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Yes, but surely there are ways of achieving the same thing without laying off the people who write the army wage checks, for example. Whatever your views on the
by moocowduckquack 13y ago
Yes, but surely there are ways of achieving the same thing without laying off the people who write the army wage checks, for example. Whatever your views on the use of armed force, I think we can all agree that paying the people with the guns on time is generally considered a good move. And shutting down a large section of their own economy in the middle of a financial crisis is just beyond insane. Why can't they sign the budgets 6 months ahead, or something.
- mikeash 13y agoBecause signing a budget six months ahead of time would require compromise and forward thinking, both things that the current Congress lacks. A lot of legislators are basically forbidden to compromise, either due to their principles, or because they will lose their next election if they do because they come from a district full of extremists. Or, generally, both. (The one tends to cause the other, of course.) If you can't compromise, it doesn't matter when you start talking. You'll never work out a deal until you're forced to.
- ianstallings 13y agoThe military will get paid during this particular shutdown, and the military will continue to function as it always does. A lot of essential workers, determined by the government, will still come to work and get paid.