Possible Federal Government shut-down

[Expat]

Why arm ourselves against Russia when we have a Russian puppet government now?

 

[GodFearinGunTotin]

The outrage is selective. We are getting played.

 

[BehindBlueI's]

I'm all for letting the generals do the generalizing, but I'm a bit concerned at making Russia/China a higher priority than terrorism. I'm not vehemently against it, but would like to understand the rationale better.

Just a guess, but:

Terrorists can kill small batches of people and cause fear.

Russia/China can:
Kill large swathes of the population
Attack necessary infrastructure - physical, electrical, cyber
Wage significant economic warfare
Disrupt allies

 

[T.Lex]

Terrorists can kill small batches of people and cause fear.

Russia/China can:
Kill large swathes of the population
Attack necessary infrastructure - physical, electrical, cyber
Wage significant economic warfare
Disrupt allies

So do you think it was inappropriate to make counter-terrorism a priority?

I don't necessarily disagree with your assessment. Rather, I don't think any of those points have changed in the last 10 years. Well, the cyber side has picked up in the last 5, I'll grant you that.

But a nation-state has to deal with the political toll of violence. Terrorists not so much.

 

[BehindBlueI's]

So do you think it was inappropriate to make counter-terrorism a priority?

I don't necessarily disagree with your assessment. Rather, I don't think any of those points have changed in the last 10 years. Well, the cyber side has picked up in the last 5, I'll grant you that.

But a nation-state has to deal with the political toll of violence. Terrorists not so much.

Cyber attacks, the invasion of Ukraine, saber rattling by N. Korea, EU/US Sanctions affecting Russian economy, orders to shut down consulates/remove personnel...I'd say things have changed in the past 10 years.

 

[JTScribe]

Nice to have a President that isn't a douchebag to Honor Flight members.

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/arti...ks-to-stay-open-even-if-government-shuts-down

 

[T.Lex]

Cyber attacks, the invasion of Ukraine, saber rattling by N. Korea, EU/US Sanctions affecting Russian economy, orders to shut down consulates/remove personnel...I'd say things have changed in the past 10 years.

Cyber - already conceded.

Ukraine - Russian takeover of Georgian territory was almost exactly 10 years ago.

North Korea - seriously?

Sanctions against Russia - literally nothing new there. And I haven't seen anything indicating a structural effect on their economy. I am open to correction on that, though.

But, more broadly, those things you mentioned haven't changed in the last 10 years. They've manifested in different ways, but there's nothing that's made Russia or China more of a direct threat to us. MAYBE the South China Sea issue.

Is that really a bigger threat than terrorism?

 

[ces6508]

Why should government workers be paid back pay when they return after a shut down? When I didn't show up for work, I was not paid.

 

[PistolBob]

We need a law...no one in the congress goes home until we have a budget.

 

[T.Lex]

We need a law...no one in the congress goes home until we have a budget.

That budget would suck.

 

[ATM]

These shutdowns never last. I barely even get excited about them any more.

meh.

 

[Sylvain]

During the last shutdown in 2013 the American WW2 cemetery in Normandy was closed and they had turn away veterans visiting from the US.
The first time it had been closed since 1956.

 

[SnoopLoggyDog]

Cyber - already conceded.

Ukraine - Russian takeover of Georgian territory was almost exactly 10 years ago.
North Korea - seriously?
Sanctions against Russia - literally nothing new there. And I haven't seen anything indicating a structural effect on their economy. I am open to correction on that, though.
But, more broadly, those things you mentioned haven't changed in the last 10 years. They've manifested in different ways, but there's nothing that's made Russia or China more of a direct threat to us. MAYBE the South China Sea issue.
Is that really a bigger threat than terrorism?

1. Russia, in a little-noticed move, has carried out a barrage of missile tests across its Arctic territories in what’s described as one of the most massive nuclear missile drills in post-Soviet history. Massive Russian nuclear war games reported in Arctic | Asia Times

2. Russia's military is holding its biggest war games in several years, dubbed Zapad-2017. NATO's eastern members are alarmed by these plans, and claim similar drills preceded clashes in Georgia and Crimea. http://www.dw.com/en/what-are-russias-zapad-war-games/a-39702331

3. RUSSIAN bombers have been flown on a huge drill through East Asia, sparking panic in a region already on edge due to North Korean chaos. https://www.express.co.uk/news/world/845424/north-korea-war-russia-nuclear-jets-vladimir-putin

4. Russia is blowing billions on nuclear missiles and updating its rusting navy to ensure the country is ready for war.Putin is currently building the ‘world’s biggest aircraft carrier’ to compete with Donald Trump’s Navy in a project that is thought to cost almost £14billion
https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/1914308/russia-nuclear-war-putin-atomic-weapon/

5. China has staged military drills near North Korea in a defiant warning to Washington and Seoul that it will uphold a “balance of power”, a military expert said, amid ongoing US-South Korean war games. China stages drills in warning to US and South Korea amid nuclear tensions

6. China has been stepping up its military engagement with Southeast Asian nations, a move seen as an attempt to counter balance the United States in the region. How China is using military ties to expand its reach in Southeast Asia - Business Insider

7. China’s first overseas military base in the small African country of Djibouti is “probably the first of many” the country intends to build around the world https://www.bloomberg.com/news/arti...ees-china-s-military-expanding-bases-globally

8. North Korea THREAT: Kim ready to deploy 60 NUCLEAR WEAPONS - US needs to act NOW https://www.express.co.uk/news/worl...nald-Trump-military-Kim-Jong-un-nuclear-video

9. 'We are at the crossroads between peace and war,' ambassador warns of North Korea's nuclear threat 'We are at the crossroads between peace and war,' ambassador warns of North Korea's nuclear threat - Politics - CBC News

 

[1DOWN4UP]

If they are shut down, they are not spending 7 million dollars a minute. Win,Win

 

[BehindBlueI's]

Sanctions against Russia - literally nothing new there. And I haven't seen anything indicating a structural effect on their economy. I am open to correction on that, though.

But, more broadly, those things you mentioned haven't changed in the last 10 years.

A quick Google might address that.

 

[Denny347]

If they are shut down, they are not spending 7 million dollars a minute. Win,Win

As the gentleman posted in the parallel thread about this topic, our military soldiers won't get paid either...WIN WIN

 

[GodFearinGunTotin]

Everybody will get paid. But we'll have plenty of wailing and gnashing of teeth first.

 

[1DOWN4UP]

As the gentleman posted in the parallel thread about this topic, our military soldiers won't get paid either...WIN WIN

They got PAID on the 12th,and they get PAID on Feb.1st.

 

[BigBoxaJunk]

If they are shut down, they are not spending 7 million dollars a minute. Win,Win

Someone can correct me if I'm wrong. But of the things that Americans may have gained from past government shut-downs, financial benefit hasn't ever been one of them.

 

[SnoopLoggyDog]