Government Shut Down, January 2018.

On Friday at midnight, I sat in a hotel room watching live as the US Senate was in session. The clock was ticking down the minutes and seconds until the US government was "shut down" due to a "lack of funding".

Of course, this is a joke because our lacking of funding for operating costs alone has been since sometime in the late 1990's to early 2000's and now totals over $20 trillion. Add in our unfunded liabilities and that total goes into the HUNDREDS of trillions. Also, the government isn't "shut down". That would be a good thing in most cases. What you have is the essential employees, like the active duty military and federal law enforcement officers, going to work without a paycheck, until the government goes back up and they get back pay. The majority of office type employees and guardsmen and reservists are simply not working or training at all. Welfare services are still running strong. Priorities.

Anyway, I was active duty Army, and now I am a reservist. This is the third shut down that has happened since I have been in the Army. The first one delayed my paycheck while I was in basic training and the other luckily happened between checks. I still had to go to work both times. This time, I drove hours to get to my reserve unit and checked into my hotel. When the government shut down at midnight, I went to sleep. When I woke up at 0530 and it was still shut down, I went ahead and got into uniform (multicam OCPs, thank God, not those awful UCPs) and drove to the battalion. Closed. No drill. Went to the hotel and checked out, wouldn't need a second night. Drove my hours back home.

I had watched that night as Republican and Democrat Senate leaders and other prominents smiled and laughed as they conversed in a huddle of about ten people. Looked like a deal was being reached, the reporters said. The shut down would only last fifteen minutes. Huddle broke and Chuck Schumer and Mitch McConnell went to the podium and began pointing fingers. Ok, no dice. But it's ok, because they're still getting paid, hence the smiles. Screw us.

Anyway, a government shut down isn't a shut down until entitlements stop. If people are still getting the welfare payments, the government is still running. All that "shut down" are the things that are low on the priority totem pole.

I will say that this shut down is pretty clearly blamed on one side. I have no love for the republicans, but the democrats are doing this on purpose, for the press to give the republicans bad coverage. The DACA illegals are why the democrats are holding this up. They value them and their future votes much more than they value the military.

Welfare checks > Military Paychecks

Illegals > Military Members

Priorities.