
US shutdown: Senate reaches fiscal deal - kiyanforoughi
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-24557469
======
tenpoundhammer
Everyone that knows anything about politics knew this is exactly how it would
work out. It has been political theater the enter time. That's why the
financial markets didn't flinch, they knew it would never come to default. The
politicians are playing stupid games with gullible people, and they aren't
doing it to serve their constituents. They are doing it to serve themselves
and their corporate donors.

If this isn't proof of a broken system that fails to serve the people, I don't
know what is.

~~~
smoyer
Exactly ... and if you're in the US, you really have to think about who you're
voting for. I'm not voting for incumbents in November - period! There's no
point in having an agenda when _NOTHING_ is working anyway, so we might as
well elect individuals (in either party) who might actually do their jobs!

~~~
dragontamer
Thats a relatively close minded approach that may destroy America.

Question: did your Representative contribute to the blocking of the bills? Is
it really your representative's fault for the shutdown?

Some Senators, such as Senator McCain have gone _against_ his party and tried
to support the bipartisan effort to reopen the government. (Demonstrating that
maybe McCain would have served as a decent President).

Research your senators, research your representatives. Learn their names, and
what they did during the shutdown. DONT blindly elect them away. Actually do
your research and make an informed choice.

Too many Americans don't understand politics. No wonder we have so many idiots
in Congress.

~~~
smoyer
It was intentionally close-minded, but intended to counteract the huge number
of people that simply vote for the incumbent. And if you truly believe your
congressman isn't part of the problem (and you've researched his/her positions
enough to know what he/she stands for), by all means reelect the lone
competent individual. On the other hand, it's entirely possible that they'd
each _SEEM_ competent if viewed individually
([http://www.despair.com/meetings.html](http://www.despair.com/meetings.html)).

How about this instead ... we pick a high-karma HN'er from each district and
elect them. At least we could expect some logic (I hope).

~~~
xradionut
I've already contacted the Koch brothers for money to bribe HN members, just
in case this happens. :)

~~~
smoyer
You'd also have to wonder whether how the liberal/conservative labels would
work out. Maybe IDE users versus emacs/vi (text editor) users?

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dmazin
I thought the issue was in the House, and this does not say that the House's
game of chicken is over and anything has been resolved there, merely that
"some" republicans are joining the democrats. Can someone explain why this
item means good news?

~~~
ensignavenger
The "problem" is that the House, the Senate, and the President (unless a veto
is overcome) all have to agree- and so far, that hasn't happened. The Dems
have a pretty good PR department, and are doing a good job of spinning it as
though it is a problem with the (Republican led) House, though.

~~~
betterunix
Nobody needs PR crew to spin it that way. Only a lunatic could have honestly
believe that a president would abandon his most significant achievement since
taking office. So either Boehner and the minority of Republicans he is working
with are lunatics, or else they are willing to risk ravaging an already
suffering economy for the sake of undoing a single law.

~~~
ensignavenger
Few of the Rethuglicans actually expect the President or the Dems to
completely abandon ObamaCare. They would like a few concessions, perhaps
merely offering a delay for a year in the individual mandate while the dust
settles on the health exchanges, would have been enough. Up until a few days
ago, the dems refused to even talk to the rethuglicans about it.

------
known
American economy will slide till
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Triffin_dilemma](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Triffin_dilemma)
is resolved.

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ck2
Stay tuned for part 2 in February.

Then part 3 later in 2014.

Sadly the elections won't fix this because of gerrymandering which is worse
than any amount of money in politics.

The House will always be toxic because of it. Senators cannot play that game
which is why they tend to be slightly more sane.

~~~
jskonhovd
I still don't understand why we don't use algorithms to fix gerrymandering.

[https://code.google.com/p/redistricter/](https://code.google.com/p/redistricter/)

~~~
dragonwriter
Because gerrymandering isn't the problem -- as evidenced by the fact that
states that have non-partisan redistricting processes haven't managed to
reduce the problem. There is no method of apportioning single-member districts
whose representatives are elected in FPTP elections that has good results.
Gerrymandering is politicians working to direct the way in which such a system
fails in their own favor, but such a system is going to fail one way or
another.

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angersock
More's the pity--would've been nice to have an excuse to maybe kick all the
bastards out of office.

Vote early, vote often.

~~~
pyrocat
The fact that it came to this point isn't enough?

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protomyth
Its come to this point quite often and probably will in the future. Both
parties use the debt ceiling as a time to try to get what they want. Read each
parties statements in the 2000 - 2008 era for a laugh at how they switched
(almost word for word) this time.

~~~
r00fus
I don't remember Democrats ever using threats over the debt ceiling. It seems
to be specifically right-wing phenomenon [1]. In fact there are some for whom
the endgame seems to be to force the government to default and assume it won't
be catastrophic for the economy (one wonders if these folks have significant
short/call positions).

[1] [http://economix.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/10/14/for-many-
hard-l...](http://economix.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/10/14/for-many-hard-liners-
debt-default-is-the-goal/)

~~~
protomyth
Look at the run-up to the 2006 bill. 1999 was also a very weird one.

~~~
r00fus
Can you provide some links or analysis? I don't find any threats.

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vaadu
unconstitutional?

[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Origination_Clause](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Origination_Clause)

The Origination Clause, sometimes called the Revenue Clause, is part of the
United States Constitution. This clause says that all bills for raising
revenue must start in the House of Representatives, but the Senate can amend
them as in the case of non-revenue bills.

~~~
chaosphere2112
What revenue is being raised? This is a hike of the debt limit, and allocation
of funds for spending. No new taxes to speak of.

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vaadu
Ironic that in 2006 Senator Obama voted against raising the debt ceiling for
many of the same reasons that the GOP is voicing today.

~~~
MisterBastahrd
One of Ronald Reagan's most famous quotes was from a propaganda piece against
Medicare, about how it would end freedom in the country... but when he became
president he expanded it. Being President has a way to change one's
perspective.

~~~
ihsw
Utter nonsense, a more plausible and realistic explanation would be
Presidential candidates say anything to get themselves into power, and then it
becomes abundantly clear that the President is little else than a figurehead.

The goals, perspective, opinion, etc of the President are irrelevant -- they
are (and always will be) a puppet.

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dancecodes
As we know appr. 2 405 510 175 users in internet. If we send 1-2 dollar to US
it can help. I can send something to save US.

~~~
ihsw
I'd send a dollar but only if it went towards a swift kick in every single
American's ass.

~~~
dancecodes
save ass its good facility

