Shutdown!

Discussion in 'Politics & Current Events' started by Caesar, Sep 30, 2013.

  1. Pønch

    Pønch Saprissista

    Aug 23, 2006
    Donde siempre
    Or some hooligan decides that now is the perfect time to go paint some grafitti on a temporarily unguarded monument.
     
    GiuseppeSignori repped this.
  2. Funkfoot

    Funkfoot Member+

    May 18, 2002
    New Orleans, LA
    Well, it's silly until you consider that those monuments make swell targets for terrorists. My next door neighbor used to be head of counterterrorism for the park police (before he retired), so that is something to think about. If you have reduced staff due to the shutdown, it's going to be a lot easier to guard against bombs, vandalism, etc. if you don't have crowds of people visiting.
     
  3. Potowmack

    Potowmack Member+

    Apr 2, 2010
    Washington, DC
    Club:
    DC United
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    There are still plenty of Park Police on the Mall. If someone decided to try and steal parts of the Memorial, I'm sure the NPS could stop them. Anyway, there usually aren't Park Police or Rangers just hanging out at the WWII Memorial. What is, and isn't, shut down seems completely random. Why shut down the WII Memorial, but not Dupont Circle?
     
  4. superdave

    superdave Member+

    Jul 14, 1999
    VB, VA
    Club:
    DC United
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Plus...what part of the word "shutdown" is too complicated for people?
     
  5. superdave

    superdave Member+

    Jul 14, 1999
    VB, VA
    Club:
    DC United
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Wait...isn't Dupont Circle just a road??? Are you saying that the feds should shut down all of the roads in the District? Am I missing something here?
     
  6. Falc

    Falc Member+

    Jul 29, 2006
    Club:
    Juventus FC
    Yesterday, the Knights of Columbus had to move their annual celebration for Columbus Day to my Church. Normally it is celebrated at the statue of Columbus in front of Union Station. They were told it was closed although there are no barricades closing the statue. I was wondering the other day while driving through DC whether most of the statues found at circles belong to National Parks or DC. Nothing random about what has been closed.
     
  7. Potowmack

    Potowmack Member+

    Apr 2, 2010
    Washington, DC
    Club:
    DC United
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    The park in the middle of Dupont Circle is a national park, administered by NPS.
     
  8. Cascarino's Pizzeria

    Apr 29, 2001
    New Jersey, USA
    Now that we're talking war memorials. My proposal for the Iraq War memorial is that video of Bush looking high & low for WMD to uproarious laughter combined with some blown up Humvees, statues of vets without limbs and aluminum tubes stuck in the ground. So much to be proud of.
     
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  9. Auriaprottu

    Auriaprottu Member+

    Atlanta Damn United
    Apr 1, 2002
    The back of the bus
    Club:
    Atlanta
    Nat'l Team:
    --other--
    Did the Knights then claim to have discovered the church? Just curious
     
    bigredfutbol, taosjohn and crazypete13 repped this.
  10. minerva

    minerva Member+

    Apr 20, 2009
    Denver, CO
    Club:
    Liverpool FC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    at this point I'm starting to wonder about the wisdom of the Democrats holding to their position that they won't negotiate until the GOP ends the shutdown. they are holding to that position just as obstinately as the GOP is to the position that the Democrats need to negotiate. and it's getting us nowhere. I think it's time that the Democrats have to realize that the GOP and the tea party in particular have enough power to keep things gridlocked, although they don't have any ideas of their own, or sufficient power to actually pass any legislation. it's time for the two sides to set aside any pre-conditions and come to the negotiating table. I think the Democrats have to realize that like it or not, they will have to give up some parts of Obamacare - at least for now. it doesn't mean that it's not law anymore or that they have to admit defeat on it. but simply delay certain aspects of it. I don't think that is a defeat, and it's a small price to pay for getting our government back on track and keeping the economic recovery on track. the GOP has done enough damage to themselves that the Democrats can claim overall victory even if they have to give a little on Obamacare. it's just a temporary delay.
    I know many Democrats will feel that they would be setting a precedent by giving in; by negotiating with hostage-takers (whether that's true or not, I can understand that that's how they would feel about it), but the fact is, negotiation and compromise is a necessity, a way of life, in a democratic government.
     
  11. MattR

    MattR Member+

    Jun 14, 2003
    Reston
    Club:
    DC United
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    The Democrats have already made a long list of budgetary concessions, the GOP has made none.
     
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  12. song219

    song219 BigSoccer Supporter

    Apr 5, 2004
    La Norte
    Club:
    DC United
    Nat'l Team:
    Vanuatu
    If the Knights start asking you if these are the Indies, ignore them. And for Gods sake don't accept any blankets they give you.
     
    Auriaprottu and crazypete13 repped this.
  13. MattR

    MattR Member+

    Jun 14, 2003
    Reston
    Club:
    DC United
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    It is the typical Republican response. Stuff that I want, that I need, and that supports me is all-American and must be kept open. Stuff that other people (the takers) want or need are extraneous and wasteful and should be shutdown.
     
  14. phats_away

    phats_away Member

    Jul 28, 2001
    Atlanta, Ga
    then what stops republicans from doing it again and making dems negotiate away something else?
     
  15. minerva

    minerva Member+

    Apr 20, 2009
    Denver, CO
    Club:
    Liverpool FC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I'm speaking specifically about ACA implementation. and as far as budget concessions, I'd be alright with a 1 for 1 cut between the tea party's favorite programs and social programs the Dems support.
     
  16. minerva

    minerva Member+

    Apr 20, 2009
    Denver, CO
    Club:
    Liverpool FC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    yeah, and it's an age-old debate and it isn't going to be resolved by each side obstinately sticking to their position. compromise is a necessity for a democracy to function effectively.
     
  17. minerva

    minerva Member+

    Apr 20, 2009
    Denver, CO
    Club:
    Liverpool FC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    the only thing that would stop it is if the a significant enough portion of the American people got fed up with the tea party to vote them out of power. the Onion had a perfect headline for this last week, basically saying that the American people are pissed off at a petty small-minded Congress that represents it (the American people) perfectly.
    the fact is, America as a society is very divided (most societies are), and compromise is necessary.
    if the Democrats ever find themselves in the minority the way the GOP is, they will have the same power to force concessions from the majority party, and in my mind, will serve as an effective check from the majority party being able to execute their agenda without regards to the wishes of the minority. which, although a minority, still is a significant portion of the American people.
     
  18. dapip

    dapip Member+

    Sep 5, 2003
    South Florida
    Club:
    Millonarios Bogota
    Nat'l Team:
    Colombia
    Bear in mind that the concessions that the Reeps are asking are basically the Romney and Ryan governing program to be implemented, while the President and Democrats have basically agreed to the sequestration level cuts, without further demands. Why should the Dems cave and how do you make sure this is not going to happen in a month or two or six?
     
  19. minerva

    minerva Member+

    Apr 20, 2009
    Denver, CO
    Club:
    Liverpool FC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    the minority party has to have some kind of capacity to serve as a check on the majority party's ability to execute their agenda without any regard to the wishes of the minority party (which represents a sizable segment of the American people). and the majority party has to realize that it will not be able to execute its own agenda fully and the way they want it without making concessions to the wishes of the minority. the majority party should however push for at least a one-year deal. that way they would only really be forced to make concessions twice before the American people get a chance to chime in through elections and let the politicians know whose agenda they approve of. the majority party is always the one that has to make concessions, because they are the ones executing their agenda. the minority party cannot make concession (other than perhaps conceding some of the concessions they're asking for of the majority), because they're not the ones executing their agenda. all they can do is ask for/force some concessions from the majority. it may seem unfair, but I think this is just a function of how the system works.
     
  20. MattR

    MattR Member+

    Jun 14, 2003
    Reston
    Club:
    DC United
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    The Democrats have offered a budget many times, with no luck in even getting a vote.

    - They agreed to limit and delay tax increases that are needed to decrease the deficit
    - They agreed to sequestration-level cuts across the board
    - They agreed to delay ACA and increase salary tests

    The Republicans have received all of these concessions, while refusing to fund the government, and are still asking for ACA to not be funded.

    This is not compromise. This is a small subset of a political party holding up the entire legislative process and agenda - the legislative equivalent of a hissy fit. They do not have the votes to repeal ACA, so they will simply stop the government. They have taken the ball and gone home.

    There are not enough infantile, purile, middle-school associations to make.
     
  21. dapip

    dapip Member+

    Sep 5, 2003
    South Florida
    Club:
    Millonarios Bogota
    Nat'l Team:
    Colombia
    Do you realize that the majority of the American People rejected the POS agenda in the last elections and that only a fraction of the POS is holding the government hostage?
     
  22. Q*bert Jones III

    Q*bert Jones III The People's Poet

    Feb 12, 2005
    Woodstock, NY
    Club:
    DC United
    Or, more to the point, some armed asshole with a confederate flag decides to start shooting brown people?
     
  23. minerva

    minerva Member+

    Apr 20, 2009
    Denver, CO
    Club:
    Liverpool FC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    yes, but a certain portion of the American people voted those POSs back to represent them and to serve as a check to the majority rule. the fact is, just as there isn't perfect harmony of opinion among the American people, so there isn't perfect harmony within our government. if we had direct democracy, the government would be just as paralyzed - probably to the point of violent fights breaking out among the different factions. I think we have to recognize it and accept the fact that compromise is necessary and good. if a majority could execute its agenda without regard to the minority, what would stop it from changing the rules to make itself into a permanent majority and run roughshod over the the wishes (initially), and perhaps eventually, the rights of the minority? I say it is a good thing for the majority party not to be able to do as it pleases and execute its agenda without regard to the minority. it's a good thing for the minority to be able to have sufficient leverage (hostage taking ability?) to force concessions from the majority. it is the hallmark of a democracy.
     
  24. ElJefe

    ElJefe Moderator
    Staff Member

    Feb 16, 1999
    Colorful Colorado
    Club:
    FC Dallas
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Man, that's some spin right there.
     
  25. y-lee-coyote

    y-lee-coyote Member+

    Dec 4, 2012
    Club:
    --other--
    That would probably be much less damaging to us than assholes draped in American flags volunteering to kill brown people elsewhere.


    It is sheer pettiness to close outdoor public monuments and barricade them since presumably they do not barricade them late at night when they are open. Pretty pathetic when even when the gov is open there are unguarded monuments across the entire country.So now that the govt is broke and shutdown they have to spend moeny to barricade them and watch the barricades, fricking ridiculous. The maxim of two wrongs not making a right seem apropos here.
     

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