troops won't get paid but half of civilian defense department employees will?! Either this is another press fail or our government is even more fucked up than I thought. Perhaps like the sequester earlier this year all the damage from the "shutdown" is just for show. After all "essential" services will continue and the government decides what is "essential".

dkuntz2 13y ago
No. Nobody gets paid (at least as far as I understand it), but civilians deemed essential personnel will still be required to work.
- spikels 13y ago
  I'm confused. The US government spends around $3.8 Trillion and takes in around $3.1 Trillion (2014 estimates). So it seems like it could pay 85% of its bills without borrowing. Wouldn't they be able to pay the less than $200 Billion annual cost of military personnel out of the $3.1 Trillion?
  - FireBeyond 13y ago
    Nothing to be confused about, if you realize the underlying rationale - which is not that they can’t pay the military, but that if they don’t, or threaten not to, that can be used as leverage for whatever else they may want.