Impact of the Government Shutdown
Do you feel it yet? I'm talking about the impact of the government shutdown. I don't know about you, but I'm still waiting to see or even "feel" the consequences of this supposed disaster.
First, there's nothing to see, since I don't live in DC where it seems 800,000 government workers have been furloughed and, I would guess, aren't commuting to work this morning. Besides the (one assumes) lighter traffic, I'm much there really is to see, nor am I clear on how much damage fewer government workers can cause the rest of us.
As for "feeling," I pretty much avoid watching or listening to the MSM (main-stream media) reports that will now - you can bet on this - rise to fever pitch. I hope you do too - avoid watching or listening, that is. It's a much more sane and peaceful way to live through all this.
I don't know for sure, but I suspect the idea of the government defaulting on its obligations should get a lot of play. (We've already talked about this a few days ago.) You will note that in our recent post about this, it seems the consensus was no way that could happen. But, nevertheless, the MSM will probably drag this to the forefront since it adds spice to the whole dreary affair.
A final thought about all this: I used to somehow feel embarrassed when I witnessed our "leaders" acting in the sorts of ways they do during these kinds of political brouhahas. But no more. Why should I be embarrassed? Once it dawned on me that the government is not the same thing as our blessed country or even us for that matter, my whole perspective changed. Add to this the fact that most politicians are as far from being leaders as the tail end of a centipede, there's no reason that I - or you, in case this sort of nonsense affects you in this way - should feel embarrassed.
I'm almost tempted to say sit back and enjoy the ride, but there's really nothing that's in any way entertaining or amusing about any of this. It's actually rather pathetic. Our government has spent its way into oblivion and that's the only reason this debt ceiling issue comes up in the first place: it's the result of gross irresponsibility on the part of our elected representatives, who spend as much as it takes to placate their constituencies and entice them to keep re-electing them. If you do want to find something serious in all this, think about your kids and grand-kids who, as the government piles up even more debt, may face the prospect of paying the overwhelming interest that will be due on and ever-increasing pile of debt which - some day, one assumes - must be paid back at higher interest rates than we have now.
Of course, there's always the chance that inflation will heat up to such a degree that the value of the debt will, thereby, decrease - which would probably hasten the demise of the middle class in the U.S. if not impoverish a huge swath of our fellow citizens - not a pleasant prospect for us, but it would, in a sense, spare our kids and grand-kids.
On the other hand, if the whole scheme does just blow up - either through default of hyper-inflation - we can start all over again. Much as I don't wish a blow-up on any of us, it almost sounds appealing, doesn't it?
First, there's nothing to see, since I don't live in DC where it seems 800,000 government workers have been furloughed and, I would guess, aren't commuting to work this morning. Besides the (one assumes) lighter traffic, I'm much there really is to see, nor am I clear on how much damage fewer government workers can cause the rest of us.
As for "feeling," I pretty much avoid watching or listening to the MSM (main-stream media) reports that will now - you can bet on this - rise to fever pitch. I hope you do too - avoid watching or listening, that is. It's a much more sane and peaceful way to live through all this.
I don't know for sure, but I suspect the idea of the government defaulting on its obligations should get a lot of play. (We've already talked about this a few days ago.) You will note that in our recent post about this, it seems the consensus was no way that could happen. But, nevertheless, the MSM will probably drag this to the forefront since it adds spice to the whole dreary affair.
A final thought about all this: I used to somehow feel embarrassed when I witnessed our "leaders" acting in the sorts of ways they do during these kinds of political brouhahas. But no more. Why should I be embarrassed? Once it dawned on me that the government is not the same thing as our blessed country or even us for that matter, my whole perspective changed. Add to this the fact that most politicians are as far from being leaders as the tail end of a centipede, there's no reason that I - or you, in case this sort of nonsense affects you in this way - should feel embarrassed.
I'm almost tempted to say sit back and enjoy the ride, but there's really nothing that's in any way entertaining or amusing about any of this. It's actually rather pathetic. Our government has spent its way into oblivion and that's the only reason this debt ceiling issue comes up in the first place: it's the result of gross irresponsibility on the part of our elected representatives, who spend as much as it takes to placate their constituencies and entice them to keep re-electing them. If you do want to find something serious in all this, think about your kids and grand-kids who, as the government piles up even more debt, may face the prospect of paying the overwhelming interest that will be due on and ever-increasing pile of debt which - some day, one assumes - must be paid back at higher interest rates than we have now.
Of course, there's always the chance that inflation will heat up to such a degree that the value of the debt will, thereby, decrease - which would probably hasten the demise of the middle class in the U.S. if not impoverish a huge swath of our fellow citizens - not a pleasant prospect for us, but it would, in a sense, spare our kids and grand-kids.
On the other hand, if the whole scheme does just blow up - either through default of hyper-inflation - we can start all over again. Much as I don't wish a blow-up on any of us, it almost sounds appealing, doesn't it?
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