> You write like there's some grand unified purpose to this whole thing. I'd say there's a grand unified purpose at the upper govt level to make the shutdown h

> You write like there's some grand unified purpose to this whole thing. I'd say there's a grand unified purpose at the upper govt level to make the shutdown hurt as much as possible, as alluded to by those mentioning Washington Monument Syndrome. At the lower levels, it's probably more a diffused feeling of "fvck 'em, now we're not getting paid, let's shut it all down". And you've raised a very good point about liability elsewhere - why take chances? Nobody is going to analyze the most fiscally effective website shutdown configuration and enforce it. It's not in anyone's interest, which is why I find these articles a bit silly; it's just another excuse to spout anti-gubmint rhetoric. A much more interesting angle is, "how can we alter our two-party system to prevent these kind of Red vs Blue stalemates"?