Random Thoughts (Political Edition)

Dr_Grip said:
During my five-week California roadtrip I visited one National Park. All other things I visited were state-owned, like Hearst Castle.
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Yup in the US most touristy type attractions are state or private run not Federal. Really as long as she is not planning to go to a national part or Washington then she probably won't even be bothered. Even Washington has a few good musueums that are Private run. The International Spy Museum and the Newseum are both private IIRC.
 
MacGuffin said:
A colleague of mine flew over there yesterday as a tourist. She saved long for the journey... [irony]Boy, will she be having fun there, with no tourist attractions being open[/irony].
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If shes going to DC I highly recommend the Newseum which chronicles News and Journalism also Arlington Cemetery is still open so there still is the charging of the guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, JFK memorial, Marine Corps Memorial, also there is the crime museum and George Washington Masonic National Memorial is impressive and the Washington Monument has been closed to visitors since 2011. There is plenty to do and thats just off the top of my head but she can also take the Acela up to New York for the museums. The American Museum of Natural History is a bit better than the Smithsonian Natural History.

I do feel for her though, the administration has gone through great efforts to maximize the pain. Many of the monuments were not closed in the previous shutdown. The parks department went into overdrive building fences, walls, and barricades, you get the sense that if they could they would have put up jersey barriers every 30 feet on the sidewalks.
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It makes the Senate non negotiation seem even more painful that Obama's strategy is basically this
 
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Obama is not even exaggerating. When this isn't solved within the next 10 days or so, the Republicans will not only hold the USA hostage but the whole world.
 
The chances of a default happening are slim to none almost zero even Boehner has said so. We see that the bond market isn't believing it because if the bond market thought that bonds weren't going to get paid, they would be selling them and they're not. As I had said the Senate will not negotiate, and will only accept what they want, so why not give it to them for a week at a time. In the history of the world, there have been many, many times where governments have lost their ability to borrow and they literally have to balance the budget overnight. What is even more ludicrous about this fear is that the Treasury has the ability to prioritize payments, which would make them be able to pay interest on debt and bonds for years. So if your saying that the on October 17 we turn into a pumpkin, it is only be cause the Treasury Secretary would refuse to make payments.
 
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Momentum57 said:
The chances of a default happening are slim to none almost zero even Boehner has said so. We see that the bond market isn't believing it because if the bond market thought that bonds weren't going to get paid, they would be selling them and they're not. As I had said the Senate will not negotiate, and will only accept what they want, so why not give it to them for a week at a time. In the history of the world, there have been many, many times where governments have lost their ability to borrow and they literally have to balance the budget overnight. What is even more ludicrous about this fear is that the Treasury has the ability to prioritize payments, which would make them be able to pay interest on debt and bonds for years. So if your saying that the on October 17 we turn into a pumpkin, it is only be cause the Treasury Secretary would refuse to make payments.
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The guy is holding a knife and standing in my way. But it's okay, cause he says he won't stab me. Just jab in my general vicinity.
 
nomix said:
The guy is holding a knife and standing in my way. But it's okay, cause he says he won't stab me. Just jab in my general vicinity.
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Well anything is possible in hyperbole land isn't it, after all Harry Reid is withholding medicine from the sick. But it's okay, because he is righteous.

Come on your knife analogy is less about reality than perception. The Reality is that John Boehner has said he won't allow a defult. Now Harry Reid won't help children with cancer as he admitted in public exchange with Dana Bash that made him seem unhinged; but we know that it has more to do with his non-negotiation strategy than his desire to refuse cancer treatment to children. However; Harry Reid's non-negotiation strategy also precludes when a majority of House Democrats votes agree with Republicans, for example H. Res. 3223 Furloughed Relief which passed 407 to 0. Even if Harry Reid got his way this furloughed relief would be needed independent of a CR so why hold it up? The rhetoric that is being thrown around is what is protracting this more than anything.
 
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Markets don't trust him or any other politicians. Which is why they effing downgraded the credit rating in 2011. For the first time since, I don't know, 1777? I know John Adams went to Holland to get loans, so I guess credit was crucial even then. The fact Boehner has to say he won't allow a default sums this godforsaken mess up better than I'm able to.

For the last century, the US has been the foundation of the world economy. It still is. Someone is being irresponsible with it. And in any sane country, these clowns would get booted out of the party they ludicrously claim to belong, and would never, ever get reelected.

Of course Reid won't start cherry picking programs in that context, that takes some balls to even admit. The issue isn't that. I try not to use pop culture references, but I believe Reid could have said something in the lines of "I'd rather these kids go without treatment for a week than forever". Trying to put the blame on Reid, whom I'm not really a big fan of at all, is silly.

This is all GOP. Someone needs to take their candy until they stop drawing erect penises on the walls.
 
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I did not expect you to double down on rhetoric and name calling.

nomix said:
And in any sane country, these clowns would get booted out of the party they ludicrously claim to belong, and would never, ever get reelected.
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They are elected most closely to their constituency hence why it is called the "Peoples House". Neither party get to say who should or should not belong, they have primaries and the people select their candidate, and vote for their Representative. Calling them "clowns" is just rude, unproductive, and ignores the Democrats who voted for H. Res. 59.

nomix said:
Of course Reid won't start cherry picking programs in that context, that takes some balls to even admit. The issue isn't that. I try not to use pop culture references, but I believe Reid could have said something in the lines of "I'd rather these kids go without treatment for a week than forever". Trying to put the blame on Reid, whom I'm not really a big fan of at all, is silly.

This is all GOP. Someone needs to take their candy until they stop drawing erect penises on the walls.
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It is not about placing blame it is about pragmatically assessing the realities of the situation. Harry Reid is also refusing to move on legislation that his own majority would vote for and hypocritically attacking the Speaker for the same in House. It is simply a parry and thrust but neither of which accelerates the solution. Take for example the Democrat talking point that the GOP won by getting the Sequester. Nobody wanted the Sequester it kicked the can down the road two months for negotiations that never happened causing higher taxes, growing debt, and non strategic spending cuts. We did not solve this problem, we did not have a discussion, and trying to push this out to the next debt ceiling only causes more uncertainty. Please watch PBS's Frontline documentary Cliffhanger it will give you much more respect for John Boehner, both parties, the situation, and potential negotiations possible. I also recommend Bob Woodward's The Price of Politics which documents the Grand Bargain negotiations.
 
When I currently think of US politicians - at least from what we get on the news from them -, respect is the last thing that would come to my mind, if I should describe them.

From here, they look like a bunch of kindergarten kids in a brawl, argueing about who started the fight and who's fault it all is, instead of simply being reasonable and sort out their differences.

I mean come on: Even Italy seems to be better in coming to terms with common sense in politics, than the USA at the moment.
 
My view is that unless the GOP get their act together soon they will never, ever be in power again. They are seen, by us at least as the US version of the 'nasty' party, still we voted in our version last time so I may be wrong. ...
 
I got tipped off that I should watch Jon Stewart's Daily Show from last night and his interview with Kathleen Sebelius.

Stewart said:
But would you say that?s a legitimate criticism that an individual doesn?t get to delay it, but a business does? Is that not legitimate?
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Sabelius dodged the question and to Stewarts credit he followed up

Stewart said:
Let me ask you this: Am I a stupid man? So why is it that individuals though couldn?t say they didn?t want to do it just for a year?
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Sebelius said:
Well they can. They pay a fine. They pay a fine at the end of the year
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Stewart seemed to acknowledge and joked that the question was not being answered clearly by Sebelius.

Stewart said:
Still not sure why individuals can?t delay. Can we come back and ask more questions?
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Sebelius said:
Sure
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Stewart said:
Can I ask the same one?
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At the sign off Stewart seemed confused asking if Sabelius was just lying to him or is this simple question so perplexing to not be answered. Moreover; the marketplaces are open, people are enrolling, how does not fining them make it any less of an incentive to sign up compared to not having insurance? We are left with one nagging question:

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May the odds be in your favor
 
I'm not much of an Alan Grayson fan, but he is spot on in this video. If you are short on time, start watching at 4:30. Everything after that is necessary.

[video=youtube;-GXrfjmpCcY]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-GXrfjmpCcY[/video]

And then how about we let Jon Stewart show John Boehner insisting that, after reneging on an agreement with Harry Reid, this shutdown is about Obamacare.

http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/tue-october-8-2013/the-shutdown-blame-game

OR you can just watch the relevant clip. Start at 3:02.

 
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Just prior to the weekend, the National Park Service informed charter boat captains in Florida that the Florida Bay was closed due to the shutdown. Officials went even further and said that until the Republicans acquiesce to the president?s demands and government funding is restored, fishing boats are prohibited from taking anglers into the 1,100 square miles of open ocean. The government is also prohibiting fishing at Biscayne national Park during the shutdown.
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Source.


Then there's this.
The government shutdown is being felt close to home for some locals. They say they're being forced out of private homes on Lake Mead because they sit on federal land.
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Just found this comment regarding the shutdown of Mount Rushmore National Memorial

I live 20 minutes from Mt. Rushmore (anyone in the area visiting feel free to get in touch with me). We had a thing on TV recently about people visiting from South Carolina, Oregon, Australia, et al and were bummed that Rushmore was closed. Then later that week, they shut down the highway pull outs where you could photograph it from the highway.
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Why the bloody fuck would you put extra effort into closing highway pulloffs to prevent people from taking photos!?!? That is beyond moronic.
 
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