When media pundits talk about the government shutdown that arose over disagreements on border security, it’s universally negative. But Americans who are living paycheck to paycheck feel a little bit differently than the one-percenters working at CNN, Fox News, and others.
With the government shutdown, non-essentially employees are getting an extended vacation, and some government workers are forced to (temporarily) work without pay. At least, that’s what the pundits are telling us. For the rest of us in the private sector, however, life doesn’t seem too different. In fact, everything seems the same — including the amount of money being taken out of paychecks to pay for Social Security and other programs.
As this image of Ron Swanson makes clear…how exactly is the government “shutdown” at all? If the federal government is essentially operating at a standstill, the American people are receiving less government services — right? By that logic, wouldn’t it make sense for us all to get a little bit of a discount this year?
Obviously, that isn’t going to happen. And with new lawmakers floating around the idea of a 70 percent top tax rate on the wealthiest Americans, it seems like our politicians are heading in the opposite direction.
~ Facts Not Memes
