Everything about the US government shutdown is about people – of course. It is people who caused it: a disagreement in government over the federal budget because the Repiblicans have linked Obamacare to the budget. They don’t like it and Obama and the democrats don’t want to negotiate about it.
800,000 public servants will be off work without pay until the warring parties agree. For a while things will be OK. We expect an agreement to be reached before the consequences are really serious.
This sort if impasse at federal government level interests people in Europe. It concerns people in Europe. It also concerns me that all family members might be affected, which includes the family cat.
Everything that people do that affects people also affects cats. It is a second tier responsibility that gets overlooked.
There is a worry that many governments, on both sides of the Pacific Ocean, are unable to manage effectively. This slightly chaotic state of affairs impacts our lives and the lives of tens of millions of domestic cats.
There is an erosion in the credibility of politicians. People don’t believe in politicians anymore. They are all the same. Nothing really changes. They are career politicians; in it for themselves. That is what a lot of people believe.
I would expect many people in Europe and America to be disillusioned with politicians who can’t even come to an agreement over a budget, which should be a routine matter.
The British government is not much better, often paralysed because it is a coalition of two parties with quite different objectives.
I just want to state that irresponsible government affects cats as well as people. They should not be forgotten.
I work at a school in the middle of the worst part of town– high crime, poverty– the kids call it “the hood.”
It may seem like a good thing that the government gives checks to help poor mothers. In reality, we now have a situation where almost no kids have fathers around. If the mom married the dad they would be making too much money to get the government check. Some moms have more kids to get more money. My aunt works in healthcare and describes 18 year old kids coming in for a fertility work up because, and the girls admit this, if they can’t get pregnant they won’t get checks.
One of the school’s administrators works in social work and she told us about some children who, until her agency intervened, had never slept in a bed. They were duct taped to a chair every night. She asked, “Why have kids if you don’t even want them?” I think we know the answer to that.
Children born to single mothers just so she can get a welfare check come to school with no training in manners, social norms or right from wrong. They are used to only getting attention from adults when they are being “bad” so they misbehave a lot in school unless the teacher consistently praises good behavior and ignores unwanted behavior. The kids need so much love and kindness– they need to be noticed, to feel important. At home they are just ignored. Many are abused and seriously neglected.
I’ve been told that in the 1950’s and ’60’s in the same neighborhood families were intact. There was poverty, but you didn’t have these cases of severe child abuse and neglect in such high numbers.
Me too, Marc. I could have taken more financial aid from the government to pay for college than I did. If you don’t need it it is wrong to take it.
I know people who won’t take a job if it pays less than their unemployment check, even though they still would get the same money because the government makes up the difference. My friend Melanie always works, even if she can only find part time. She is glad the unemployment check makes up the difference, but to not work if she can find work is unthinkable to her. Some of those part time jobs taught her new skills and have lead to better opportunities. When you sit on the dole you stagnate.
I remember that article. Wonder why I didn’t comment…
Probably too busy studying the HUGE recall list and helping my friend with her poisoned cat.
I no longer buy anything made in China. I don’t trust them.
I don’t believe the melamine was a mistake. It was intentionally added to give the products weight and create the illusion of higher protein content.
And, their cat fur business… I can’t come up with any DECENT language to express my feelings…
Funny, I don’t see them skinning their beloved pandas!