PROMETHEAN ANTAGONIST

It’s pretty much assumed that “politicians always lie.” Of course that’s not completely true.  Like all people, some are major liars, some less so.  There are different types of lies and different types of liars.  

Donald Trump is constantly accused of lying. His type of “lie” is usually exaggeration for the purpose of promoting his own image and ego.  Beyond that, he’s pretty strait forward and “says what he thinks.” There’s not much need for blatent lies when one is proud of what they say and do.  He’s a Gemini, Like presidents Kennedy and George Bush senior.  Believe astrology or not, the stereotype is often someone who feels that the story is more important than the facts.  Not a deliberate attempt to deceive but a desire to weave an interesting tale.

There are times when political operatives feel compelled to lie. If they feel that they are “saving the world” or saving their party they don’t feel the slightest bit of guilt over their falsehoods.  

This is now the case regarding  the current government shutdown.   There is no magical or complex reason for the looming loss of funds available for numerous government expenses. Putting aside the horrors over the insane debt of thirty-eight trillion dollars, paying for the federal government’s budget by raising the debt limit is a fairly routine procedure.  The government doesn’t have enough money to pay for all the stupid stuff It does (and, in many cases didn’t do a mere few decades ago).  “If public broadcasting isn’t funded people will die!”  It’s become routine — bad as it is — to simply vote to increase the country’s debt limit thus affording the continuation of the federal circus.  Democrats voted thirteen times under Biden to do so.

Now, all of a sudden, the big lie; “Republicans have shut the government down.”  Everything from air traffic controllers to food stamps are frozen and unpaid for because — again, “Republicans have shut the government down.(!!!).” 

Actually, congress has voted several times and Republicans have consistently voted to open the government in accordance with a budget previously passed by congress. A few Democrats have been sane enough to also vote to keep the government open.  The resolution to raise the debt limit and keep the government open requires 60 votes. Most Democrats refuse to approve and allow the government to open. They’ve pulled this surprise as a sort of extortion. They will vote to reopen the government and its services on the condition that Republicans add an extra trillion and a half dollars for Democrats’ pet schemes — unrelated to the actual issue at hand.

In summary, and it is this simple. The government can be easily opened by simply voting to open it, as has been done in the past.

When the Democrats repeatedly complain that Republicans have closed the government, they are lying, …by all definitions.

# posted by Promethean Antagonist @ 10:17 PM