Innocent Pawns

The government shutdown is strictly about politics. President Trump set things in motion by insisting on funding for the wall. He knows it’s a hot button issue for his base. He talked about shutting down the government during the campaign. He even took responsibility for it. He was willing to compromise on amount but refused to budge on funding the wall.
Democrats believe they have him trapped. They won’t allow a penny to go to the wall. Each side is digging in deeper. Trump talked about extending the shutdown for years. This makes it harder for either side to try to resolve the situation.
Hundreds of thousands of government workers are currently out of work. So are countless people employed by government contractors. This affects businesses that these people support. Millions of ordinary Americans are being inconvenienced. They are all innocent pawns in this ridiculous game of chicken.
As is often the case, both sides are focused solely on the political battle and don’t care about the collateral damage they are causing. We deserve better.
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