The Government Shutdown Lie

By Douglas V. Gibbs

The Republicans have gone on and done it, now.  The House of Representatives passed a budget without funding for The Affordable Care Act, and the Democrats are pissed. As a host on L.A. radio, marching in lockstep with the leftist party line, said the other day, "This can't possibly end well for the Republicans.

The Senate has voted to allow the government to shutdown, too, rejecting all of the conservative republican demands.

But the government doesn't really shut down.

Obamacare is a bad idea, and most of America thinks so.  The health care law is all about government intrusion into our lives, and government has proven it can't be trusted.  When the government runs things, it all becomes politicized.  Once the Affordable Care Act is in full swing, and destroys the private health insurance industry (as it is designed to do), care will be dished out based on political clout, and political affiliation.

A good bet that is among the many reasons the liberal left is doing what it can to silence, and ultimately eliminate, all opposition.  You can't fight back if you don't have a party to defend you.

When Obamacare is in main gear, and moving forth at full throttle, the government will be in charge of the decisions regarding your health care.  Politicians and bureaucrats in some distance office, in a bland building on the far side of Washington DC, somewhere deep in the bowels of government bureaucracy, will be making the decisions about your treatment - and if they don't like something about you, like the IRS didn't like TEA Party affiliates, you will get the shaft.

It is no wonder that America is not keen on the government takeover of health care, and that is why it is so important that the Republicans pushing to defund Obamacare (rather than delay it like the GOP Establishment seems to be working for) to stick to their guns.  President Obama is angry at them.  The Democrats are angry at them.  The Establishment Republicans are angry at them.  Hell, even JASmius is angry at them.  Apparently, the TEA Party Republicans have hit the right chord.  Now, if only they can stick to their guns and not give in.

As for the government shutdown, the whole Leftist claim that we are doomed with a shutdown is a lie.  The whole idea that it will stall the economy is a lie.  In fact, the government shutdown may be exactly what the economy needs.  Less government spending, coupled with less government interference with the private sector, is a part of what led to the surplus of the Clinton Presidency after the government shutdown during his presidency in the 90s.

Plus, we are still going to have some government services.  The shutdown would be in regards to discretionary spending.  Social Security checks will still go out.  Medicare will still be administered.  The Post Office will remain open.  I even had to convince someone that police and medical services will remain in place (he apparently doesn't not know the difference between discretionary spending and essential services, or federal and State and municipal spending).  In fact, most people won't even notice the government "shutdown."

Government Spending is among the greatest of our problems, so a good shutdown would be a good thing.  And if the GOP hangs in there on this one, perhaps they'll stick it out on the debt limit debate coming in October.

It is all about if the government should spend more money - a bad habit the democrats claimed George W. Bush was guilty of (though his spending was a pot hole compared to the Grand Canyon of spending the Democrats have been piling up).

In two weeks, it will once again be all about if the government should spend more money, but in a different way: Should the government be able to borrow more money so that they can spend more money?

Oh, and take this into consideration.  As the government shutdown loomed yesterday, interest rates went down, oil prices plummeted, and government was in the process of doing less damage than they normally accomplish.  It sure doesn't seem all bad, does it?

-- Political Pistachio Conservative News and Commentary