Lessons from the Shutdown

Well, the “government shutdown” is finally over.  If you were like me, you were probably wondering how the government can be considered “shut down” if the NSA is still spying on us, the IRS is still auditing us, and the President hadn’t been kicked out of HIS house (which, if you will remember, also sits on federal land).  All in all, the shutdown was not nearly as destructive as we had heard it would be.

The end of the world did not come.  Meteorites did not scour all life from the Earth’s surface.  Our nation did not fragment into a Mad Max-esque wasteland of biker gangs and apocalyptic warlords.  In many ways, you would never have known that there was even a shutdown going on, provided you didn’t try to visit a national park or expect a paycheck for your military service.

Nevertheless, there are a number of observations we can make about the shutdown, and lessons we can learn from it.

First, the Obama administration is not above shutting down the government and creating a huge amount of furor, if it will help distract attention away from the numerous scandals that have plagued this administration.  Let’s face it – the “shutdown” was pure political theater, and nothing more.  Obama actively worked to bring it to pass, pretending to want to “compromise” and “find solutions” while really refusing to negotiate with House Republicans and actively presenting them with “deals” so unpalatable that no reasonable person could have accepted them.  Then, when the “shutdown” actually happened, amazingly all the signs and barricades and other stage props were instantly rolled out, almost as if they’d been prepared and set aside for weeks in anticipation of the moment.  This “shutdown” was all about grandstanding and showmanship, and giving Obama and the news media the opportunity to furl their brows and worry about those evil Republicans who want less spending and more freedom for the individual.

Via: Canada Free Press

Continue Reading.....