Government is too big. I am now convinced

I am a simple minded man that is not very well informed when it comes to politics or political science.  

This Government shutdown thing.  I don't get it.  Maybe somebody can explain.  It must be more than this.

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What I am learning personally is the following:

One side of the Government shut down the country. This is impacting the lives of many people, the people they promised to serve.  In the process these people have also made America look like children in the eyes of the world in general.

The shutdown is doing nothing to benefit anybody in any way.  I guess I could be wrong or mistaken here as our country is in debt and I guess stopping the pay for a lot of people and stopping services does save money.  Seems like one way to handle the budget crisis.  Seems like trying to empty the ocean with a teacup but heck, I don't have an economics background so who am I to question the actions of those running our nation?

Then again, can't some of those laid off from work sue those responsible as it is sort of discriminatory to only stop paying some of those that work for the Government?  That is a question for the ACLU or somebody else.  It is too much for my simple mind.  

The title of this post reference.  The last thing I have learned is that we do indeed have way too many people in our government.  I now see the light.  It is now clear to me that we do not need a bunch of Republicans and a bunch of Democrats.  Sure there are a few good folks in there that could lead the nation forward but the way the game works it just can't happen.  Nobody can argue that point with me based on the current activities of the folks in Washington D.C.

I did not pay much attention in civics classes when I was in school.  That has now come back to bite me it seems.  What I observe must be wrong.  Let me see if I understand this.

There are Democrats and Republicans.  They are sort of like officers in the military.  Yes!  That should make sense to anybody who was in the military.  Remember how many good officers there were compared to the ones that just sort of phoned it in.  How many times did you hear the reason to do something ... orders ... that's the way things are done?

At the top we have a few two and three star generals and then we have the five star generals.  These folks pass their wishes down the the generals in the field who then pass it down to officers in the field (sort of Senators and Congress.

I think there are a few five star generals.  The Speaker of the House is one.  The Senate Majority Leader is probably another.  These guys seem to be the head of a party in a manner of speaking.  The head of one party can make his wishes known to his proverbial army and just like a general in the field his troops will follow, even if it means follow to the death.

But ..... In the end there is one fellow that has the final word over even the general.  He is called the President.  He can tell everybody to just pack up their stuff and get out of the conference room.  Then again, only if he has leadership skills.  In my eyes our President should tell the Speaker of the House to shut up and have secret service slap him in the face, pull his pants down and duct tape him to a flagpole but I digress and am acting like a child which is not productive.  Then again, it is sort of following the example being current set in Washington ... acting like eight year olds fighting over the jump rope or ball on the playground.  Unfortunately those eight year olds don't cause any long term damage.  

In the end nothing changes. Nothing other than lost income for many people just trying to get by, the damage to our reputation in the eyes by the other nations on the globe and increased lack of faith and trust in our own Government by the people of our nation.