So the government shut down, again.

 

The big news in the U.S. of course is the government shut down. Is this going to be one of those “where were you when JFK was shot” situations? (For the record, I wasn’t born so I don’t need an alibi.) I doubt it. At least I hope not. I’ll have to come up with a much more interesting story.

Hubby and I were sitting in the family room watching Star Trek Nemesis. Ominous? No, just a coincidence. Before that we were watching White Collar.  Hmm. Wait, so a con man . . . then geeks save humanity. We need more geeks in congress. If I try to read too much into that I’ll turn into a political consultant. Pass.

Anyway, we were both on our computers. He was doing some security chat thing with someone back home. My home. Washington. Sigh. Tears fall, I miss Seattle, moving on. I was jumping through hoops so Be Careful What You Wish For can be free on Amazon for a few days starting the 11^th. Consider yourselves warned.

He said, “Hey, it’s midnight in Washington, I wonder if the government shut down.”

To which I gave him a ‘you’re an idiot’ look and said, “No, it’s nine in Washington. Too late to call Dad.”

“D.C.”

“Oh.” You know, the comment about ‘the government shutdown’ really should have cleared that up for me. “I’ll look.”

Here comes the stupid part. Where did I go to look for the requested information? Where I seem to get all my news lately: “What’s Hot” on Google Plus. And yes, I got looks for that one from the man sitting next to me and a directive (firm) to go to CNN. Yeah? Look it up yourself! The media’s all about opinions, at least getting my news this way I know up front it’s biased. There’s no pretending it’s not. And there are pictures, sometimes of cats.

And now there are quotes from The President saying “We’re better than this.” (Clearly not.) Each party is blaming the other, the media is blaming one or the other or both, analysts are blaming a two-party system and the voters for having a two-party system, (dare I suggest there are Independents in there too?) and everyone’s pointing fingers and accusing each other of not doing their job or trying to bankrupt the country. There will be a movie. Probably in 3D. On IMAX.

Why couldn’t they do this in April? You know, right around the 15^th? I’m pretty sure The IRS isn’t an essential service.

Never mind. The kids got up this morning and went to school. Hubby’s doing his thing, whatever that is, I’ll continue doing mine. There will be a trickle-down effect to this that we’ll feel more the longer it goes, I’ll admit that. But at the moment, I look at this and I look at the way governmental problems used to be solved, and still are in many parts of the world: at gunpoint. Our country was born in blood. Then we had a civil war when congress threw a big enough tantrum. In many African countries, policies are made by overthrowing the last government, it’s tradition. We’re too civilized for that? Germany after WWI elected a man to solve their problems and he led them into WWII. They were civilized too.

So the government shut down. It’s happened before and we’ve survived. It’ll hurt, but it could be worse.