i facepalm at the government because i can't actually smack people

[tsuki_no_bara]

happy birthday yosemite national park! natural treasure and site of some really stunning ansel adams photos. (and of course a nice googledoodle. :D ) for your birthday, the republicans have given you a government shutdown, so no one can actually visit you and admire your gorgeousness

Comments

[hyndara71]

Okay, I confess, I'm not really into news, especially when it comes to politics. But I cannot ignore this any longer: What's going on on your side of the ocean? I mean, sorry, I'm sort of completely consumed by personal dramas right now, so something has to hit me straight in the face not to get ignored by me. And this hit me VERY in the face.

[carta]

We have a new Affordable Care Act which is possibly the best thing our country has managed to do for national health ever. But because it requires private healthcare companies to actually spend the majority of their funds on healthcare (vs salaries), provides benefits and care to women, children, the elderly, and the poor, and because it's from a *black president, the Republicans in Congress are having shitfits over it. They've had something like 30 votes to try to get rid of it, the Supreme Court stepped in and said, look - this is constitutional, this is legal, this is FINE, and now the Congress Repubs are acting like children. They won't pass a budget unless Obamacare is repealed or whatever, and this is despite the polls that show that the majority of Americans, including their own party, are against repealing it, and want them to STFU and do their jobs.

That's a nutshell - accuracy may be a bit off here and there, but that's the gist. Someone needs to bang their heads together.

*I will never be convinced that racism hasn't been

[hyndara71]

My bet it is.
Just stupid question, are there enough of these bullheads to stop the pass?

[carta]

They've been defeated every time so far, and Obama will veto any bill that impacts Obamacare negatively. I doubt they have enough votes to override his veto.

The problem is that they're not doing their jobs because of this ridiculous stubbornness. I love my country, but right now Congress sucks.

[hyndara71]

Yeah, you are not alone according to the gros of US-Americans I know ...

[tsuki_no_bara]

to add to what carta said, the government has to vote on a budget to fund itself, basically, but because the republicans (or some of them - apparently the party is divided on this) don't like the affordable care act, they refused to pass the budget until the aca was defunded. the aca is actual law now. it's constitutional. there's NO CHANCE IN HELL that congress is going to defund it. so it's moving along and people can now apply for theoretically affordable health insurance, but because the republicans aren't getting their way, they refused to pass the budget, and without a budget the government has to shut down. which means the national parks and monuments are closed (and thus not making any money), the national institutes for health have to turn people away who want to get on clinical trials to treat cancer, the centers for disease control have very limited ability to investigate disease outbreaks and can't offer support now that flu season is upon us (also i think they have to cut back on giving flu shots), the food and drug

[hyndara71]

With other words, your health system is now more like our old one, while our health system becomes more and more like your old one ... I need the money to make it over the ocean like now! The GreenCard I already have ...
Acting like children, yes, I would subscribe to that ... what the heck they think they will get from that? At least the most of our politicians are a bit more clever. They know that some Germans have long memories and are doing such a bullshit under the table.

[tsuki_no_bara]

i'm not sure what they think they'll get out of it. i don't think they're looking at the long term - a lot of people actually like the affordable care act (you can get health insurance that doesn't cost an arm and a leg! and that offers decent coverage! and that you can't be turned down for! imagine that!) and think the republicans are doing the wrong thing. people in their own party want to pass the budget and stop the shutdown. but their whole thing is that they want to push back against every single thing obama wants to pass, because they don't care how they wreck the economy as long as they can get the black man out of the white house. (i'm with carta in thinking it's race-related.) basically they don't care. we elected to government leadership positions people who don't actually support the government. it's like hiring a doctor who doesn't believe in modern medicine.

[carta]

"the last time this happened, in 1995-6, the economy lost something like $1.7 BILLION. and the only reason it's happening now is because an immature, entitled, delusional segment of congress is pissy that the president - who they don't like anyway because he's black - wants to make things better for anyone who isn't an old rich white dude."

Bingo. Also note: that was under Clinton, another democratic president who was popular with the public and hated by Congressional Republicans.

I swear, I have friends and family who are Republicans, and they're not crazy. Why do they keep voting in the crazy?

[hyndara71]

Treadition, that's pretty much the answer I get when I ask people why the heck they are voting for BOTH large parties over here. So my guess, it's the same problem in the US.

[hyndara71]

When people will end judging/hating others by the color of their skin? I get that, over here it's the same with especially Turkish, Italian or Greek people. I remember pretty well how it was when the first politician with Turkish roots was elected for the Bundestag. It was like "Oh my Lord! The world will end now!". And he was only congressman, no minister or, chancellor.
BTW, THAT would be funny, hehe