If a few of the wonderful providers on this board just went to Congress, how long would it take them to convince Representatives & Senators to cum (pun intended) to an agreement on the shutdown thing?

Depends on how long it takes them to convince the Democrats to stop acting like kids [e]

-- Modified on 10/5/2013 1:51:33 PM

Re: Depends on how long it takes them to convince the Democrats to stop acting like kids [e]

They have been on TV all week like babies , just an hour ago 1 clown claimed to have letters from people crying poverty because they were home for a day ! Pelosi was on some freaking morning show taking about nothing . She does look kinda hot for a granny . And the republican dude is like , nope ! To funny. Good thing I left NY years ago, spitzer , Weiner ,cory booker and now the white George Jefferson as the new mayor ? Seriously, wtf ? These guys and gals need to get laid they just got no game ! L8r curly I agree with u

I'm sorry, I just kind of reject the premise here.  So much of what the government does is such a f-in waste (when it isn't just outright dangerous, or violating people's Fourth Amendment rights, or whatever).

Personally, I always feel safer when Congress is NOT in session, or when the President (any President) is off playing golf or flying around on Air Force One shaking hands with the dictator-for-life of Kerfufflestan or whatever.

A partial "government shutdown" is the same kind of thing.  Unless you're one of those inside-the-Beltway types, this is all kind of meaningless political kabuki theatre going on here.

(Oooh, I know this is going to get moved to the Politics & Religion board now…)  

And to hide the fact that Obamacare exchanges are one of the worst software/system design projects ever.  If contractors are able to fix the system this weekend the government will be opened up soon. The democrats will cave in agree to open up the government.

Jay zzzzzzzzzzzzzz ! Yup , that's y the article on his crack deal in days recently ! C him and his guy Obama were chill in on the rooftop , yup they were, smoking some of Fidels finest ! What happened is the white folks ( that's a bush word ) caught wind . Figured if the plan goes through their daughters r gonna go all Kardasian n shit , soooooooooo they shutdown the government ! Yup, that's what "white FOLKS" do . Well , anyway word is Obamacare is the new welfare , c u get card , got his photo ( the president) , and the Hawaiian islands , c they used to grow the best CHRONIC , then u c 1 of jay zzzzz boys n he hooks u up. he's an entrepreneur u know . Well , any who those folks needed a furlough spend some time relaxing kinda like our elected officials do regularly, they just ain't gonna get paid , although the government cheese is aged 1 week ! Yup 10 lbs per family.

Apparently, a lot of the reason why we have a shut down is because the poor widdle Republicans got their feelings hurt. This whole mess has hurt their "pride", as one GOP dolt put it.

So what we need is a bunch of providers to visit these cretins, and tell them, "my, my, what gigantic dicks you have!"

And when they get down waxing their little piggly wigglies, they need to give them a shoulder to cry on, and tell them, "you're so much smarter than those mean ole democrats say you are"

Maybe if our elected representatives didn't have such low self-esteem, they would just do their damn jobs instead of holding the entire country hostage for their little hissy fits.

...that gov't is a waste are the people who don't know what the gov't actually does.

Here's a simple little test. If you believe that gov't does nothing useful, then, without cheating with Google, name more than 3 gov't agencies, and describe what those agencies do.

--  The National Security Agency, which spies on me and my fellow citizens, claiming that this spying is somehow being done for my benefit (a lie).

--  The Environmental Protection Agency, which mostly writes regulations (which more or less have the force of law), and claims to be "protecting the environment" (whatever the hell that means), but actually is just putting unreasonable mandates on businesses and consumers.  Of course, big businesses with lots of money, power and influence, can lobby the EPA to get rules written in such a way as to keep new startup ventures from entering said big business's particular sector, as new startups don't generally have huge amounts of money to pay lobbyists and lawyers.

--  The General Services Administration, which is nominally tasked with the procurement of supplies and equipment for most of the Federal Government (which couldn't POSSIBLY be duplicative in nature--after all there's no way that every other governmental agency and Cabinet Department would *insist* on "having some voice" in how its individual allotment of supplies and equipment is procured, right?).  In actuality, their main function seems to be going to silly "team-building conventions" (on my hard-earned dollars) where they use some of that equipment they've procured to make horrible Star Trek parody spoofs, laughing all the way, as they have a good time at my expense.

Gimme a break.  Easily 90% of what the Federal Government does is a total f'in waste.  They take our money, mush it through "the system", pay themselves, pay off their friends, and if you're lucky maybe a nickel of every dollar you send in "comes back to you" in any tangible and beneficial way.  Your beloved government agencies are filled with unelected, accountable-to-nobody, nameless, faceless career civil servants, who have no interest in trying to evaluate the costs and benefits of enacting a given regulation in any rational way; after all, a regulation which is not enacted can equal "a loss" of anywhere from one to one thousand (or more) new "jobs" for more regulators, and a larger budget for that agency.  The Leviathan just grows larger, and stamps out the individual.

Can we please just go back to the enumerated powers in the Constitution (mostly to be found in Article 1, Section 8, along with a couple of other miscellaneous powers found elsewhere in the Constitution)?  You know, like to coin money, declare war, fix the standards of weights and measures, etc?

Most of the power and duties that the Federal Government has arrogated to itself, should instead be devolved back to the state governments, or even to municipal governments.

I have no shot at at getting a bad law or regulation changed if it comes from DC, or even from my state capital.  However, if that law/regulation is brought into being at the local level, now we're getting somewhere.  Because there's a far better chance that I know my local elected official personally, and that he knows me.  If I get pissed off enough, I can call him out at a town hall; or I can band together with my like-minded neighbors and we can protest; or one of my little band of rabble-rousers can get sufficiently PO'd that he or she runs against that local elected official, and we can overturn that bad law.

This is the fundamental principle upon which this nation was conceived.  It's called "Federalism".  Federalism does NOT mean that we should have a Federal Government, and that it should grab all the power in the nation, and impose top-down solutions on 300 million people (usually exempting those self-same government officials from those solutions, naturally--like the exemption from the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act which has been bestowed upon all Federal Government employees).

Federalism means the exact opposite of the foregoing.  Federalism = giving as little power as possible to the Federal Government, basically just enough to keep a union of fifty wildly disparate states together, and otherwise forcing most laws and decisions down to the state level, to the county level, to the town or city or village (or whatever) level--and even (shockingly!) to the level of the individual (take a look at the Ninth and Tenth Amendments sometime).

ok, end rant…

How did I get dragged into this silly debate anyway?  This thread started as some vague attempt at humor by OP, suggesting that providers would be better equipped to "solve" the "government shutdown" than the gang of idiots currently "serving" in Washington, DC.

I agree with that sentiment in part, although I reject the notion that the government shutdown is a problem needing to be solved.  However, as the saying goes, I'd rather be governed by the first 535 people in the phone book than the morons presently infesting DC.

It's the Republicans that keep insisting is including items that have nothing to do with the budget!

...who disagrees with you, and rather vehemently at that:

And go. Elected officials work for their States . This is politics, but the dems on TV ? Sorry , caved to early so they showed they were weak. Obama again blew it ! Even Ed Asner  had enough of him ,Obama !  

Republican are the one’s acting like idiots trying to repeal ACA. There is absolutely no way Democrats are going to give in this time because, that will set a precedence.  

Most people don’t have fucking clue about what the government does. They simply repeat someone else told them because it is bar talk

You are not doing your job that is, being informed, forming your own opinion, questioning your congressmen, senators and all other politicians saying stupid things and voting to throw the dumbfucks out when they don’t do the job you send them DC to do.

You'll just to have to take this on faith, but I have an actual "advanced degree" (unlike those of so many providers) in a field which touches on all of the topics we have been discussing (I'm not going to cite the exact degree, nor the school which conveyed it for obvious reasons--revealing information like that would make it far too easy for even a casual browser of this forum to determine who I am--and I do not want to be "outed").

I am highly informed, as I read several newspapers each day, some of which are not even published in the US, expose myself to a wide range of opinions, making it a point to have some of that exposure consist of opinions with which I vehemently disagree.  I come by my opinions on my own, and they are based upon a lifetime of study, reading and researching all the "great works" in philosophy, literature, history, economics, etc.  I must admit that I've taken virtually no undergrad+ classes in "political science"--but I view that as a positive thing, as polical science is to science as military music is to music.  OTOH, you have steadfastly refused to engage in any actual debate or respond to any of my points with any degree of specificity, preferring to bang the tired drum of "You don't know what the f--- you're talking about (this is also known as the "I know you are, but what am I?" school of debate).  In fact, you sound as if you get all of your "information" from the likes of Jon Stewart and Steven Colbert--who are to "being informed" to as the mindless clapping of seals are to those who are truly educated, engaged, and informed.

And Yes, I do in fact question my Congress-critter and Senators whenever I have the opportunity to do so--although as said originally, my access to these individuals is severely limited, as it is for most of the citizenry (and I contend that this lack of access is purposeful).  I do also question my local elected officials--however, even in this case, I enjoy greater access to them than most of my neighbors, for a variety of reasons not worth discussing now; not that it matters very much, as even in these cases, my ability to influence their decisions is virtually nil.

(Side note:  While I continue to make reference to the proper role of state and local government, you continue to yammer about nothing but the Federal Government, indicating to me that you suffer from the same myopic view as so many Americans; that all power, and all "solutions", must come from the Federal Government, leaving virtually no role for citizens to organize smaller systems at a more local level--after all, most individuals are stupid, and cannot be trusted to "make the right decision".  Isn't it intuitively obvious that the cadre of the "political class" in which nearly all Congress-critters and Senators are graduates of Harvard, Yale, Princeton, etc, are all just plain smarter than the rest of us, and it is not only proper, but vitally necessary that these "chosen few" make decisions for the rest of us?  Bleh.  I can't even type this kind of claptrap without getting sick to my stomach...)

"I still don't what the heck (sic) is goes on (sic) in Gov't"?  I've demonstrated a rather detailed understanding of both what Goverment is supposed to do, and compared that with the reality of what it does do.  Where have you, or any of my detractors in this thread shown yourselves capable of anything other than the most feeble ad hominem attacks?

Wikipedia job? Seriously?  Believe me, none of the information in my prior post in this thread came from Wikipedia, or any computer aid of any kind.  I know this stuff cold, like the back of my hand.  Given how often I allow myself to get drawn into discussions like this, I must have this information at my virtual fingertips, else being forced to take the discussion down into the gutter of which you seem to be so fond, where "debate" consists of the act of mere name-calling, and a knee-jerk tendency to gainsay all that which the other fellow contends.

I'm going to *try* to steer clear of this thread from now on, as I see that the discussion is not helpful, includes no thoughtful exchange of ideas and opinions, and is in general a waste of time.  I make solid points, back those contentions with facts, and am told that I'm full of s--- because I have no idea "what is goes on in gov't".

I have all too much knowledge of what goes on in government.  It maddens and saddens me that so many of my fellow citizens do not.  I try to educate and inform; unfortunately most people would rather not react to this type of interaction, preferring to reflexively recite the bromides that have been pounded into their skulls over the years, refusing the challenge to do their own homework, and form their own opinions.

I have never met anyone who has an advanced degree say it often as you do. Suppose, only know it all do such self boasting while slighting providers for no fucking reason.

Try giving us a COMPLETE list of federal agencies, boards, commissions, offices, commands, committees, bureaus, councils, foundations and administrations and please include all the private ones that are even partially federally funded.

Then tell us all how there can't possibly be huge waste, overlap, abuse and fraud involved.

NOBODY knows everything the government actually does.

You incorrectly stated what the EPA does. As a punishment, laid off government bureaucrats get to piss in your water supply.

If 90% of what gov't does is a total fucking waste, then let's lay out which ones are a waste and which is a necessity.

Is the Food and Drug administration a waste? Or should you have the "freedom" to buy mystery meat?

Is the Commerce Dept a waste? Or should we close up the patient office? Or the Census bureau? How about the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Maybe we can predict that weather by pissing in the wind. Maybe we should close up shop at the Bureau of Economic Analysis. That way we can just guess what is happening in the economy.

How about the Defense Dept?

Or perhaps the Energy Dept? Part of what the DOE does is secure nuclear material in other countries so terrorists can't get a hold of it. Maybe we should just hope for good luck?

Maybe we should close up shop at Health and Human Services? I mean, they only operate "useless" agencies like the National Institutes of Health, which is where most of our medical advancements come from in this country. Hell, they even have an agency dedicated to understanding and fighting the ill effects of aging. Who knows, one day maybe we can develop a way to reverse the aging process. Sounds like a fucking waste, eh?

Maybe we should close HUD? They only underwrite 30% of all mortgages in this country. Gee, it's not like anything bad ever happened with a sudden housing market crash.

Maybe we should close the Justice Dept? We don't really need prisons, do we?

Or how about we close the Labor Dept. I mean really. If you work 40 hours and the boss decides he's only going to pay you for 30, then you can just get another job where another boss can pay your for working 20. No harm, no foul, right?

Or how about the State Dept? We don't really need someone making sure to stop cyber attacks on the USA from China, do we? Americans don't really need visa, and it's a total waste to protect Americans overseas.

How about the Interior Dept? Shit, why not give our state parks over to mining companies while we're at it?

How about the Transportation Dept? We don't really need air traffic controllers anyway, right? Nor do we need to pay attention to ships at sea. Or make sure that hazardous materials shipped on our roads are transported safely. Fuck, while we're at it, why not pave the roads with depleted uranium. With glow-in-the-dark highways, you wouldn't need headlights.

How about the Veterans Administration? That's right. Fuck the veterans.

Homeland Security on the other hand, yes that is a total fucking waste.

if you are not following the issues closely....

If the Pres. Hussein can give extension to big companies and interest groups, why can't American people get extension for a yr or two..

No one is talking about repealing Husseincare anymore. But when Hussein....your beloved President goes in the room and says "I'm not going to negotiate....Period, you can't negotiate with yourself.."

The mystery of meat is regulated by the Food and Drug Act and the Federal Meat Inspection Act which delegates that task to the Department of Agriculture, a completely different cabinet department than the one you so incorrectly named (i.e. Health and Human Services). Just goes to show that even a not so dedicated, furloughed government employee such as yourself can't figure things out.

All of your incorrect flat assertions that the right wants to eliminate all departments of the executive branch is the same old sorry straw dog. Please get realistic about the actual bloat of government found in EVERY one of the executive departments you itemize.

I repeat myself:

"Try giving us a COMPLETE list of federal agencies, boards, commissions, offices, commands, committees, bureaus, councils, foundations and administrations and please include all the private ones that are even partially federally funded.

Then tell us all how there can't possibly be huge waste, overlap, abuse and fraud involved.

NOBODY knows everything the government actually does."

When drive home, you see them sitting around playing cards, washing the fire truck and occasionally they interrupt the traffic with their peak hour exercise. You say what a fucking waste.