I didn't believe the government would be shut down.

Here is one for starters.

That's one of the reason's research should be done outside the public sector. I feel bad for the lad, but experimental treatment for a rare and fatal disease? Blame the Democrats for choosing not to vote on any of the supplemental spending bills.

I knew you would blame the Democrats for a Republican shut down, no matter who gets hurt from it. Sad, sad.

Do you deny that the House Republicans have tried to pass supplemental spending bills to ease the burdens on American citizens?

I don't blame the Democrats for the shut down, I blame the Democrats for being uncooperative pricks that only care about their party instead of the people.

I believe they are putting up bills to do an end run around the government in hopes of keeping it shut down, by letting off pressure in the areas where they would be most pressured to reopen the government.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/10/04/government-shutdown-international_n_4039527.html?ncid=edlinkusaolp00000009
As the U.S. shutdown continues, national monuments and parks remain closed, hundreds of thousands of American workers go without pay, and federally funded social services for millions of women and children have ceased operating. Abroad, the world is caught between laughter and confusion as a superpower is paralyzed by its inability to overcome a relentless minority of lawmakers who have put the the entire government on the line to defund a health care law passed by Congress, signed by the president and upheld by the Supreme Court. America's political meltdown, an international embarrassment, has compromised the country's global image and credibility:

China
"With no political unity to redress its policy mistake, a dysfunctional Washington is now overspending the confidence in its leadership.” -- Xinhua

India
“In India, some business executives told VOA they could not understand how a country as developed as the United States could see its government shut down because of a legislative impasse.” -- Voice of America

United Kingdom
“It is a risk to the world economy if the U.S. can’t properly sort out its spending plans.” -- Prime Minister David Cameron to BBC Radio 4’s Today

“For most of the world, a government shutdown is very bad news –- the result of revolution, invasion or disaster. Even in the middle of its ongoing civil war, the Syrian government has continued to pay its bills and workers’ wages. That leaders of one of the most powerful nations on earth willingly provoked a crisis that suspends public services and decreases economic growth is astonishing to many. … Now, as the latest shutdown crisis plays out, policymakers in other nations are left to ponder the worldwide impact of the impasse.” -- Anthony Zurcher, BBC

“The last few weeks of paralysis on Capitol Hill have demonstrated a system apparently quite incapable of rational action and thought. It’s not the economy that’s the problem, but the government.” -- The Telegraph

Middle East
"The whole concept is little surreal for our readers, trying to understand why the No. 1 country in the world cannot pass a budget. I come from Lebanon and our parliament is very ineffective, but ludicrous as it sounds, it is better than U.S. Congress when it comes to passing budgets." -- Joyce Karam, Al-Hayat (via Dylan Scott, TPM report)

Canada
"This is a weird, messed-up feature of the American political system. I suppose the checks and balances obsession made sense 200 years ago. It makes no sense any longer. For a country that fancies itself the greatest democracy on Earth, the fact that a small band of outliers in one party can essentially shut down the federal government over a petty political brawl seems woefully undemocratic." -- Lee-Anne Goodman, Canadian Press (via TPM report)

“Canadians can only pray their economy won't be collateral damage. … Anything that drags down the American economy drags the Canadian economy down with it." -- John Ibbitson, Globe and Mail (via Washington Times)

Mexico
“Instead they [U.S. officials] … squabble over the inconsequential accomplishment of a 10-week funding extension. It isn’t serious, but it certainly isn’t funny.” -- The News

France
“This Republic was founded on a majority opinion of centrists from both major parties of the country. … Over the years, this has stalled. American democracy works worse and worse. The American politicians supposed to lead the most powerful nation in the world are becoming a laughing stock.” -- Le Monde (via ThinkProgress)

The idea that ‘‘on a given date, at a specific time, overnight, the state may be partly ‘disconnected’ would appear to be unthinkable. Something from science fiction, or simple madness.” -- Nicolas Demorand, Libération (via The New York Times )

Australia
“The reality that another round of misplaced fiscal brinkmanship in Washington is undermining confidence in America's own economic recovery and that of the global, post-GFC economy that depends so heavily on it … neither does it say much for the budgetary processes in the world's largest economy. … Using Obamacare as the battering ram in the Republican campaign against the President is both irresponsible and damaging for the U.S. and the global economy.” -- The Australian

Germany
“A superpower has paralyzed itself.” -- Der Spiegel Online

“A small group of uncompromising Republican ideologues in the House of Representatives are principally responsive for this disaster. They are not only taking their own party to the brink, but the whole country. Unfortunately the leadership of this party has neither had the courage nor the backbone to put them in their place.” -- Die Zielt

“What America is currently exhibiting is the worst kind of absurd theatrics and the whole world is being held hostage.” -- Bild (via ThinkProgress)

"What Washington currently offers up is a spectacle, but one in which the spectators feel more like crying. …The public is left wondering how things could have been allowed to get to this point and why there is so much poison in the system" -- Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung.

Japan
"Personally I think it's an international embarrassment. It's just another sign of the declining U.S. influence around the world and a sign of the very divisive extremist politics that have become prominent here. There's no civilized discourse that I can see." -- Elliot Waldman, Tokyo Broadcasting Co. (via TPM report)

Sweden
"Not being able to fund a law or do such a fundamental thing as a budget is … worrying for a nation, and somewhat crazy for a democracy like the U.S." -- Sanna Toren Bjorling, Dagens Nyheter (via TPM report)

Norway
"It's to us Norwegians hard to understand that it can be happening in one of the most influential countries in the world that you can have such a dysfunctional government. It is kind of joke or disbelief. We laugh about it. How is it possible at all? Why would they do that?" -- Anders Tvegard, Norwegian Broadcasting Corp. (via TPM report)

Spain
"It's a bit shocking, and I would say sometimes even embarrassing, coming from the best democracy.” -- Lorenzo Mila, Television Espanola (via TPM report)

Yep. Obama is bad for America.

And the people that would be getting paid and the parts of govt that would get back up and running, they mean nothing to the obstinate Democrats in the Senate and White House. How dare they compromise even an inch! Such bluster, only hurting the folks that voted for them.

I would prefer to see that on the Don't be afraid to post bad Jokes thread.

Of course you would.

I am totally bewildered that an adult in the 21ST Century could think that way. I don't say that as trying to make points. I really mean it.

Why edgar? Does the idea that the government over reached itself such a foreign idea? There are those of us in America that REALLY want smaller, less intrusive government. We have voted for people to represent us and to do the best they can to see our values incorporated in American Government. We do not need to be told to buy insurance. We do not need to have our hands held if we get a boo-boo. We do not need big brother to give us our phones, food or shelter. We are responsible for those things ourselves. We help those amongst us that are less fortunate with our own money, food and efforts. We do not need government to be in every part of our lives.

I have no idea why that idea would bewilder you. Is it really that alien of a concept?

The bare bones less intrusive government would be fine in James Fenimore Cooper's days, perhaps, at least on the frontier. A populated country cannot ignore a social contract that works to the betterment of the population as a whole. Otherwise, the more powerful segments naturally accumulate all the holdings and deprive ever increasing numbers of all but serf-like status. Already our infrastructure, our schools and other societal needs are failing to be met, because conservatives don't want to help out any more. If they don't want to participate, they ought to move to a country that thinks their way.

I want you to know that you bought a phone for me. It broke down within three weeks, so I sent it back. My postage, of course. When you returned, it still didn't work. I sent it back to you with a letter explaining why you should keep it, which included the $25.00 postage which worked out to roughly one dollar per day of useful service.

I did not make this up.

No. They should work to change it and don't give me any crap about conservatives not working to better America. People are too dependent on govt and that is why we have a serf-like class. I'd prefer to pay a local tax and have my local schools be run locally. I'd rather pay local tax and have my local roads be better. I don't want to pay tax so my state Senator can go to a foreign country to do anything. They have no reason to do such things, they work for a state. I don't want my tax money to pay for wasted in any way.

You should buy your own phone and no one should be sending you one.

They are closing them because the law says they can't pay anyone to be there. Without any supervision they can't remain open. End of story. Even a child should understand that one McG.

Generally, I ignore your posts so as to remind myself that I do not need to respond, but even you are not this stupid, are you? They can afford to post guards to keep it closed, but not open? How does that even figure in your head? Did the logic bone not connect to the head bone at some point?

Guards are not hired to pick up trash or answer question or do all the other things that need to be done. (I would guess that their job description prevents them from doing that.) Trash MUST be picked up or it will soon overflow any trash receptacles. It is illegal for those that pick up trash to do work during the shutdown.