What has corrupted, ossified and destroyed DC – is nothing new.
It’s what always happens – to all governments, everywhere.
See: 10,000 years of human history.
DC has reached end-stage government – which means almost nothing gets done.
Except, of course, the government propping up its own corrupt edifice – for as long as is possible.
So as to continue turning our money into their money – for as long as is possible. Which means keeping its crony scams going – for as long as is possible.
Until, of course, it all comes crashing down.
To wit: The federal government is required by law to engage in a budget process. Which means twelve appropriations bills – written and debated, passed and signed into law. Each and every Congress.
Except Congress hasn’t engaged in a budget process – since 1996. Because a budget process – would invite scrutiny of what DC is doing. They can’t have that.
So DC “budgets” – by Continuing Resolution (CR). This allows DC to spend money via perpetual panic. Via rash, unexamined action.
And…Happy New Year. It’s now 2024. 28 years since the last actual budget. And look at what headlines DC is yet again foisting upon us….
New Year Brings Same Government Shutdown Threats:
“Congress will start 2024 in much the same way it spent most of 2023: staring down the possibility of a shutdown because of ongoing fights over the federal budget.
“After passing a short-term budget extension in early November, lawmakers are again faced with the possibility of disruptions in military funding and government operations if they can’t come to an agreement….”
Because the last thing DC wants – is the government scam to stop rolling. Even temporarily. Even for one second.
Even though the Constitution gives Congress – as its preeminent check on government idiocy – the power of the purse.
Which means if (when) government gets too idiotic – the Constitution tells Congress to shut down the government.
For the Constitution, government shutdowns are a feature – not a bug.
DC loathes the Constitution. And the halt to its scams shutdowns cause.
Bureaucrats have made lots of promises – to lots of cronies. They can’t default on these creditors – even for a moment.
Running trillions of dollars a year through idiotic government programs – is a scam for cronies. Titanic government sinkhole spending – must not be stopped by shutdown.
Running hundreds of billions of dollars through Ukraine – is a scam for cronies. (It replaces the 20+ year Afghanistan scam for cronies.) Ukraine sinkhole spending – must not be stopped by shutdown.
And as huge as government is? It can always get huger. Thereby creating even more scams for cronies.
To wit: If government shuts down – it can’t power grab the Internet quite so quickly. Via titanically stupid Net Neutrality (NN) – and Title II railroad regulations.
Joe Biden’s Federal Communications Commission (FCC) announced its intention to do so – less than 24 hours after securing the three-Commissioner-majority it needed to do so.
Big Gov cronies Big Tech – benefit HUGELY from NN.
To wit: NN outlaws Big Tech paying anything at all for the HUGE bandwidth it uses.
Which is idiotic. Big Tech consumes WAY more than half of all bandwidth used.
NN thereby forces us to pay WAY more for bandwidth – to cover Big Tech’s crony benefit.
A government shutdown – would delay the FCC’s inevitable NN imposition.
And that may be a bit of an additional problem. Because some semblance of sanity has been under consideration by…government.
Not here – but in usually-even-stupider Europe. Strange days….
EU Mulls How to Charge Tech Firms Like Netflix For Telecom Work:
“The European Union is weighing a proposal to make technology companies that use the most bandwidth, like Netflix Inc. and Alphabet Inc., to help pay for the next generation of internet infrastructure….”
Heaven forfend the biggest bandwidth users – pay for being the biggest bandwidth users:
““Netflix…racked up more than 45 billion minutes of streaming time in the U.S. (in 2023)….”
Of course, Big Tech is fighting for its Big Gov cronyism. And by fighting – I mean further cronying-up Big Gov bureaucrats….
EU Fair Share Setback Is a Win for Big Tech:
“Early this year it looked as though Europe had a good chance of tipping the scales in favor of local telecommunications companies and away from big tech….That is now off the table.”
Because tiny “local telecommunications companies” – have no hope of out-cronying Big Tech.
But because “fair share” got even remotely close to consideration of possible implementation?
US Big Gov must rush to ensure it is outlawed here.
Have to keep those Big Tech cronies happy.
A government shutdown even slightly impeding that – would be totally intolerable.