In the interests of politics...

[Angel]

Ok so call me whatever you wish in the privacy of your mind as you read this, but can someone please explain the whole US shutdown thing in really simple terms? I find it both interesting and quite mind-boggling to think a government that powerful could just...stop working. I know its something to do with managing spending and Obamacare and Republicans and debt ceilings...I'm just not able to sift through the opinions of commentators versus the facts.

Can any people from Americaland enlighten me, pl0x? Or indeed anyone who doesn't possess the mind of a cabbage?

P.S - by "simple terms" I really do mean simple

 

[Chancey289]

Well, when it says they shut down it doesn't mean that our government is like nonexistent. (I wasn't able to throw the anarchist BBQ I had planned.) It's just really a bunch of people up there walked out and are on unpaid leave at the moment. Plus all national landmarks are shut down.

In other words, they can't agree on stuff so they're acting like damn spoiled brats. It's a shame really.

Our government really is pretty pathetic if you ask me.

In other news, a bunch of WWII vets said "screw barriers" and broke in to the WWII memorial the government shut down. Good for them.

 

[Loopy]

Well, when it says they shut down it doesn't mean that our government is like nonexistent. (I wasn't able to throw the anarchist BBQ I had planned.) It's just really a bunch of people up there walked out and are on unpaid leave at the moment. Plus all national landmarks are shut down.

In other words, they can't agree on stuff do they're acting like damn spoiled brats. It's a shame really.

Our government really is pretty pathetic if you ask me.

In other news, a bunch of WWII vets said "screw barriers" and broke in to the WWII memorial the government shut down. Good for them.

Pretty much this.
If they're not careful, this is going to cause a lot of problems. The dollar is already falling in the exchange, and people are already saying China will take over if America doesn't get their act together.

The parties need to put aside their stupid differences and realise that the situation is a lot bigger than Democrats VS Republicans or Obamacare. If they don't make a choice about state funding for the year, it will affect jobs, public services...they're going to bring the country to a halt.>_<

 

[ROCKMAN X]

EDIT:

lol

 

[Dark Drakan]

Ok so call me whatever you wish in the privacy of your mind as you read this, but can someone please explain the whole US shutdown thing in really simple terms?

P.S - by "simple terms" I really do mean simple

 

[V]

The opposition's way of (kinda literally) throwing a spanner in just because they don't agree with the policies being put forward. It's not achieving anything except delay and inconvenience for everyone else. Not sure why the peripheral federal stuff all has to shut down because of this. Seems stupid.

 

[Chancey289]

And it all makes sense now.

 

[darkslayer13]

short explanation:
Congress has to approve of the budget or most of the government won't receive funding, Republicans refused to approve of the budget in order to interfere with the Patent Protection and Affordable Health Care Act (aka. Obamacare) for some odd reason. the budget didn't get approved by congress. most of the government isn't receiving funding (there are a few essential services that automatically receive some funding even if the rest of the government doesn't)

longer explanation: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_federal_government_shutdown_of_2013

 

[Dante's Stalker]

...I'm a carrot.

...so in short, the government is striking against itself.
Epic. Only in America!!!! x_x

 

[Meg]

Allow me to explain this in as simple a way as possible. A food analogy.

Basically, the United States' budget is like a pizza with tons of different toppings. The "essential" parts of the government are the sauce, cheese, and crust. They have to be there in order for there to be a country at all. These are things like the military. That kind of stuff gets funding no matter what. The different toppings are things like National Parks, Obamacare, Planned Parenthood, and other things like that. The chefs in the kitchen couldn't decide how much of each topping to include in relation to all the others. How much meatball? What about pepperoni? Where do the broccoli and mushrooms go?

Say Obamacare is the meatballs. The chef in the red hat doesn't want any meatballs at all, even though the recipe calls for it. The chef in the blue hat is arguing that the meatballs must be on the pizza regardless of how much room there is for more toppings. Neither chef is willing to compromise on this, so the red hat chef picked up the pizza and brushed off all the extra toppings. Now only the cheese and sauce or left. Both chefs stomped away, neglecting that all these pizza toppings are now on the floor and will eventually need to be picked up. By them.

Boom.

 

[Shadow]

I just look at it like the Republicans and the Democrats are two children fighting over the last cookie. President Obama is like a frustrated mum trying to suggest a new type of cookie to them, but the Republicans are like "eff you, I want my cookie rawr!" even though the Democrats are like "a cookie is a cookie gimme". So...yeah. That's how I look at it. Cookies.

 

[Dante's Stalker]

But who is right and who is wrong in this debate then?

 

[Meg]

But who is right and who is wrong in this debate then?

The House of Representatives for being whining children who refuse to get along.

 

[Shadow]

The House of Representatives for being whining children who refuse to get along.

Aww, but Meg, maybe they just missed their nap time.... You know how kiddies get when they don't get enough sleep. j/k

 

[Angel]

Allow me to explain this in as simple a way as possible. A food analogy.

Basically, the United States' budget is like a pizza with tons of different toppings. The "essential" parts of the government are the sauce, cheese, and crust. They have to be there in order for there to be a country at all. These are things like the military. That kind of stuff gets funding no matter what. The different toppings are things like National Parks, Obamacare, Planned Parenthood, and other things like that. The chefs in the kitchen couldn't decide how much of each topping to include in relation to all the others. How much meatball? What about pepperoni? Where do the broccoli and mushrooms go?

Say Obamacare is the meatballs. The chef in the red hat doesn't want any meatballs at all, even though the recipe calls for it. The chef in the blue hat is arguing that the meatballs must be on the pizza regardless of how much room there is for more toppings. Neither chef is willing to compromise on this, so the red hat chef picked up the pizza and brushed off all the extra toppings. Now only the cheese and sauce or left. Both chefs stomped away, neglecting that all these pizza toppings are now on the floor and will eventually need to be picked up. By them.

Boom.

See this I can understand. Why is all news not explained in this way??

 

[OppressedWriter]

See this I can understand. Why is all news not explained in this way??

Well, to be honest, that's a little wrong, because its playing into the dangerous area of false equivalence, both sides are not to blame here, it is only the insane rightwing republicans. The reality is that Obamacare or lets call it by its real name "the affordable care act" is already law, so there is nothing to negotiate. Essentially, what the republicans are trying to do is stupidly tack on their childish demands of defunding healthcare onto something that it has no connection to: passing the budget/keeping the government open.

Also, the sad irony of all this bs from our rightwing party is that Obamacare doesn't get defunded or stopped whether or not they continue playing childish politics, it is separately funded from the budget resolution, so even though Republicans are shutting down the government, it will do nothing to stop the implementation of the healthcare act.

As an American, I just hope the rich donors send enough checks to enough corrupt republicans so they can be bribed into doing the right thing like they usually are.

 

[Meg]

Well, to be honest, that's a little wrong, because its playing into the dangerous area of false equivalence, both sides are not to blame here, it is only the insane rightwing republicans. The reality is that Obamacare or lets call it by its real name "the affordable care act" is already law, so there is nothing to negotiate. Essentially, what the republicans are trying to do is stupidly tack on their childish demands of defunding healthcare onto something that it has no connection to: passing the budget/keeping the government open.

Also, the sad irony of all this bs from our rightwing party is that Obamacare doesn't get defunded or stopped whether or not they continue playing childish politics, it is separately funded from the budget resolution, so even though Republicans are shutting down the government, it will do nothing to stop the implementation of the healthcare act.

As an American, I just hope the rich donors send enough checks to enough corrupt republicans so they can be bribed into doing the right thing like they usually are.

True. Although I meant for my analogy to be interpreted as the Hose Republicans being idiots and the Democrats not wanting to listen to their idiocy.

 

[Angel]

Ok...so next dumb question. As someone who has always lived in a country where there is universal healthcare with taxes to pay for it, why are people so against it in the US? Is it just because of the (presumably) increased taxes it would require or are there other reasons?

I'm a little simple on these matters, as you may have guessed, and cannot fathom why anyone would want to deny people the right to access healthcare?

 

[Loopy]

Well, here's something good to come out of all this mess:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/10/01/kkk-rally-canceled_n_4024192.html?utm_hp_ref=mostpopular
At least those KKK nut jobs weren't allowed to have a meeting.

 

[darkslayer13]

Ok...so next dumb question. As someone who has always lived in a country where there is universal healthcare with taxes to pay for it, why are people so against it in the US? Is it just because of the (presumably) increased taxes it would require or are there other reasons?

I'm a little simple on these matters, as you may have guessed, and cannot fathom why anyone would want to deny people the right to access healthcare?

for the minority of people that are opposed to the entire act it's because some people in the US don't actually want the government to do things. from the beginning there has been some people that want the government to do only the absolute minimum that can be done while still being a government. so the government getting involved in health care is considered inappropriate by those people (even if it's to help people ). however most people are not opposed to the act itself, most people just have a problem with the act requiring people to buy health insurance. apparently the government subsidizing health insurance and not making people buy it would cause a lot of problems (i am not qualified to explain the details of what those problems are but apparently the entire thing would completely fall apart if it wasn't mandatory) but most people don't understand that or don't care.

it would probably be easier if the government directly funded health care but there is no way something like that would get passed in the US (people who don't want governments to do things,people who don't want to pay for the government to do things, idiots who don't know what words mean calling things like that communist, fascist or both etc.)