What does "Shutting down the governement" means exactly?

[Xzi]

Government spending during the shutdown was only down 7%, so it really doesn't matter all that much.

It matters to the people who didn't get paid, and also the contractors that still won't get back pay because Republicans refuse to endorse the necessary legislation. As usual, Trump leaves the room before the bill comes due.

 

[CMDreamer]

Trumpet has a medieval way of thinking. Walls don't last long protecting castles when the real problem is on the inside (as in this case on US government).

And speaking of castles, he thinks he's the king, when on reality he's just the buffoon and the burglar, he's just trying to protect his own businesses.

 

[Attacker3]

It matters to the people who didn't get paid, and also the contractors that still won't get back pay because Republicans refuse to endorse the necessary legislation. As usual, Trump leaves the room before the bill comes due.

https://www.cnn.com/2019/01/16/politics/trump-signs-backpay-bill-government-shutdown/index.html

 

[Xzi]

https://www.cnn.com/2019/01/16/politics/trump-signs-backpay-bill-government-shutdown/index.html

That article is in reference to federal workers, not federal contractors. Only one Republican has signed on to give back pay to contractors so far, along with 90 Democrats:

https://thinkprogress.org/90-democr...ng-back-pay-to-contract-workers-4ed1b943b79c/

 

[Attacker3]

That article is in reference to federal workers, not federal contractors. Only one Republican has signed on to give back pay to contractors so far, along with 90 Democrats:

https://thinkprogress.org/90-democr...ng-back-pay-to-contract-workers-4ed1b943b79c/

I don't know enough about the contracting situation in the US to comment on that, but here in Canada contractors don't have to same protections as actual employees. In return, they get more freedom and such, but again, I don't know what the situation in the US is.

 

[Xzi]

I don't know enough about the contracting situation in the US to comment on that, but here in Canada contractors don't have to same protections as actual employees. In return, they get more freedom and such, but again, I don't know what the situation in the US is.

Protections are a separate issue entirely, we're talking about back pay for work that was already done. Republicans love eroding trust in government, though, and stiffing workers definitely furthers that cause.

 

[Taleweaver]

Protections are a separate issue entirely, we're talking about back pay for work that was already done. Republicans love eroding trust in government, though, and stiffing workers definitely furthers that cause.

Some suggested reading on that front: 'the fifth risk' by Michael Lewis. Lewis is one of my favorite non-fiction authors, and has some very good books on the financial crisis. The fifth risk goes into detail...on government workers. Not exactly the most sexy topic, but I meant it when I said he was an awesome writer (see also "the big short"...the movie is somewhat different but retains the rock 'n roll style).
The Trump administration isn't so much "eroding trust in government" but downright attacking it pretty much the day he came into office. His carefully drafted transition team that would take over the many different government agencies went straight into the trash can and was replaced by guys who had no idea what the department they were supposed to lead even did in the first place (and did not care either). The department that actively searched and secured nuclear resources around the world (and has, as such, prevented 150 nuclear bombs from being made) ? Seriously crippled. The department that made sure that hurricanes were discovered in time (and the population alerted)? Now lead by a guy who wants to dismantle it. The department that watched Iran kept their part of the nuclear deal (and as such were in no position to ever create a nuclear bomb)? Downright ignored.

I'm not even halfway into the book and I'm wondering why the hell THIS isn't picked up by mainstream media. Yes, Trump's antics are more sensational. But sooner or later he'll leave office, you'll find the departments in such a sorry state that it'll probably take more time to even recover to the point where it previously was than Trump's time in the office.

And how does this tie in to the shutdown of the government? Easy: it's just the extension of the policy that is already in progress for the last couple of years. Many republicans bang on about how the government is useless, but once they're confronted with what the government actually DOES, they'll wind down a bit ("oh, so the department of energy isn't just about creating energy but also providing cutting edge innovations in terms of resource and development? Hmmm...interesting"). If Lewis isn't exaggerating, the clerics simply weren't given a chance to explain the importance of their jobs to this government.

 

[Attacker3]

Republicans love eroding trust in government

The US was founded on low trust in governments. There should be barely any trust in the first place

 

[Xzi]

The US was founded on low trust in governments. There should be barely any trust in the first place

The US was not founded on low trust in our own government, that makes zero sense. The problem with Republicans isn't so much that they don't trust government, it's that they purposefully sabotage its functions when elected. Of course trust is going to be low after several decades of Republicans starting needless wars and crashing the economy repetitively. This is why the party needs a complete overhaul, or needs to be replaced with a new party. Nobody is benefiting from obstructionism and contrarianism being the only things they're consistent about.

 

[Deleted User]

Boarder patrol might have an easier time with a better barrier than the current fencing. And a way to stop people digging under could be to dig a deep trench around the wall and fill it with cement.

 

[Xzi]

Boarder patrol might have an easier time with a better barrier than the current fencing. And a way to stop people digging under could be to dig a deep trench around the wall and fill it with cement.

So just add another $25 billion to the budget? Simple! Next thing you know we're going to be building a wall around the wall. Because obviously the wall can't protect itself.

 

[Deleted User]

So just add another $25 billion to the budget? Simple! Next thing you know we're going to be building a wall around the wall. Because obviously the wall can't protect itself.

Does the border specifically have to be non lethal? Cos water might be cheaper than cement and it'd drown them upon digging into it.

 

[Xzi]

Does the border specifically have to be non lethal? Cos water might be cheaper than cement and it'd drown them upon digging into it.

Under is not the only option. You can literally go right through the wall with a saw, because they haven't found a prototype that can't be sawed through yet. Or they can go over with a ladder. Or they can go around on a boat, or over on a plane.

If I've said it before, I've said it a million times: focusing on the illegal immigrants is never going to solve a damn thing. As long as people like Donald Trump keep offering employment to undocumented workers, they'll keep coming even if you force them through an American Ninja Warrior obstacle course on the border. Providing $25 billion for what is basically a statue that 90% of America will never see is completely asinine, especially considering that in the meantime, our core infrastructure is crumbling. FFS, if we're gonna waste the money on a vanity project anyway, we might as well fund gold toilets for all Americans instead.

 

[KingVamp]

we might as well fund gold toilets for all Americans instead.

I know you are mostly being symbolic, but I wouldn't want that, no matter how much money I had.

 

[Xzi]

I know you are mostly being symbolic, but I wouldn't want that, no matter how much money I had.

And yet it's just dumb enough to get Trump's base behind it, like the wall.