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US air traffic controllers start resigning as shutdown bites

thedailybeast.com

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Re: US air traffic controllers start resigning as shutdown bites

#151

Post by paulryanrogers »

Marshferm wrote: post #100
slg wrote: post #16

I know many of the people reading this will think I'm being hysterical. But there was a small voice in the back of my mind when the shutdown started wondering whether that version of the American government would ever reopen and that voice has started to become much louder in recent days. Specifically the combination of this, the handling of SNAP benefits, and this all happening in November just seems intentionally d…

Yes, exactly. I second this. Time to repeal the president before this gets terrible.

The process of repealing a president (impeachment) is a political process. Republicans could do it at any moment, so every day they don't is an endorsement of what the president has done, continues to do, and even what he threatens to do.

Re: US air traffic controllers start resigning as shutdown bites

#152

Post by pfannkuchen »

djoldman wrote: post #98
HPsquared wrote: post #65

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That's probably better anyway. Air fares should cover the costs of flying. It's already a very profitable activity: it's much more efficient than the alternatives, and flying provides much value to passengers. So why can't the industry fund itself?

> It's already a very profitable activity... US airlines made approximately zero total profit from 1990-2023. > ...it's much more efficient than the alternatives I guess this depends on the definition of efficient and for what measurement.

Is this definitely not from Hollywood Accounting?

Re: US air traffic controllers start resigning as shutdown bites

#153

Post by RickJWagner »

blensor wrote: post #77
koolba wrote: post #54

Earlier quoted context omitted.

[flagged]

Since the democrats are not the ones in power at the moment, don't they have the bigger obligation towards the position of the people who voted for them. Which would be exactly the demand they are making right now. The party who is running the country does in theory have an obligation to all Americans, the opposition has an obligation to their own block.

Both parties are to blame.

About a decade ago, Tea Party Republicans were in the minority, they refused to approve the budget as the Democrats are doing now.

At that time, Democrats accused the Republicans of ‘holding the government hostage’. Now the roles are exactly reversed.

It’s games as usual.

Re: US air traffic controllers start resigning as shutdown bites

#154

Post by RickJWagner »

fzeroracer wrote: post #49
slg wrote: post #16

I know many of the people reading this will think I'm being hysterical. But there was a small voice in the back of my mind when the shutdown started wondering whether that version of the American government would ever reopen and that voice has started to become much louder in recent days. Specifically the combination of this, the handling of SNAP benefits, and this all happening in November just seems intentionally d…

Well, there's one critical flaw which is that Trump is also fucking up with the military. A lot of military members are going unpaid, and many more are going unpaid and their family isn't receiving snap benefits. An authoritarian trying to seize power without the backing of the military is bound to lead to failure, and even though money is being funneled into ICE enmasse they're an untrained legion of goons with litt…

The Republicans have tried to pay the military, the Democrats blocked it.

https://www.cnn.com/2025/11/07/politics/shutdown-congress-fe...

Re: US air traffic controllers start resigning as shutdown bites

#156

Post by techblueberry »

toomuchtodo wrote: post #150
sebastiennight wrote: post #80

Earlier quoted context omitted.

A major part of the plot of The Every[0] is one protagonist's belief, akin to yours, that precipitating things to their worst outcome could be the fastest way to snap public opinion back to sanity. I don't want to spoil the suspense, but I'll say that I do see the logic in hoping that a quick fire would call everyone's attention to the fire hazard. What you're failing to ask here is "What could possibly go wrong with…

The house is already on fire. The choices are to allow it to burn down and rebuild, taking the arsonists with it, or attempting to slow them down while the fire continues to burn and their supporters cheer them on. American Democracy appears to be the same as second generation wealth: unappreciated until gone. Make Functional Governance Great Again. I wish it were not so.

Hahahahahahahhaa the arsonists aren’t going down with it, the arsonists are on mansions in a private island watching it go down. The idea that the people in power will _lose_ power as a result of widespread unrest is bananas. The only people watching the house burn are those with an insurance policy out on it.

Re: US air traffic controllers start resigning as shutdown bites

#157

Post by Waterluvian »

sebastiennight wrote: post #80
Waterluvian wrote: post #36

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The sooner things become intolerably broken in the U.S. the better off I think the rest of the world is. The U.S. kind of scares me right now. So much power, wielded by deeply incompetent, broken, and evil people. And those who aren't those things are demonstrably too weak to do anything about it. I have a sense that things will only improve once they hit an intolerable low. And the longer it takes for that to happen…

A major part of the plot of The Every[0] is one protagonist's belief, akin to yours, that precipitating things to their worst outcome could be the fastest way to snap public opinion back to sanity. I don't want to spoil the suspense, but I'll say that I do see the logic in hoping that a quick fire would call everyone's attention to the fire hazard. What you're failing to ask here is "What could possibly go wrong with…

When my brother and I argue this, that’s the position he takes: the risk is enormous. He’s the most brilliant mind I know (an immigration lawyer who has settled the Government’s hash more than once at the Supreme Court of Canada), so if I had any real say in all this, I would defer to him.

Re: US air traffic controllers start resigning as shutdown bites

#158

Post by epolanski »

slg wrote: post #16

I know many of the people reading this will think I'm being hysterical. But there was a small voice in the back of my mind when the shutdown started wondering whether that version of the American government would ever reopen and that voice has started to become much louder in recent days. Specifically the combination of this, the handling of SNAP benefits, and this all happening in November just seems intentionally d…

I don't buy it for few reasons.

1. The budget doesn't include some insane, unvotable measure. I don't hold any sympathy for either of the parties, but as an external it seems that the majority and the president have been voted on top of repealing the affordable care act and the opposition is weaponizing the budget on topics that voters have already expressed themselves against.

2. Being unable to spend or spend vacations with family are not things that historically lead to unrests.

So imho, no, Occam's razor suggests me this is simply business as usual, but with the usual increasing polarization and extremism we're seeing all around the world.

Re: US air traffic controllers start resigning as shutdown bites

#159

Post by toomuchtodo »

techblueberry wrote: post #156
toomuchtodo wrote: post #150

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The house is already on fire. The choices are to allow it to burn down and rebuild, taking the arsonists with it, or attempting to slow them down while the fire continues to burn and their supporters cheer them on. American Democracy appears to be the same as second generation wealth: unappreciated until gone. Make Functional Governance Great Again. I wish it were not so.

Hahahahahahahhaa the arsonists aren’t going down with it, the arsonists are on mansions in a private island watching it go down. The idea that the people in power will _lose_ power as a result of widespread unrest is bananas. The only people watching the house burn are those with an insurance policy out on it.

The supporters are the people who keep voting Republican while Republicans (the arsonists) are stripping them of their SNAP benefits and ACA subsidies, while also dismantling the federal government out of ideology. The wealthy might influence (they spent over $40M to influence the NYC mayor election and still lost, for example), but the voters are the root cause.

Re: US air traffic controllers start resigning as shutdown bites

#160

Post by mikeocool »

ibejoeb wrote: post #89
jacquesm wrote: post #32

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You have your parties muddled up. The democrats are not in power.

It is true that democrats are not in the majority. However, it is factually true that 7 more democrats must vote for S.3019 (for a total of 60 votes) for the government to re-open. Ref: https://www.govtrack.us/congress/votes/119-2025/s609

Yes, that’s the nature of how the Senate has worked at least the last 50 years. If you want a bill to pass, you need to propose one that’s going to get 60 votes. And it’s up the majority party to propose that bill, since the majority leader by and large controls what bills make it to the floor.

Bringing a budget bill that doesn’t have 60 votes and then refusing to negotiate isn’t members of the minority party failing to come to the table, that’s the majority party failing to govern.

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