By Rita Cook
Correspondent
Texas Metro News
Photo: Rita Cook
Photo: Rita Cook
WASHINGTON D.C. – The U.S. government is shut down.
Since Oct. 1 it has been shut down so as of this writing – 33 days.
In addition, as of Nov. 1 millions of Americans were cut from SNAP benefits, affordable healthcare, and 900,000 employees have been furloughed.
Some people say the government will never reopen.
Some people say President Trump demand a third term.
Some say this is all about Project 2030, which President Trump disassociated himself from prior to be elected. Even so it appears he was shortlisted the playbook to fall in line with his deep state orders after inauguration.
Some people say this is how a narcissist behaves when he is getting even with people who hurt him.
Some say this is the end of the USA and the beginning of a dictatorship.
Some are pointing at the $300m ballroom renovation (private donors) and Pres. Trump’s roaring twenties, “Great Gatsby” Halloween party (apparently some people have not read the “Great Gatsby” nor paid attention to Marie Antoinette infamous line “Let them eat cake.) Apparently, some people do not find the hollowness of this current era in the U.S. amusing.
And some people just do not care.
I say Americans still have a choice.
But if it is not made until the next major election in Nov. 2026, will it be too late?
This is the longest shut down in U.S. history if the government does not open by Wednesday, Nov. 5. The current longest was 35 days during Trump’s first presidency.
I wish our forefathers had put a clause in the Constitution allowing for “we the people” to fire an inept government who cannot figure out how to do their job within a month.
It comes down to egos.
But this is not the time or place to judge.
The real crisis is how many people the government has relying on it so that when it does cut off food and health care it cripples the nation.
This did not happen overnight.
Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, the Republican mouthpiece in D.C. spoke on the shutdown and it is easy to separate his truth from lies.
On the other side of the aisle, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer is the blue people’s mouthpiece and he is not doing much better with his narrative.
You see two untruths do not make a truth.
It makes for distraction just like COVID-19 did, and then people comply because they are too fearful not to when it comes to food, family, and survival.
Both men have a knack for making their narrative sound failproof, it is called politics. If you dig deep, you could find holes in both narratives.
The question remains “why does blue or red believe it is okay to allow the residents of the country they represent to go hungry and without medical at the cost of ego?
And remember, every one of these politicians who have failed their constituents are still getting paid.
It was asked to Johnson why the red folks rejected the blue folk’s proposal designed to prevent millions of Americans from losing their health insurance, Medicare or having to pay higher health care premiums.
Schumer’s people touted a contingency fund of $6 million dollars that would last three weeks. Something like putting a band aid on an arm that needs amputation.
According to Johnson he will not call the House back into session to vote on shutdown-related measures until the Senate passes a government funding bill.
He says the House passed a “clean” continuing resolution (CR) in September. He said no to passing standalone bills to fund specific agencies because it would take pressure off Schumer to get his job done.
Some 25 states and the District of Columbia have challenged the plan to pause the program due to a legal obligation to keep SNAP open and tend to healthcare.
Some politicians say there is a contingency fund of about $5 billion for the program and a separate fund of roughly $23 billion available.
Will blue and red keep playing politics willingly knowing their constituents are the losers of their game?
Rita Cook is a world traveler and writer/editor who specializes in writing on travel, auto, crime and politics. A correspondent for Texas Metro News, she has published 11 books and has also produced low-budget films.
