Democratic members of the U.S. House of Representatives erupted as Republicans gaveled into recess on Tuesday despite a looming government shutdown.According to CBS, Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) was seeking unanimous consent to pass a Democratic resolution that would have prevented the shutdown. However...
I’m curious why the GOP seems to be actively pursuing a shutdown right now, that they have full trilateral control over the Federal Government. Trump already isn’t bothering to staff or govern the administrations they don’t like, it seems like this would only hamper their goals with ICE & DHS, right?
Is there even an actual goal here? Or are they betting on Schumer et al caving at the last possible nanosecond?
https://theconversation.com/the-shutdown-drowning-government-in-the-bathtub-111333
They are ideologically opposed to the government doing basically anything other than police and military duties, and having the bare minimum legal system required to facilitate criminal convictions for the poor, and the contract emforcement of private business.
Basically, they want the level of government that exists in Night City from Cyberpunk 2077, but probably without mass transit or even public roads.
This is what Rush Limbaugh’s ditto hesds have been told they want for about 40 years, and now they are just doing it.
You can prosecute people for thought crimes snd not being the right sexuality or religion or skin color with this, so, that’s all good with them.
I would argue they also want the government to collect money from taxpayers and distribute it to the rich in the form of subsidies and contracts.
I mean, in practical terms, yes, but they will argue amongst themselves as to exactly the specifics, or if they go full libertarian and axe as much of that as possible.
See the current situation of US Farmers.
Basically all their direct subsidies have been decimated, SNAP got decimated and that was a huge indirect subsidy for farmers.
They will probably keep subsidizing the fuck out of oil and gas, but when you get to full fascism, it becomes much less formal and much more arbitrary, impulsive, less well defined, more ‘what have you done for me lately’ style corruption.
I’m aware of this, it’s just that shutting the federal government down right now wouldn’t seem to help in that goal. They’re in the middle of a ramp-up of ICE & federal troop deployments across our cities. That’s going to get a lot harder it those soldiers aren’t getting a paycheck, no?
Sitting on it, I think the claims that they’ll fire workers, all the other vague claims they’ve made, is all just a bluff to get Democrats to cave-into their demands, weakening the opposition and legitimizing their deconstruction.
As best I can tell, ICE / DHS considers 93% of its employees to be essentially personnel and has said themselves almost all of them will still be paid.
Because they are ‘critical law enforcement.’
Beyond that, the Trump admin has already proven they have no problem illegally withholding and redirecting funds.
So… regardless of who is actually responsible for a shutdown, we are existing in a de facto dictatorship unless some other element of the government actually does something to stop this.
They literally do not care about laws.
Coincidentally, I’ll just here note that one of the monikers of the AntiChrist is ‘the lawless one’.
Not that I am religious anymore, nor do I think most Republicans actually read their Bibles, but it is kind of funny.
But uh yes, it is obviously a bluff, they will blame everything on Dems and illegal immigrants and the queer no matter what actually happens, because they are literally psychotically delusional.
That seems like the best analysis I’ve seen. In general, you can always assume behind every action is “The worst” as their goals and intentions.
Well thank you lol.
Yes, this, making internet comments, this is why I got an Econ degree and a Poli Sci degree, apparently.
Would have been neat if anyone listened to anything I was saying, in a professional or personal capacity, for the last 20ish years, but uh, nope, nope, so now we get fascism and economic collapse, and I get to be way, way too sullen to eek out an ‘I told you so’.
Holy shit this all sucks so much.
Police…but not corruption or fraud.
They’re betting on Democrats getting the blame. They might be right, though I hope not.
It’s a reasonable question. I don’t know how many ICE agents are ok without getting the paycheck.
Ice turning on the administration was not on my bingo card but maybe I should pencil it in real fast
DHS considers over 90% of its workers essential. Don’t worry ICE will still be paid.
Essential means they have to work, not that they get paid. Once the shutdown is over they get back pay like everyone else.
This still serves their larger goal of portraying all of government (potentially representing the will of the people to some degree) as inefficient and unreliable. This furthers simplistic “strongman” attitudes, as well as the continued push for deregulation and privatisation.
Along with what others have said, a user in another thread pointed out that with a new financial year, they can repeat their performance with their July bill, basically doing whatever they want, so they probably consider it a win all around.
They will not furlough workers, they will fire en masse. USA lost 32000 private sector jobs last quarter, tariff economics is working!
The goal is to cull federal workers.
Should they bet on consequences?