Stupid World

[sugilite:Me]

Might be a bit early to be breaking out the party hats R650R. We might get the nirvana of a labor/green/maori/nz first coalition <===== Sarcasm alert

[R650R]

Hehe imagine that hell…. Peters has given his word he won’t go with labour after they concealed the te puapua report from him.
Maori and greens are both becoming irrelevant as the other parties take up their cause anyway.
Also the fringe antivax parties are stealing votes from them too.
It ain’t over till the fat lady sings though…

[sugilite:Me]

The fat lady may well be on a diet. The latest polls (for what that is worth) is showing act, labor down, and the coocoo parties are down - greens are up and Luxon saying he is willing to work with Peters. That will have Seymour swallowing a dead rat.
And Peters saying he will not work with labor - he is a politician, so is likely lying.

[pritch]

The only thing reliable about the polls is that they are unreliable. Technology changes mean they are outdated and no longer an accurate indicator of what people are thinking. They likely won't be completely wild but their margin of error is probably just joke status.

[pritch]

Some 59 hours from a government shut down the Republicans in the US Congress are busying themselves with their sham impeachment inquiry. Hundreds of thousands of government employees won't get paid. Some, like military personnel, will be paid later. Some though, will be laid off until funding resumes and will never get the money. Contractors working for firms that rely on government work will have no money coming in.

Trump has encouraged Republicans to do this, he seems to think it will stop his court cases. It won't. The courts and the Justice Department are funded differently.

Neither does it stop politicians wages, although should. They might be less enthusiastic about the shut down if it did.

[sugilite:Me]

Yeah, I see mat gates has generously asked not to be paid through the shut down.
I just wanna puke when I see polis pull this malarkey.
I remember when jenny shiply went on the benefit for 1 whole week. Never mind her power bill would of been settled, and all her cupboards were already filled with food.
Fuggen polis

[R650R]

Some 59 hours from a government shut down the Republicans in the US Congress are busying themselves with their sham impeachment inquiry. Hundreds of thousands of government employees won't get paid. Some, like military personnel, will be paid later. Some though, will be laid off until funding resumes and will never get the money. Contractors working for firms that rely on government work will have no money coming in.

Trump has encouraged Republicans to do this, he seems to think it will stop his court cases. It won't. The courts and the Justice Department are funded differently.

Neither does it stop politicians wages, although should. They might be less enthusiastic about the shut down if it did.

Now please remind us all who’s actually in charge of USA at moment….

When Trump was President the hysteria from the left that this normal yearly event was his fault but it’s no different to our parliament closing near Xmas time etc except the process is a bit different money wise.

This is a normal process that intelligent human beings should have marked on their calandra and be prepared for.

[pritch]

Yeah, I see mat gates has generously asked not to be paid through the shut down.
I just wanna puke when I see polis pull this malarkey.
I remember when jenny shiply went on the benefit for 1 whole week. Never mind her power bill would of been settled, and all her cupboards were already filled with food.
Fuggen polis

Can't recall that, but I do recall a minister was going survive on the dole for a week - in her ministerial house - with her ministerial chauffeur. She caught a cold though, so she cancelled her plan.

[pritch]

Now please remind us all who’s actually in charge of USA at moment….

When Trump was President the hysteria from the left that this normal yearly event was his fault but it’s no different to our parliament closing near Xmas time etc except the process is a bit different money wise.

This is a normal process that intelligent human beings should have marked on their calandra and be prepared for.

The Republicans are in charge of Congress and Congress controls the purse strings. Government shut downs are not supposed to be normal.

I don't know if it's true, but I read recently that the Democrats have never initiated a government shut down. It seems to be entirely a Republican thing. Certainly every one that I recall has been, going back to the Tea Party members who basically got themselves elected to do exactly that. Some are still there, now they and those of like mind, call themselves the Freedom Caucus.

[pete376403]

Now please remind us all who’s actually in charge of USA at moment….

When Trump was President the hysteria from the left that this normal yearly event was his fault but it’s no different to our parliament closing near Xmas time etc except the process is a bit different money wise.

This is a normal process that intelligent human beings should have marked on their calandra and be prepared for.

Federal shutdowns only started being a thing in the 80's The AG issued opinions that said it was illegal for the government to spend money without congressional approval. Long shutdowns have been stimulated by republicans. The longest federal shutdown was 34 days, december 2018 - january 2019, occurred when republicans had the congress and the presidency (trump). Even when they had two out of three branches they still couldn't agree on how to get things done.


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2018%E...nment_shutdown
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/longest...wn-us-history/

So not really a "normal process", more like a political point scoring exercise that even Mitch McConnell says "They never have produced a policy change and they've always been a loser for Republicans politically."

[pritch]

The lunatic MAGA Republicans: Gaetz, Tayor Green, Boebert, etc, were out played and outvoted. A short term spending extension has been approved. They have a replay in 45 days?

Gaetz tried to move a motion to vacate the chair, with the intent of sacking the Speaker, but he wasn't quick enough, he was beaten by the gavel.

[sugilite:Me]

They passed a 45 day stop gap, so caved as usual. What a shit show. Imagine a bunch of your teams supposed "law makers" acting more immature than your average primary school kid.

[pritch]

It is alleged that a Democrat tried to set off the fire alarms in an effort to cause a delay at one point. Had he been successful he should have faced the same obstructing Congress charge that some of the Jan 6 insurrectionists faced.

[husaberg]

Now please remind us all who’s actually in charge of USA at moment….

When Trump was President the hysteria from the left that this normal yearly event was his fault but it’s no different to our parliament closing near Xmas time etc except the process is a bit different money-wise.

This is a normal process that intelligent human beings should have marked on their calandra and be prepared for.

70% of us govt shutdowns are republican initiated when the Senate is republican
When Trump was in charge they had a 35 day shutdown the republicans controlled both the senate and Congress.
but you don't mind when the facts don't agree with your theories...

[pete376403]

One of my preferred US commentators talking about how the shutdown was avoided (or deferred for 45 days)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MHGPz0xec0s