I was discussing this on Facebook recently. I find it rather outrageous that our President, along with Congress, can cause the longest government shutdown in our nation’s history, and not have to feel any of the pain themselves. Granted, 45 is a millionaire, as is 25% of the House and 50% of the Senate, so they probably wouldn’t feel it very much. But if you’re going to turn thousands of people into unpaid slaves, and thrust even more into financial destitution, all for your own political douchebaggery, then you ought to pay some sort of price.
It does turn out that Congress has completely separate fiscal funding for a very good reason. This was put into place so that the executive branch couldn’t force Congress into compliance by withholding its pay. It was all about separation of powers. This applies to the judicial branch as well. That makes perfect sense to me.
However, I think we need to make it a requirement that Congress and the White House can’t force We, the People, into compliance by withholding our pay, too. They shouldn’t be able to make the nation suffer without suffering themselves.
We need to only elect people who are willing to agree not to draw a salary whenever the government is unfunded. Congress could also do this with a simple resolution. I suspect you’d see some very different motivation if that were the case.
I also think that if Congress and the President are going to get us involved in wars on foreign soil, thus forcing a percentage of our children into battle zones, then a certain percentage of their children should have to go as well. This could be done in a special draft system.
And if you’re going to vote that things like waterboarding aren’t torture, then you should first have to experience it once yourself, right in the capital rotunda. And politicians should also have to drink the same water as the citizens of Flint, Michigan, and eat the same lunch as the average elementary school student. Fair’s fair.
I’m sick and tired of these politicians sitting up there on some protected cloud of privilege while they have the potential to make life miserable for the rest of us.
(A special thanks to my friend Areiel for helping me flesh out my thinking about this idea.)
En-flipping-tirely. Aaaaagh. And less expressible/printable responses.
I feel your frustration.
What happens when the shut down ends and employees who have found work elsewhere don’t want to risk working for the government again? Chaos continues till we fill their positions, but this tactic will be used again and the cycle continues. Treating the governing of this country as a power game, to profit from personally, is criminal. We can hold our breaths, till the guilty are punished, but we’ll suffocate. We need ways to control/limit their powers to inflict harm in the first place. Punishment will come eventually. Till then, I second Angiportus’ comment.
If I didn’t believe in karma, I’d implode under the sheer weight of my righteous indignation.
This is so frustrating, and I’m not even American! I hate when governments follow their own agenda instead of working for the people!
Me too. There’s nothing about this situation that benefits us.