Government Shutdown (US)

Of course it's prickly. It's a prickly subject, made moreso when entrenched positions obscure one's ability to be objective.

 

Absolutely. Difference being - I can disagree without desperately trying to make people see it my way, lol.

 

The thought crossed my mind. But I'm not the one that used "crazy", I try not to say things like that. However, I do think claims that Obama is involved in a secret world government cabal are unsupportable.

 

You're right, I said it. You chose to dance around it and I decided to be up front. Think as you wish. No one said you shouldn't. I just think you should be a little more respectful and maybe try to debate a person if it means so much to you - instead of just treating them like a petulant child. Which is how I read your response to him.

 

This little exchange reminds me of the phrase 'China isn't too far away once you start digging'. Political dickwaving like this could mask something powerful people would quite like to keep under wraps. I would consider it unwise to focus on just this one subject and get worked up about it. That's the only message I got from erebh's post, as that's the only thing he said; and if that was his point then he has a good one.

 

Yes, he does.

 

If you have some evidence the current shutdown is really a distraction to cover up something else, put it out there, let's debate it. But if someone makes an unsupportable claim, what's to debate?

As for crazy, I don't think one's false beliefs correlate with mental illness. We all have false beliefs. I hope I keep mine minimized, but it would be foolish to believe I didn't have any. Believing in secret world government conspiracies is a bit more out-there than some beliefs, but I try not to use how normal people judge an unsupportable belief as the criteria for how out-there the person him/herself is.

 

... and once again, all writing and discussion of writing grinds to a halt because a political thread has sucked all the oxygen out of the room.

 

errmmm not sure if I'm allowed read this, it seems @GingerCoffee has dragged me into a theory conspiracy standpoint for no particular reason except for the fact that she's losing whatever useless argument she's involved in - thank you Ginge but if you are going to drag me into please be sure to add an @ before my name so I can at least respond unless you don't want me know you're talking about me and or don't respect my right to reply.

I'll take this opportunity to congratulate you on having the stubbornness to believe that Obama is still the white knight. By the way, as you have dragged me into this, and because I'm fresh off the boat doesn't mean I don't have a say... if I had a vote on Obamacare I'd be undecided and not because of the medical care issue but the because every corporation are fiddling their way out of employee health insurance by cutting their hours to part-time status and that new recruits are only offered part-time work which is leaving millions unable to even afford the fines they'll get if they can't afford Obamacare.

Please remember the @erebh in future - it's only polite

 

Really? Is this the humour forum? Pretty freakin' hilarious!

 

Why? While my beliefs can, most certainly, stand up to opposition, I said from the gate that I don't want to bat the ball around. I still don't. My response was only because you were disrespectful. Disgracefully so (IMO). Otherwise - I would have stayed out of it.

 

Really? Twelve people engaging in a political discussion for a few hours has destroyed all writing and discussion of writing?

Hmm.

 

LOL. The highest compliment you could pay me is to tell me I'm not normal, lol. Judge away!

 

If this shut down last very long, there are a lot of people who are going to be very screwed. All 3,300 HUD offices across the U.S. that help people pay their rent do not get funding to pay November rent and beyond.

 

I was only commenting because, when I refreshed my "Recent Activity" page, every single action on it was a post in this thread. Suddenly, nobody on writingforums.org was talking about writing. It was all about this F@#$@#! government shutdown.

And it's ALL YOUR FAULT, ED! (needle needle poke poke)

 

Ed's a puppet. I sense there are greater forces at work here.

 

"I've got no strings to hold me down..."

 

"To make me fret, or make me frown.."

 

I was surfing on bing and the search for "Miley Cyrus" is trending more than the federal government shutting down.

 

As I said...

(Thank you, Duchess)

 

@Duchess-Yukine-Suoh it's because you're using Bing. . . .

 

Just to correct a few things.... I do not think Obama is a white knight. I, like many Progressives, find him acceptable, but not quite living up to the persona of running-for-President Obama. Of course, no matter how many times I tell you that, (this is about the 4th or 5th time) you insist on imagining my political position to suit your CT. You think Obama's bad, just wait for a Hilary Presidency, the Clintons are much more Republican light than Obama is.

As for the mandate to buy insurance, in the EU, you too have a mandate, it's called a tax. As for people who don't believe they should have to have insurance, change the law that says hospitals can let you die on the steps to the ED and you might have a case. In the current system, those people who refuse to pay for insurance end up leaving hospitals who cannot by law, turn them away, with bad debt. That bad debt is then tacked on to my bill, and the bills of everyone else who pays for their care. The ACA changes that by spreading the burden out onto everyone, not just on the people who do pay for their health care.

Now if you want to look for an actual CT, notice the companies publicly announcing the claims that the ACA is making them change FT employees to PT because the employer can't afford the health insurance. My insurance rates are going down $400/month. Those employers making those announcements are companies that support the TEA Party ideology, no regulation, no minimum wage, no unions, just pure unadulterated profit.

Take Home Depot, they made such an announcement. They've also donated millions to GOP candidates. 98% of all their political donations went to GOP candidates. The cost of their employee health insurance is going down, not up. So why would they suddenly need to cut employee hours back to quit paying health insurance? I'll tell you why, they were paying less and less of their worker's health care already. It's a trend from Microsoft to Walmart*, pay employees less and less, profits go up more and more. If you can't cut wages below minimum, cut benefits.

It's a private business, so what? Well, taxpayers end up then subsidizing these corporations' profit margin. Food stamps and subsidized housing and health insurance all let corporations pay employees less than a livable wage. The ACA did not cause employers to cut employee hours back. Rather, corporations are doing what they would have done anyway and getting the taxpayers to subsidize those less than livable wages even more.


*Apparently Walmart has been getting such bad publicity about their minimum wage, no health benefits jobs, it has been impacting their profits. I understand they've announced they'll be moving a slew of part time employees into full time positions and hiring more part time employees. Could be they are just gearing up for Christmas and wanted to make a marketing message out of the hiring. We'll see, time will tell.


That covers about everything except to ask again, if you think this is just a phony shutdown to distract the masses from the real issue, please, do tell us what that real issue is.

 

Some might look down on me for this, but I have some disabilities that have put me in a bind, and two years ago I had to file for disability. Well during that time I have been on SNAP and HUD because it takes so long. I do not get any support from family or friends so I'm pretty much on my own. I'm behind pretty badly at the moment even on my electric. I was turned down because I later found out that my lawyer didn't do his job and make sure all my medical records were turned into the judge. Some of them were very important ones. So now I'm left having to get a new lawyer and file ALL OVER again. So once again I'm stuck on HUD and SNAP and unable to work. I don't know what I'm going to do because most of the time I can't afford my medicine, and other items that take cash to buy. Now with the government shut down, HUD is suspended and they won't have money for November payments unless something is ironed out. Is my landlord going to give me the boot? Will I be homeless soon because Congress is acting like a bunch of children?

As a society in the U.S. we need to totally clean house the next few elections and get new people in there and continue to do so until they start actually representing the PEOPLE and not just the large corporations of this country. I'm tired of seeing these life time politicians like Mitch McConnell who worry more about having a job, than serving the people.

 

I normally don't get involved in matters of politics, but this whole situation really irks me. I live in an area where a good portion of the economy is dependent on tourist traffic to the now closed Smokey Mtn's NP. That said, I (who am currently seeking stable employment) may end up very screwed by this depending on how badly the local businesses are affected. Of course, I'm not surprised in the least that congress decided to go this far because it doesn't affect them in the least. As long as they continue to get their taxpayer funded paychecks, obamacare exempt insurance, retirement, etc... what do they care if the government shuts down and the populous gets hosed? That's exactly why I'm neither Democrat nor Republican, and I don't vote. The system is so broken, it's a waste of time to even participate in it.