5 Viewpoints on the Government Shutdown from an American Citizen Living Overseas

1. Comparing Congressmen to “Babies Having a Temper Tantrums” is just plain wrong.  Political rhetoric is pathetic.  The 535 men and women elected to the U.S. Capitol contain some of the brightest people in the country.  Even if some of them have extremist ideas, the truth is they are working hard.  The problem isn’t that they “babies” or that they are “lazy.”  The problem is the political format of America forces Congressmen to work for their party instead of the people who elected them.

2. The media needs to grow a spine.  Nearly every news outlet I turn to right now is trying to be nonpartisan.  Seriously!?  The facts are facts.  The Tea Party is responsible.  Period.  They are holding up legislation to keep the government running because “democrats won’t negotiate.”  There’s one major problem with this idea.  The democrats already negotiated on Obamacare—which is why the law was watered down in the first place.  But it passed.  The Supreme Court upheld it.  The battle is over.  The blame sits squarely on the Tea Party….or

http://news.yahoo.com/video/government-shutdown-sparks-blame-game-161908447.html

3. The real blame belongs on Our Founding Fathers.  Our constitution is brilliant.  But its few mistakes are rather severe.  One of the worst parts is the Electoral College.  Due to the evolution of voting and democracy since the late 1700s, the Electoral College is dangerous.  It binds us to a two-party system that is destroying us instead of evolving to a multi-party system like you see in Europe.  This two party system led to the absurd rules that guide the House of Representatives, which now allow ten Tea Party members blackmail the Speaker of the House into grinding the government to a halt.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sHEDXzOfENI&list=SPqs5ohhass_QZtSkX06DmWOaEaadwmw_D

4.  Representative Randy Neugebauer is either a moron or an asshole.  In the year 2013, all elected officials know they need to watch what they say 24/7.  That means it’s really hard to hid stupidity.  Representative Neugebauer presented this stupidity in a very public manner.  It is nearly impossible to finish watching that video without wanting to punch this man in the face.  How dare he.

5.  The Shutdown is affecting US workers overseas.  I work for the Peace Corps, but this extends to every agency that works overseas—the State Department, the CDC, etc.  Since you work overseas, you can’t be furloughed.  But that doesn’t mean it doesn’t affect us.  Our counterparts in D.C.  are furloughed—leaving many communication lines down until further notice.  If this continues for more than a week, you will hear of serious consequences.

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