Well another government shut down has occurred. The Republicans who control the House of Representatives will not comply with the demands of the Democrat dominated Senate and President Obama. The republicans are going to use this chance to do their best to get rid of bad government programs (or parts of them) like Obama care. In other words this is another game of chicken sponsored by the Republican Party. You know what? I say this is great!
Why is it a good thing?: The reason why a government shut down is good is because it will block Obama cares final initialization. Congress has yet to allocate funding for programs that require money to be authorized each year. As such, it is not just Obama care, but other programs and agencies that will not be able to function. This is great for libertarians like me as it blocks spending that could have been better spent in the hands of individual Americans.
What it does not do: A government shut down has no affect on entitlement programs or the military. Those programs are not discretionary, and as such they get the budgets they need before all other spending takes place. So seniors do not have to worry about not getting their Social Security money or being covered by Medicare and Medicaid (Medicaid is also partly run at the State level). Our soldiers will also be there to protect us along with all the other defense related agencies like the CIA. So only the essentials are unaffected by a shut down. Also, those personnel sent home are those who have been deemed non-essential. But do not worry as they will be paid once they return to their jobs (including back pay). However, I would love to make it so that these non-essential people move on to other jobs outside of government as they are unneeded.
Is it bad to shut the government down?: Not really. It just means they are spending less money. Only people who need to be on Capitol Hill will actually be there. Everyone else just stays home. So the government is saving money through a shut down. The only real time you will not like it is if you are part of a government pet project as you will not be given any money at all. It is basically the same as when Newt Gingrich shut down the government when President Clinton was still in office and when it was shut down during the Obama administration during the last "budget crisis." From a libertarian’s perspective, money that is better spent elsewhere is just going to sit for a while. If there is any negatives to a shut down then it is with the political reputations of the individuals involved. The Republicans and Democrats, depending on how well they handle the situation will either look better or worse in the eyes of the American people. President Obama is already loosing popularity and if he comes out on the bottom of this, then he will become toxic to the Democrats in the next election cycle.
Conclusion: Depending on your perspective, a government shut down can be good, or it can be bad. Libertarians and conservatives will see it as good. Conservatives may see it as good for the same reason that libertarians do, the government is not spending our money on smut. But they may see it as good because liberals are their antithesis and thus are happy to see them squirm a bit. Liberals will see it as bad because they cannot get their agenda's passed. Nothing moves and as such nothing that they value can get done. Although it is unfair to place labels on people like liberal and conservative as the lines between them have blurred. So if you see the government as an answer to your problems, them a shut down is bad. If you see government as the problem, then a shut down is good. Well I think it is good as I do not want more government smut intruding on mine or anyone’s life. We are taxed to the limits of reason and beyond. Our options limited by government bureaucracy and corruption. A shut down thankfully gets the government monkey off our back at least for a short while. So Republicans!!!! Shut the darn thing down!!!!
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