Partial Government Shutdown. Re opened 10/17/13

[Keef]

So apparently the shutdown means there are no online pilot certificate registrations offered. The websites are down so everything has to be done by paper and mailed, then you have to wait on them to open up again so they can approve it.

 

[photonrider]

So feel free to explain.

I'll let you give yourself the attention:

The US government looks up at bankruptcy. Bankruptcy would mean that we have no money. The US government owes money... a lot of money. It lies awake at night dreaming of bankruptcy (and being spat at in the face). How long has the US owed money? A century?

And that is only the beginning. You might not want to miss the messy stuff happening around you.
A flight to Dubai, Amsterdam, or Zurich may be helpful, too, in seeing how the other half lives

I get what you're trying to do here, just make sure you don't lose clarity in the process. The first goal of this forum is communication.

Say what, guv'nor? You lost me there.

 

[Tenacious D]

Now if you were ask me its neither the debt ceiling or government shutdown which should be scaring americans, but rather the Fed's continuation of QE infinity...bernanke and company is practically wrecking havoc on the economy hampering any real recovery. To make things even worst, Obama selection of Yellen as the new Fed nominee should really scare americans even more:

http://www.forbes.com/sites/johntam...llen-is-a-blow-to-recovery-starved-americans/

What he said.

I'm one of those furloughed gubmint workers, and it's getting a little dicey. I decided to go ahead and draw unemployment, but I have to dig up 18 MONTHS of paystubs on my own because the automated system at the unemployment office has been shut off. I guess computers get paid too...

What I really want to say is that I'm putting the country and its future ahead of even my own comfort. The Republicans need to hold the line and make Obama negotiate. No one else cares about tomorrow or our kids' future. They at least want to trim spending.

It's ridiculous that one side is getting blamed for this fiasco for the most part, when one side is stubbornly refusing to do this thing called negotiate. You know, like all previous administrations have. Of course when our "fourth estate" news media is almost entirely in the hands of one party, the party in the White House, you can count on some turbo spinning going on.

People need to realize what it means for almost the entire planet to be in debt. I sincerely doubt space aliens are going to bail us out, so it's up to us to agree that the problem isn't that the governments of the world aren't taking enough of our money, but that they're spending TOO MUCH of it. In fact, more than they take. Another thing American people need to be alarmed about is that about two-thirds of the checks the gubmint writes are benefits, payroll, grants and goodies. That's too much.

When the U.S. spends more than it produces, we're going Weimar, and if we do, it'll be the same story worldwide. Save for maybe China, Taiwan, North Korea (already there) and possibly India.

I think I hear the hoofbeats of four horsemen approaching...

 

[dr_slump]

The Republicans need to hold the line and make Obama negotiate. No one else cares about tomorrow or our kids' future. They at least want to trim spending.

It's ridiculous that one side is getting blamed for this fiasco for the most part, when one side is stubbornly refusing to do this thing called negotiate.

I'm sorry, but aren't you just doing the very same thing?

And that is only the beginning. You might not want to miss the messy stuff happening around you.
A flight to Dubai, Amsterdam, or Zurich may be helpful, too, in seeing how the other half lives

What exactly do you expect from Zurich?

 

[LMSCorvetteGT2]

Tenacious D...I don't think this is your cup of tea, and though there is spending cuts that the right wants, they also have many things they don't want to cut (e.g. military). Both are actually to blame, I agree that more people should come to the realization that the left and the media for the most part are selling a great PR campaign to the public. They also have leverage due to winning a presidential election and the average person in the populous seeing any republican as a lunatic and thus the Dems have a better approval (though still low just not as low).

I would say both are highly to blame and to sit there and think that a group that went crazy for citizens united but got mad when the opposing used it more effectively has your best interest or your kids is laughable.

 

[Grayfox]

They raised the debt ceiling.

It wont last for long.

 

[Touring Mars]

Meh.

The only interesting thing to come of this whole debacle is to lay bare the divisions within the Republican party. Even Heritage Action conceded that the only way Obamacare can be repealed is with a Republican president and majorities in the House and the Senate - but at this rate, there will be two Republican parties fighting each other in 2016...

 

[Danoff]

To say I'm sorry for the American people would be an understatement.

So feel free to explain.

I'll let you give yourself the attention:

The US government looks up at bankruptcy. Bankruptcy would mean that we have no money. The US government owes money... a lot of money. It lies awake at night dreaming of bankruptcy (and being spat at in the face). How long has the US owed money? A century?

I could have been describing almost any nation on the planet. I was asking you to explain why you feel sorry for Americans specifically... I see by your response that you cannot.

 

[Keef]

Danoff - I cannot place myself in your shoes, adequately; it must be tough to be American right now. It must be frustrating, over-whelming, even mind-numbing to deal with the issues that the American people are dealing with right now. I love America - always have, since I put on my first pair of Levis and dug into warm apple pie. I love it's ideals, love it's geography, and every American I have met in real life has charmed me.
To say I'm sorry for the American people would be an understatement.
As Non-Americans, no doubt we come across as complacent; but that may not be really the case. We do feel the pain. It can't be helped; America is on a world stage - but we are all very much a part of that world.

The **** are you on about? Americans don't struggle. We provide for the world, don't forget it. The rest of the world appreciates what the American people do, and we appreciate them because if they weren't there we wouldn't have a reason to work as hard as we do.

 

[Concreterain]

^^^ And that comment sums up why the world hates the united states.

 

[Adamgp]

They raised the debt ceiling.

It wont last for long.

I thought I heard on the news that they raised it, but they only set a timeline and no $ cap to the amount of debt they can rack up.

I heard it as I was shutting off the tv and heading out the door. Anyone know if that's true?

 

[GTsail]

I thought I heard on the news that they raised it, but they only set a timeline and no $ cap to the amount of debt they can rack up. Anyone know if that's true?

Yes, the US Congress has passed a Continuing Appropriations Bill that does two main things:

1) A continuing resolution to fund the government until January 15th, 2014
2) Suspends the Debt Ceiling limit until February 7th, 2014

So come early January, we are likely to have another round of discussions on funding the US government, which will likely go over the same issues as were covered during the past month.

The Bill has a couple of other minor provisions but it essentially is just a "clean" CR bill to fund the government for a couple of months.

The Bill has a provision to grant back-pay to the Governement workers who were furloughed during the partial Government shut-down.

Another interesting item is that the Bill has increased the 2014 Budget for the US Army Corps of Engineers by $1.2 Billion to upgrade a series of locks and dams on the Illinois-Kentucky border. I wonder if this is a sweetener to get Mitch McConnell's support?💡

Respectfully,
GTsail

 

[Danoff]

^^^ And that comment sums up why the world hates the united states.

Well, if it makes you (rest of the world) feel any better, the United States doesn't hate you back. In fact, I think the general attitude toward the rest of the world in the US is ignorance. Not because we aren't intelligent enough to figure out where Azerbaijan is, but because we don't care (and again this is my impression of the average US attitude).

If you're walking around hating the US, I recommend that you spend more time concentrating on your own country and how to make it better. When the average person in your country starts to view the US as "quaint", they'll start adopting a "where is the US again?" attitude instead of hatred.

 

[Hun200kmh]

Is this for real?

http://www.usdebtclock.org/

 

[Danoff]

Looks legit.

(Though the definition of poverty for government purposes is beyond ridiculous)