I think every American is watching with profound disappointment and disdain with regard to what is happening in Washington and the dysfunction and lack of leadership. But even though they're watching it from the sideline, they do not have a voice.
This is not a game, this is not a charade, this is the lives of people across the country who are sitting in their homes, walking the streets. These people do not have an opportunity to provide their voice to be heard. Washington is not only letting us down, but they're taking us down a path of no return.
Hmm... Is Washington's present impasse "taking us down a path of no return?" Well, no! However, in pushing the shuttering of nonessential government agencies out a few more weeks, and taking a debt ceiling increase to the wire, our "leaders" may very well be taking Starbucks down a path to weak holiday sales of $4 cups of coffee.
We all know, given our nation's position atop the global economy, that what's transpiring in Washington is entirely unnecessary. We can effortlessly raise the debt ceiling to the applause of a world of willing lenders. The whole budget and debt debate is every bit as unnecessary as those fire drills we stood through as grade school children. Remember those? The fire alarm would ring, the teacher would calmly line you and your fellow students up and march you all out to the blacktop, where you'd loiter around till the bell stopped ringing; then she'd usher you right back to class and back to work as if nothing ever happened.
But of course those fire drills served a purpose. Had your buddy Billy, the budding pyromaniac, carried out his threat to set fire to the science complex you'd have known precisely what to do.
Now if you happen to reside in that camp of rabid pragmatists who believe that a government can't forever spend beyond its means without one day setting fire to its economy---you know, like the following debt defaulters:
Africa
Algeria (1991)
Angola (1976,[17] 1985, 1992-2002[17])
Cameroon (2004)[17]
Central African Republic (1981, 1983)
Congo (Kinshasa) (1979)[17]
Côte d'Ivoire (1983, 2000, 2011)
Gabon (1999–2005)[17]
Ghana (1979, 1982)[17]
Liberia (1989–2006)[17]
Madagascar (2002)[17]
Mozambique (1980)[17]
Rwanda (1995)[17]
Sierra Leone (1997–1998)[17]
Sudan (1991)[17]
Tunisia (1867)
Egypt (1876, 1984)
Kenya (1994, 2000)
Morocco (1983, 1994, 2000)
Nigeria (1982, 1986, 1992, 2001, 2004)
South Africa (1985, 1989, 1993)
Zambia (1983)
Zimbabwe (1965, 2000, 2006[17] (see Hyperinflation in Zimbabwe)
Americas
Antigua and Barbuda (1998–2005)[17]
Argentina (1827, 1890, 1951, 1956, 1982, 1989, 2002-2005[17] (see Argentine debt restructuring))
Bolivia (1875, 1927,[17] 1931, 1980, 1986, 1989)
Brazil (1898, 1902, 1914, 1931, 1937, 1961, 1964, 1983, 1986–1987,[17] 1990[17])
Canada (Alberta) (1935)[17]
Chile (1826, 1880, 1931, 1961, 1963, 1966, 1972, 1974, 1983)
Colombia (1826, 1850, 1873, 1880, 1900, 1932, 1935)
Costa Rica (1828, 1874, 1895, 1901, 1932, 1962, 1981, 1983, 1984)
Dominica (2003–2005)[17]
Dominican Republic (1872, 1892, 1897, 1899, 1931, 1975-2001[17] (see Latin American debt crisis), 2005)
Ecuador (1826, 1868, 1894, 1906, 1909, 1914, 1929, 1982, 1984, 2000, 2008)
El Salvador (1828, 1876, 1894, 1899, 1921, 1932, 1938, 1981-1996[17])
Grenada (2004–2005)[17]
Guatemala (1933, 1986, 1989)
Guyana (1982)
Honduras (1828, 1873, 1981)
Jamaica (1978)
Mexico (1827, 1833, 1844, 1850,[17] 1866, 1898, 1914, 1928-1930s, 1982)
Nicaragua (1828, 1894, 1911, 1915, 1932, 1979)
Panama (1932, 1983, 1983, 1987, 1988-1989[17])
Paraguay (1874, 1892, 1920, 1932, 1986, 2003)
Peru (1826, 1850,[17] 1876, 1931, 1969, 1976, 1978, 1980, 1984)
Surinam (2001–2002)[17]
Trinidad and Tobago (1989)
United States (1779 (devaluation of Continental Dollar), 1790, 1798 (see The Quasi-war), 1862,[18] 1933 (see Executive Order 6102),[17] 1971 (Nixon Shock)
9 states (1841–1842)[17]
10 states and many local governments (1873-83 or 1884)[17]
Orange County, California (1994) [19]
Uruguay (1876, 1891, 1915, 1933, 1937,[17] 1983, 1987, 1990)
Venezuela (1826, 1848, 1860, 1865, 1892, 1898, 1982, 1990, 1995–1997,[17] 1998,[17] 2004)
Asia
China (1921, 1932,[17] 1939)
Japan (1942, 1946-1952[17])
India (1958, 1969[citation needed], 1972)
Indonesia (1966)
Iran (1992)
Iraq (1990)
Jordan (1989)
Kuwait (1990–1991)[17]
Myanmar (1984,[17] 1987,[17] 2002)
Mongolia (1997–2000)[17]
The Philippines (1983)
Solomon Islands (1995–2004)[17]
Sri Lanka (1980, 1982, 1996[17])
Vietnam (1975)[17]
Europe
Albania (1990)
Austria-Hungary (1796, 1802, 1805, 1811, 1816, 1868)
Austria (1938, 1940, 1945[17])
Bulgaria (1932[citation needed], 1990)
Croatia (1993–1996)[17]
Denmark (1813)[17] (see Danish state bankruptcy of 1813)
France (1812)
Germany (1932, 1939, 1948[17])
Hesse (1814)
Prussia (1807, 1813)
Schleswig-Holstein (1850)
Westphalia (1812)
Greece (external debt: 1826-1842, 1843-1859, 1860-1878, 1894-1897, 1932-1964, 2010-present;[20][21][22] domestic debt: 1932-1951[20])
Hungary (1932, 1941)
The Netherlands (1814)
Poland (1936, 1940, 1981)
Portugal (1828, 1837, 1841, 1845, 1852, 1890)
Romania (1933)
Russia (1839, 1885, 1918, 1947,[17] 1957,[17] 1991, 1998)
Spain (1809, 1820, 1831, 1834, 1851, 1867, 1872, 1882, 1936-1939[17])
Sweden (1812)
Turkey (1876, 1915, 1931, 1940, 1978, 1982)
Ukraine (1998–2000)[17]
United Kingdom (1822, 1834, 1888–89, 1932)[17]
Yugoslavia (1983)
---then you might view the present goings on in Washington as, say, a dress rehearsal, or a fire drill. I mean, what will we do? What will have to be cut, should we suddenly have to live within our means? Well, as Mr. Schultz unintentionally (he's, in my opinion, concerned merely with the fire drill) points out, the federal government has gotten so big---it permeates our lives to such a great extent---that even a suspension of nonessential services might indeed threaten the very wellbeing of every American.
So then, forcing the government to explore its options, and forcing a little stress onto the American citizen, who might---we would hope---force a little fiscal restraint onto the politician, may not be such a terrible thing after all.
Following is the list---copied and pasted from the Office of Management and Budget's website---of our monstrosity of a government's agencies that have thus far developed shutdown contingency plans (notice the date next to each entry). My, if we would only turn these into real spending cuts now, we'd be getting somewhere:
AbilityOne Program (September 27, 2013)
Advisory Council on Historic Preservation (September 27, 2013)
Air Forces Retirement Home | PDF (September 27, 2013)
American Battle Monuments Commission (September 27, 2013)
Appalachian Regional Commission | PDF (December 15, 2011)
Arlington National Cemetery (September 30, 2013)
Armed Forces Retirement Homes | PDF (September 27, 2013)
Broadcasting Board of Governors | PDF (September 27, 2013)
Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board (September 27, 2013)
Commodity Futures Trading Commission (September 25, 2013)
Consumer Product Safety Commission (September 27, 2013)
Corporation for National and Community Service (September 27, 2013)
Council of the District of Columbia | PDF (April 8, 2011)
Court Services and Offender Supervision Agency (September 27, 2013)
Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board (September 27, 2013)
Delta Regional Authority | PDF (September 27, 2013)
Denali Commission (September 27, 2013)
Department of Agriculture
Office of the Secretary | PDF (September 27, 2013)
Agricultural Marketing Service | PDF (September 27, 2013)
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service | PDF (September 27, 2013)
Departmental Management | PDF (September 27, 2013)
Farm Service Agency | PDF (September 27, 2013)
Food, Nutrition, and Consumer Services | PDF (September 27, 2013)
Food Safety and Inspection Services | PDF (September 27, 2013)
Foreign Agricultural Service | PDF (September 26, 2013)
U.S. Forest Service | PDF (September 27, 2013)
Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration | PDF (September 27, 2013)
National Appeals Division | PDF (September 27, 2013)
Natural Resources Conservation Service | PDF (September 27, 2013)
Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights | PDF (September 27, 2013)
Office of Budget and Program Analysis | PDF (September 27, 2013)
Office of the Chief Economist | PDF (September 27, 2013)
Office of the Chief Financial Officer | PDF (September 27, 2013)
Office of Communications | PDF (September 27, 2013)
Office of Ethics | PDF (September 27, 2013)
Office of the General Counsel | PDF (September 27, 2013)
Office of Inspector General | PDF (September 27, 2013)
Research, Education and Economics | PDF (September 27, 2013)
Risk Management Agency | PDF (September 27, 2013)
Rural Development | PDF (September 27, 2013)
Department of Commerce (September 27, 2013)
Department of Defense | PDF (September 27, 2013)
Department of Education | PDF (September 27, 2013)
Department of Energy (September 27, 2013)
Department of Health and Human Services | PDF (September 27, 2013)
Department of Homeland Security | PDF (September 27, 2013)
Department of Housing and Urban Development (September 27, 2013)
Department of Interior
Departmental | PDF (September 27, 2013)
Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs | PDF (September 27, 2013)
Bureau of Indian Affairs | PDF (September 27, 2013)
Bureau of Indian Education | PDF (September 27, 2013)
Bureau of Land Management | PDF (September 27, 2013)
Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement | PDF (September 27, 2013)
Bureau of Reclamation | PDF (September 27, 2013)
Fish and Wildlife Service | PDF (September 27, 2013)
National Park Service | PDF (September 27, 2013)
Office of the Inspector General | PDF (September 27, 2013)
Office of Insular Affairs | PDF (September 27, 2013)
Office of the Secretary | PDF (September 27, 2013)
Office of the Solicitor | PDF (September 27, 2013)
Office of the Special Trustee | PDF (September 27, 2013)
Office of Surface Mining | PDF (September 27, 2013)
Policy Management and Budget | PDF (September 27, 2013)
U.S. Geological Survey | PDF (September 27, 2013)
Department of Justice (September 27, 2013)
Department of Labor (September 27, 2013)
Department of State (September 27, 2013)
Department of Transportation | PDF (September 27, 2013)
Department of Treasury (September 27, 2013)
Departmental Offices | PDF (September 27, 2013)
Bureau of Fiscal Service | PDF (September 27, 2013)
The Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau | PDF (September 27, 2013)
Financial Crimes Enforcement Network | PDF (September 27, 2013)
Internal Revenue Service | PDF (September 30, 2013)
Special Inspector General, Troubled Asset Relief Program | PDF (September 27, 2013)
Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration | PDF (September 27, 2013)
Office of Inspector General | PDF (September 27, 2013)
Department of Veterans Affairs | PDF (September 27, 2013)
District of Columbia
DC Courts | PDF (September 27, 2013)
Public Defender Service (September 27, 2013)
Election Assistance Commission | PDF(September 27, 2013)
Environmental Protection Agency | PDF (October 1, 2013)
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (September 27, 2013)
Executive Office of the President (September 27, 2013)
Export-Import Bank of the United States | PDF (December 15, 2011)
Farm Credit Administration (September 27, 2013)
Farm Credit System Insurance Corporation (September 27, 2013)
Federal Communications Commission | PDF (September 27, 2013)
Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (September 27, 2013)
Federal Election Commission | PDF (September 28, 2013)
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (September 27, 2013)
Federal Labor Relation Authority | PDF (September 27, 2013)
Federal Maritime Commission (September 27, 2013)
Federal Mine Safety and Health Review Commission (September 27, 2013)
Federal Trade Commission (September 27, 2013)
General Services Administration (September 27, 2013)
Institute of Museum and Library Services | PDF (September 27, 2013)
Inter-American Foundation (September 27, 2013)
International Boundary Commission (September 26, 2013)
International Boundary and Water Commission (September 27, 2013)
International Joint Commission (September 26, 2013)
Kennedy Center (September 27, 2013)
Marine Mammal Commission | PDF (September 30, 2013)
Millenium Challenge Corporation (September 27, 2013)
National Aeronautics and Space Administration (September 27, 2013)
National Archives (September 27, 2013)
National Capital Planning Commission (September 27, 2013)
National Council on Disability | PDF (April 8, 2011)
National Endowment for the Arts (December 15, 2011)
National Endowment for the Humanities | PDF (September 27, 2013)
National Gallery of Art (September 27, 2013)
National Labor Relations Board (September 27, 2013)
National Mediation Board (September 30, 3013)
National Science Foundation | PDF (September 27, 2013)
National Transportation Safety Board | PDF (September 27, 2013)
Nuclear Waste Technical Review Board | PDF (December 15, 2011)
Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission (September 27, 2013)
Office of the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (September 27, 2013)
Office of Personnel Management (September 25, 2013)
Overseas Private Investment Corporation | PDF (September 27, 2013)
Peace Corps (September 27, 2013)
Postal Regulatory Commission (September 27, 2013)
Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board (September 27, 2013)
Small Business Administration | PDF (September 27, 2013)
Securities and Exchange Commission (September 30, 2013)
Selective Service System (September 27, 2013)
Smithsonian Institution | PDF (September 27, 2013)
Social Security Administration (September 27, 2013)
Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction | PDF (April 8, 2011)
Udall Foundation (September 27, 2013)
Environmental Conflict Resolution (September 27, 2013)
United States Access Board (September 27, 2013)
United States African Development Foundation | PDF (September 27, 2013)
United States Agency for International Development | PDF (September 27, 2013)
United States Commission of Fine Arts (September 27, 2013)
United States Holocaust Memorial Museum (September 27, 2013)
United States Interagency Council on Homelessness (September 27, 2013)
United States International Trade Commission (September 30, 2013)
United States Merit System Protection Board (September 27, 2013)
United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission (September 27, 2013)
United States Postal Service, Office of the Inspector General | PDF (September 27, 2013)
United States Railroad Retirement Board | PDF (September 27, 2013)
Office of the Inspector General (September 27, 2013)
United States Systems Protection Board | PDF (April 8, 2011)
United States Office of Government Ethics | PDF (September 27, 2013)
United States Office of Special Counsel (September 27, 2013)
United States Trade and Development Agency (September 27, 2013)
Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars | PDF (September 27, 2013)
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