The looming Government Shutdown...

So, I am currently waiting on the news to come back from its commercial breaks, and waiting to hear if the government shutdown has been avoided until next month, but the last I had seen the House had voted on a stop gap solution... In other words another shutdown showdown is in the works for next month, maybe. As of this moment, as far as I know, tonight, this night, the government will close up shop.

Democrats are blaming Republicans, who are blaming the Democrats. They are fighting over funding the wall, CHIP, Dreamers, and otherwise having the Republicans pay for the previous eight years of obstruction and do nothingisms. So, as it stands this moment, now that the news is back on, in a little over fourteen and a half hours the government will shut down... And for what exactly?

Honestly, I find it depressingly amusing, that CHIP is being used as a hostage. Its not amusing as in funny, its like a classical comedy, one that is very tragic. Children loosing their benefits is no laughing matter, just as adults loosing their benefits is no laughing matter. All this over a wall and Dreamers. But mostly a wall, the wall, and I'm not talking about the classic album The Wall. Now, I hear constantly about the wall, and its funny to me. Like a wall is really going to stop people from coming across the border illegally. Its like people have never heard of ladders or tunnels.

The way it is being spun, the CHIP deal isn't up to snuff. Democrats apparently want it funded for ten years, the GOP for six. The Democrats want more funds devoted to it, the GOP less. As Pelosi stammered out, this current GOP deal on it is “like dog poo in a bowl with a cherry on top being called a chocolate sundae.” Well, I'll be the first to admit, I first thought she was having a seizure of some sort, but when she managed to stutter it out, the visual was amusing, and an apt description of most of the compromises either party is willing to make to get a deal done.

Don't get me wrong, I'd rather no deal over a bad deal. And thus far, what I have seen of this budget, its a pretty bad deal. More spending on a bloated military. Attempts to build a wall. Under-funding CHIP and other social safety nets. Something that is half-assed, as is the case with most of the dredge coming out of Washington DC these days. Now, I am sure that at the end of the day, this stop gap measure will probably pass, some Democrats will eventually relent because they lack the stomach to own a government shutdown, or the resulting credit reduction.

Okay, so upon hearing more, because I'm really trying to keep stress levels down... Trump apparently promised some kind of deal on the Dreamers. The GOP allowed CHIP funding to expire in the fall of last year and are now according to some, being used to blackmail votes to keep funding the government. And there is a whole lot of blame being shipped around the hill. All this, and the GOP controls everything in DC. Why is this even happening?

Say what you will, the Democrats are now playing the GOP games. They are being the obstructionists, and the funny thing is, they will likely benefit from this. The GOP was rewarded by their base for playing this brinkmanship game, fighting every little thing like it was the fight to the final breath. And their base, their voters rewarded them for their misdeeds. Democrats, having seen this are going to play the same game, and it will likely pan out the same way, providing people remember how this went down.

Why are we rewarding people for doing this? I am no fan of conservative policies, I am no fan of the GOP in general, truthfully, I am no fan of anybody up there in DC or politicians in general. They all suck. This whole thing just goes to show it. Allow things to expire, then use them as a bargaining chip, and when that doesn't work point fingers and blame to the opposing side.

Ah well, if the government shuts down, it shuts down. As far as I can tell, Social Security won't be put on hold. But the threats are there. Military personal will still get paid. Benefits will continue on for a while. I just find it appalling that so many things are being held over our heads, just as I found it appalling the last several times this shutdown threat has been played. I am disheartened that our system has devolved into threats against the people, and blame. I also find it disheartening that this type of behavior is actually rewarded. When the GOP started playing this game, they shouldn't have been rewarded for their behavior. I can understand why the Democratic Party is behaving in the way they are, but just the same, its a mess, and I am not entirely on board with it. Something has to give, and sad to say, its going to be us in the 99%, its going to be Dreamers, it certainly won't be anyone in DC.

Ah, poor, poor, little twitler won't be going to Florida for a golfing trip if no deal is struck. My heart doesn't weep for him. Seriously, these jackasses get paid how much a year for this nonsense? Screw it, I'm going back to bed.

Update:  So after a few days the government was reopened for business, until next month.  When it will shut down again, because the circle jerk up in DC didn't get enough lube.