From: Walter Miles <waltmiles at comcast.net>
To: WSFA members <WSFAlist at KeithLynch.net>
Date: Fri, 04 Oct 2013 00:35:18 -0500
Subject: [WSFA] Re: A point of information about the government shutdown
Reply-To: WSFA members <WSFAlist at KeithLynch.net>

On 10/03/13, you wrote:

> Sorry, but I'm sick of hearing this line on every radio broadcast or TV
> news show I listen to, and I don't really need to hear this propaganda
> here too!

Maybe you do.

> The shutdown is the fault of BOTH major parties.  One wants to delay or
> kill a law they find unconscionable, and have made a solid stand on
> doing so and they won't pass a bill that requires them to back down on

Democrats have been trying to change our healthcare financing system
for forty years.  You could see it as the last bit of the New Deal,
I suppose.  As important as it has been to them, they've not tried to
shut down the government over it.  Maybe they knew it wouldn't work.
They resisted the policies of Republican Presidents, and fiddled with
their budgets, but there was an unspoken agreement that the government
would operate and provide its ordinary services while they argued.  The
Republicans abided by this too, except on one occasion.  I suppose that
is no longer viewed as necessary.

> it, and the other party refuses to look at any bill that does delay or
> kill the same law because it would hurt the pride of their leader to

Um, very few people work that way.  The Democrats may like Obama, and
may take orders from him (mostly), but it ain't pride.  They sense a
political advantage.  If the ACA, inadequate and compromised as it is,
goes into full effect, they believe that people will see tangible
benefits from it, and will give credit to the party that passed it.
They believe they may elect more of their members in 2014 and 2016
because of it.  I suspect the Republicans believe that too.  They may
feel that even a year of delay will help their chances.

I do think a funeral for the Republican Party is premature, though.
There are a lot of scary things in the world right now, and somebody's
going to have to be the party of Fear, and could do very well.  Of
course, it could be the Democrats (different fears) or some group
we've never even heard of.

> have his biggest triumph dented in any way.  It's pure pride, nothing
> more at this point...for BOTH sides.

> As for the bone they are squabbling over, both sides have excellent
> points to make as to why it is needed, or why it needs killing.  This
> tells me that the law certainly needs changes...and they should just
> agree about what they are, make them, and get things back to normal.

That may be the case.  Any practical compromise solution (and some
Democrats felt that they had already compromised away almost everything
they valued) would take months negotiate.  But, what the hell, they've
got nothing better to do---maybe Bernie Sanders (admittedly, not a
Democrat) should start giving speeches about changing ACA to a single-
payer plan.  Won't happen, but his air ain't any hotter than anybody
else's.  How about insurance exchanges for veterinary care?  Mandatory
anti-flatulence therapy?

> The Democratic refusal to discuss it kind of prevents that though.  You
> can't compromise with a party that says, "do it the way we told you to,
> or forget it!"

Sometimes I kinda wish that it'd all just come crashing down right
now.  We're likely to be under increasing environmental and economic
pressure in coming decades, and I believe that things won't wait for
whatever the final blow is.  I think there will be a relatively minor
crisis that will turn in an unexpected direction, and our response
will destroy our already weakened civilization.  Why shouldn't it
happen now?

Of course, I don't really don't want to see my daughters murdered in
front of my face, or whatever else the collapse or civil war would
entail, so I'll hope for a quick resolution to this standoff.