Beta on the US Government shutting down? I think yes.

[Ayahuasca]

greygoose said:

Ayahuasca said:

I was affected by the shutdown!


I went to a website about the safe distance from lighting, to be told the website was shut because of the Govt Shutdown.

When it affects people who want to waste time browsing a vaguely interesting website it is time to get serious! Sort yourselves out people!

Presumably if the bulb is burning your face then you are too close to the lighting.

Tee hee. I was hiking when there was a thunderstorm and there came a simultaneous blinding flash / bang. I almost did burn my face.

[airbrakes]

I know its the wail, but this is a good article:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/article-2455505/...

It seems there are an increasing number of far right nutters infiltrating government and trying to take the country back to the 1920s

[RDMcG]

Its getting a bit nip and tuck right now....couple of days left and the whole thing is in disarray. .......

[Stu R]

RDMcG said:

Its getting a bit nip and tuck right now....couple of days left and the whole thing is in disarray. .......

Starting to look somewhat inevitable isn't it? It'd be nice to see a last ditch stand-down and the holy grail that is a clean CR getting put through, but I doubt it. Must say there's a morbid curiosity in the back of my mind wondering if it's perhaps a necessary evil that could eventually pave the way to the US managing to actually pass a budget. I doubt it, as they seem to have mastered the art of legislating around problems rather than dealing with them, but it'd be nice if there was a positive flip side to the landslide of crap that's hurtling towards us.

One thing's for sure, irrespective of what happens I'll just be glad when it's all over so we don't have to hear every news presenter say 'kicking the can down the road' at every opportunity.

[New POD]

I was at a wedding in Ohio, the other week, and told every American that I met, how wonderful it is that 65 million people in the UK, get free health care, regardless of their ability to play, and reminded them that 50 million people in the USA have no access to 'meaningful' heathcare, and 5 million people are homeless because they have been sued for hospital bills, they can't afford.

I ask them to explain how a country with so many churches and so many Christians allows the poor to die needlessly.

They all think I'm a communist extremist and full of dangerous ideas.

[Derek Smith]

Stu R said:

Starting to look somewhat inevitable isn't it? It'd be nice to see a last ditch stand-down and the holy grail that is a clean CR getting put through, but I doubt it. Must say there's a morbid curiosity in the back of my mind wondering if it's perhaps a necessary evil that could eventually pave the way to the US managing to actually pass a budget. I doubt it, as they seem to have mastered the art of legislating around problems rather than dealing with them, but it'd be nice if there was a positive flip side to the landslide of crap that's hurtling towards us.

One thing's for sure, irrespective of what happens I'll just be glad when it's all over so we don't have to hear every news presenter say 'kicking the can down the road' at every opportunity.

You comment about legislating around a problem is the impression that comes to us over here.

I think us over here will be glad when it is over.

It is astounding. It is as if certain factions want to throw away all the advances and advantages the USA has.

Is the impression you get over there that a new order is starting? Or is that disorder? I have to say I'm concerned. I see bits of interviews with nutty right-wing senators on Fox News via YT with a disbelief that people can be so stupid. And that people can consider them worthy of a vote. We've elected a few dolts this side of the Atlantic but really! Who does their shoelaces up.

[Stu R]

Yep, it's mental isn't it. I'm fresh off the boat so it's still a mix of surprise, disgust, amazement, comedy and dumbfoundedness to me, but most of the folks I've spoken to seem either non-plussed or just as confused as I am unless they're directly affected by it. I suspect that opinion might change drastically when they see the effect on their wallets on a wider basis, however.

[Wills2]

New POD said:

I was at a wedding in Ohio, the other week, and told every American that I met, how wonderful it is that 65 million people in the UK, get free health care, regardless of their ability to play, and reminded them that 50 million people in the USA have no access to 'meaningful' heathcare, and 5 million people are homeless because they have been sued for hospital bills, they can't afford.

I ask them to explain how a country with so many churches and so many Christians allows the poor to die needlessly.

They all think I'm a communist extremist and full of dangerous ideas.

Whilst I think it's great, the cost is eye watering and now stands at 25% of the total UK tax take, imagine we didn't have one and 85% of people had health insurance, I'm not sure it would get through our parliament either.

[New POD]

Derek Smith said:

It is astounding. It is as if certain factions want to throw away all the advances and advantages the USA has.

Lets hope that the electorate remember who acted honourably, and who behaved like little sts, when it comes time to elect the next bunch of people to represent them.

[Derek Smith]

New POD said:

Lets hope that the electorate remember who acted honourably, and who behaved like little sts, when it comes time to elect the next bunch of people to represent them.

What odds would you offer?

[supersingle]

New POD said:

I was at a wedding in Ohio, the other week, and told every American that I met, how wonderful it is that 65 million people in the UK, get free health care, regardless of their ability to play, and reminded them that 50 million people in the USA have no access to 'meaningful' heathcare, and 5 million people are homeless because they have been sued for hospital bills, they can't afford.

I ask them to explain how a country with so many churches and so many Christians allows the poor to die needlessly.

They all think I'm a communist extremist and full of dangerous ideas.

If I'd been one of those Americans I'd have polititely asked you to ps off and worry about your own crumbling nation.

lots of yanks believe in personal responsibility over big government largesse. That's their prerogative.

[RDMcG]

Very ugly now with the House unable to agree on anything. Debt rating agencies getting twitchy..hard as it is to believe, the think they are going to do it.

[Wills2]

RDMcG said:

Very ugly now with the House unable to agree on anything. Debt rating agencies getting twitchy..hard as it is to believe, the think they are going to do it.

Interesting to see what the stock markets will do and how the the people holding the debt will react and the impact on them.

[mondeoman]

Is this the point where the can finally implodes after being kicked for so long?

[andy_s]

It's happening all over the world, get rid of the dicatator, install a moderate, country tears itself apart.

[anonymous-user]

The financial markets are extremely interesting right now.

The S$P simply isn't pricing in any % chance of a default of any scale.

However t bill yields are being pushed extremely high and people getting a little twitchy on a treasury default.

[Art0ir]

Flipfloptrader said:

The financial markets are extremely interesting right now.

The S$P simply isn't pricing in any % chance of a default of any scale.

However t bill yields are being pushed extremely high and people getting a little twitchy on a treasury default.

Will QE be affected by the debt ceiling, given it's a Fed exercise rather than anything to do with the Treasury?

[Derek Smith]

supersingle said:

If I'd been one of those Americans I'd have polititely asked you to ps off and worry about your own crumbling nation.

lots of yanks believe in personal responsibility over big government largesse. That's their prerogative.

Whether this country is crumbling or not is hardly the point. The problem is that democracy seems to be failing in the USA. When a small group of politicians can shut down a government as a means to turn over a law that has already been passed then I think it goes beyond personal responsibility.

It seems some republicans have taken a leaf out of the suicide bombers' book: do it my way or everyone goes down.

From what I can see there is real concern that an ally, in more ways than one, is suffering considerable damage from a minority, one apparently brain dead.

Wasn't it an American who, when asked what he thought when he saw two trains heading towards one-another along a single track rail line, said: "I thought that's a funny way to run a railroad." Change the last word to country and you have the current situation in a nutshell. Nut being the word.

[skyrover]

On the contrary you could argue that this is democracy in action...

[andy_s]

skyrover said:

On the contrary you could argue that this is democracy in action...

Democracy is cited as the best system, not the perfect one. Grown ups should have sorted this long ago, even in a democracy.