Workers Attempt To Block Off WWII Memorial Again (UPDATE: Vets Back In)

But more veterans are coming

Source: Charlie Spiering's Twitter feed

Yesterday, the sight of a group of World War II veterans storming the barricaded monument built in their honor in Washington, D.C., became the buzzworthy moment from the first day of our federal shutdown.  The open-air, unmanned outdoor memorial had been barricaded to keep people from "visiting" due to the government shutdown, though there was no real (as in "non-political") reason to have done so. Barricades certainly wouldn't prevent vandals from busting in there at night if they wanted to. It was an absurd, petty move.

This morning, Charlie Spiering of the Washington Examiner returned to the memorial to find a gaggle of "essential" government workers there to barricade it once again. He tweeted that the employees fled after cameras started filming them working, but then came back to attach "closed" signs. A couple of them appear to be talking to the media. The barricades are apparently there, but have not been tied together and are therefore easily removed.

The visits from the veterans aren't over, either. Spiering reported that more veterans will be visiting the memorial throughout the month of October, with the assistance of the charity Honor Flight. Former Reason TV staffer Dan Hayes has made a full-length documentary about Honor Flight's efforts (see more here). Below, a shorter piece Hayes produced while still here at Reason in 2009:

UPDATE: According to a picture on Twitter from Cox Radio reporter Jamie Dupree, visiting vets are back inside the memorial.

Comments

[Zakalwe]

You know who else tried to keep the WWII veterans out of a controlled area?

[Ice Nine]

MPs around Paris' red light district?

[Hillary's Clitdong]

The French?

[Hyperion]

The NORKs?

[Lady Bertrum]

Hoover and FDR? (WWI vets, really)

[Swiss Servator, Kneel to Zug!]

The MPs in fornt of the O-Club?

[Sevo]

Patton?

[Brett L]

The guards at Changi?

[Pro Libertate]

+1 King Rat.

[Doctor Whom]

When our rulers say that a memorial is closed, it's closed. Therefore, blocking it off is an essential government service; if people got to visit it whenever they pleased, we'd quickly become Somalia. No, you may not ask how much money our rulers are saving by this course of action.

[Pro Libertate]

Probably costs more to keep our veterans at bay than to let them go to the memorial.

This shit is pathetic.

[Night Elf Mohawk]

I'd lean more toward "certainly" than "probably."

It's petulant, authoritarian bullshit. So, just another Wednesday.

[Hyperion]

I like the part about them running away when they saw cameras. LOL, they are so ashamed of following dear leaders marching orders, that they run away when daylight hits them, truly pathetic.

[CampingInYourPark]

This shit is pathetic

The assumption that the executive branch owns all public property is more than pathetic.

[Pro Libertate]

There is much pathetic here.

[sloopyinca]

Dare I say it's pathetic all the way down?

[Pro Libertate]

I daresay you may dare say.

[Mike M.]

Yep, Block Yomomma is the most pathetic and vile president in our history. Blocking America and it's people is what he lives for.

[The Late P Brooks]

"Sorry, Granddad, it's for your own good."

[Hyperion]

I think the government needs to follow through on their threats and arrest these guys. Rough them up a little first, you know, tasers and all.

Please do it, gubmint, or you are a bunch of pussies. Are you afraid of grandma and grandpa? Come on, just do it already, let's see what you got. What, are you scared?

[Rich]

This.

At the very least, cut off the VA benefits of these scofflaws.

[Pelosi's Accommodator]

I was thinking about that earlier. It would be a Kent State moment.

[Heroic Mulatto]

OT, but I had to get this off my chest

Tuesday's unrest near the coastal town of Thandwe, which saw Buddhist mobs kill a 94-year-old woman and four other Muslims and burn dozens of homes, underscored the government's persistent failure to stop the sectarian violence from spreading.

I am absolutely ashamed and disgusted that these people consider themselves to be my coreligionists and that certain Burmese clergy members have given tacit support to this violence. While I do acknowledge the fact that the Rohingya Muslims did initiate the violence, to respond to that violence with violence against peaceful people who have done no harm is against all Buddhist teachings concerning ahimsa.

I am horrified and angry.

[MP]

Well, at least they're not Atheists.

[Heroic Mulatto]

Well, the pedant would note that Buddhism is non-theistic, but I'm not a pedant so I wouldn't sa...shit.

[Pro Libertate]

Wouldn't transtheistic be a better word?

[Heroic Mulatto]

How so?

[Pro Libertate]

Well, from what I know of Buddhism, it hasn't traditionally said there weren't gods. I admit I'm no scholar of the religion.

[Anonymous Coward]

Buddhism, at least in its early development, did assume that gods, and devas, and asuras, and whatever else Hindus believe in, do exist. But for the purpose of attaining enlightenment, they were irrelevant. If you were to ask a Buddhist monk "who or what created the world", they'd likely tell you that it doesn't matter.

[Heroic Mulatto]

Buddhism, at least in its early development, did assume that gods, and devas, and asuras, and whatever else Hindus believe in, do exist.

That is correct; however, Buddhism also stated that they weren't worthy of worship. They argued they were just beings that had greater powers than humans, but they were still mortal and capable of sin.

[Pro Libertate]

Okay, this is what I thought. In fact, isn't there something about gods having more challenges than others in achieving enlightenment? You know, given all of the temptations to, well, wrath of god stuff.

[sgs]

"Well, the pedant would note that Buddhism is non-theistic"

Then the pedant would be wrong.

[Michael S. Langston]

Buddhists claim non-theistic, but they have at a minimum Saints which they worship.

& for me - I'd call them gods, but what they have are "Buddhas" who have attained complete enlightenment.

Sure - this is theoretically something anyone can do by following the teachings, but from the different sects there is usually only one Buddha to have ever existed and you're in that sect to follow that Buddha's teachings.

The Buddha of course, is the guy who overcame all earthly needs. & yeah, while you can attain that too - no one is seriously thinking they can nor would they say they have out loud.

So it seems to me - they have all knowing, all powerful beings that they follow....

Non-theistic?

I don't think so.

[Lady Bertrum]

I find it hard to wrap my brain around the concept of raging mobs of Buddhists????? Does not compute.

[Hyperion]

I'm having the same problem. The world has truly went insane.

[Heroic Mulatto]

Well, getting back to the topic of the post, during WWII the Shinto/Buddhists of Japan did their fair share of "raging".

[Lady Bertrum]

Shoalin Monks are in a class all their own.

[Raven Nation]

Count me surprised to, although it is not, apparently, unheard of:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1.....slim_riots

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buddhism_and_violence

[Anonymous Coward]

I find it hard to wrap my brain around the concept of raging mobs of Buddhists????? Does not compute.

Buddhists are not pacifists and never have been. In Japan, at least, for a long time, Buddhism was an aristocrat's religion. As the Buddhists got rich from patronage, they developed the means and justification to defend "attacks on Buddhism" with force.

Check out the Heike Monogotari for a picture of Buddhists at war.

[GroundTruth]

I thought Buddhists were mostly supposed to be pacifists, do I err?

[RBS]

That's part of HM's point.

[Heroic Mulatto]

Well, two things. First, just because someone identifies as a Buddhist doesn't mean they are a good Buddhist. Secondly, orthodox Buddhism is not pacifist but believes in something like the NAP, which fully allows for self-defense.

Before his enlightenment, the Buddha was an Indian warrior-prince. He realized the dangers of banditry that would befall a monk or nun who wanders around and lives in the forest and fully expected his monks to be physically strong and able to defend themselves.

[Hyperion]

Unrelated, sort of. But, wife wanted to stop at Walmart last night and get a few things we needed. I thought, oh no, it's the first of the month and it's like 10pm. That means seeing the very lowest of the Walmart welfare rats.

So, we go in, and there they are, like zombies, morbidly obese couples waddling down the isles at the pace of 200 year old tortoises, or riding their Wally World scooter, with 3 feet of flab hanging over each side, followed by their herds of morbidly obese offspring, entire family in pajamas that are 2 sizes too small.

This is what our government has created. Entire generations of unemployable sloths, completely dependent upon an ever expanding welfare state. We are fucking DOOMED.

[Heroic Mulatto]

Wake up! Wake up! Wake up!/It's tha 1st of tha month...

[MP]

That's not it at all. It's the evil CORPORASHUNS like Wal-mart and McDonald's who make processed food cheap. Only the First Lady can save us.

[Hyperion]

I think you are right, judging by the 3 boxes of crunch berries and count chocula that each of the obese rug rats were clinging to. And you know, especially since there was a corporate thug following them around and holding guns to their little heads, forcing the parents to spend those food stamps on their evil corporate products.

[RBS]

Dude, you should try Sam's or Costco around peak sample time...shudder...

[Bryan C]

Um, when exactly is this peak sample time? I'm asking for a friend.

[Lady Bertrum]

The good news is that when the real zombies come the fatties will be the first ones eaten because they can't run.

[Hyperion]

I hope you are working hard on that zombie creation program, because it's going to take a lot of zombies to eat all of that fat.

[Lady Bertrum]

Well, the zombies don't need to eat all the fatties, just bite them. Then, they turn and bite other fatties. Fat zombies are easy to run away from and shoot with a crossbow (large targets). Win/win.

[Lady Bertrum]

And, my understanding is there is a government zombie program taking place in Haiti, if it's hasn't been shut down because it's non-essential. Someone, BretL or Paul, told me so yesterday.

[MP]

Fat zombies are easy to run away from and shoot with a crossbow

Um...Fatties have bigger brains?

[Steve G]

As a new crossbow owner I can now attest to the less than AMC portrayed usefulness of it in a zombie scenario.

[Pelosi's Accommodator]

I just hope they aren't brain-eating zombies, because their hunger won't be satisfied with those meals.

[Mike M.]

Not only has our welfare state and its liberal overseers enslaved entire generations of families, even worse than that, it has created a subcultural generation of remorseless youth psychopaths; the kids you see on the news who kill someone for telling them to go get a job, or simply because they're bored.

[sgs]

"Wally World "

Why do people do this? It's not a time saving device, and eosn't make wal-mart look any worse, it just makes the person saying it sound like a fucking retard.

[pan fried wylie]

and are therefore easily removed.

With an artificial hip?

[Sunken Idaho]

It just goes to show what a petty man Obama is. His first attack whenever anyone dares to quell his drunken spending is to take it out on the very "little people" he purports to protect. Just look at the cancellation of White House tours because of the sequester that HE SUGGESTED as a trigger should an agreement on cuts fall through. I'm sure the Comedy Central court jesters will spin this away so as to further dumb down our already borderline retarded voter base.

[Hyperion]

The government is running a selective breeding program for voter drones. They are the people I talked about seeing at WalMart last night. Those are the votes to keep them elected.

Those of us who work for a living, supply the money to keep their voters alive long enough to be bussed to the polls. And since they are all morbidly obese, we now need to also fund a massive healthcare program to keep them alive.

It's a delicate balance. I suspect we're going to need more federal employees to make sure the balance is sustained.

[creech]

Maybe the entire D.C. Reason staff should go over to the WWII monument at lunch time and help the Vets open the barricades? Should be good for some tv coverage if the thugs try to stop you and the grandpas.

[Pro Libertate]

You know, this is a good idea. You guys should get with Cato, round up some fellow travelers in the area, and show up in solidarity with the veterans. A little civil disobedience is good for the soul.

[Hyperion]

The problem is, is that most of us libertarians work for a living. So regularly showing up for protests and civil disobedience can be difficult, especially on short notice.

I guess that's why the proglodytes created non-profit groups to employ full time activists. I guess that's why they now control practically every aspect of the country. It's like that little saying that I always heard from the elders when I was growing up, 'the squeaky wheel gets the grease'.

Maybe we need to use their own tactics against them?

[Pro Libertate]

Do it at lunch. I used to hit the mall for lunch when I worked there. Just a show of support--doesn't have to be Occupy WWII Memorial.

[Hyperion]

It's a long drive from NW Baltimore to parking near the mall, during lunch.

I typically just drive down to the northern point of the green line and take the train from there. It's about 2 hours.

I better have a 6 hour lunch if I'm going to make it. ):

But, we do have some H&R folk who live near there, right?

[RBS]

If I still lived in DC I'd do it.

[Steve G]

I'm in. I may have to roll in there in uniform too..

[sgs]

It's funny how you complain about this and how hard it is to go, but still went to wal mart, even though you were bitching about that too.

Shows us your priorites.

[Paul.]

A little civil disobedience is good for the soul.

And keeps the pepper spray industry humming! JOBS!

[Cascadian Ephor Xenocles]

They can't because of the shutdown.

[VG Zaytsev]

The Reason staff would heckle the vets about how pointless it was to crash the barricades.

[Mike M.]

ROFL. Funny because it's probably true for some of these guys.

[PACW]

That is a great idea!

[Cascadian Ephor Xenocles]

How long before the situation turns into a WWII reenactment?

[Bam!]

Bangalores! Clear the barricade! Fire in the hole!

[Voros McCracken]

Pearl Harbor re-enactment

[Ron]

What these idiots do not realize is that the parks belong to the citizens and the memorial park is paid for by donations from the citizens they are not the governments parks that they can close off for their own personal use.

[Hyperion]

All your parks is belong to us.

/the government

[BakedPenguin]

Are the vets for great justice?

[GroundTruth]

WWII vets who took on the Nazis and the Japanese against a bunch of mall guards, who wins? Wanna take bets?

[The Late P Brooks]

Somebody should organize a flashmob to draw pictures and write libertarian political slogans on the sidewalks on the Mall.

[HazelMeade]

I like this idea.

[Pro Libertate]

I say they break into the National Archives and reissue the Declaration of Independence.

[John]

If I am 85 years old, I can't imagine really giving a fuck if some Park flatfoot threatened to arrest me. I cannot believe how arrogant and tin eared these people are. Maybe the country really has gone full on fascist and will not be bothered by this. But I would like to believe this is a really stupid political move.

[Hyperion]

The goal of the progtards is to keep the mask on, just enough, until they achieve the complete removal of constitutional government, and can implement their goal of the ultimate mega state utopia.

We see the mask slipping all of the time. Really, it is our duty to push them until the mask is completely off.

[SweatingGin]

Really hoping orange cryer holds out long enough for the mask to really come off. Come on, Obama, step up the brutality a little. Send men with guns to kick kids out of a preschool. Maybe put up a higher, anti-photography wall around the monuments.

[Pro Libertate]

Warty posted a TNR tweet or blog post or something that suggested that Obama should pull a Yeltsin and shell the Capitol building. All in good fun, I'm sure.

Masks are beyond slipping, in other words.

[sgs]

"Really, it is our duty to push them until the mask is completely off."

Unless that involves actually attending a protest, then it's too far for you to drive.

But bitching about walmart is well within your comfort zone.

[HazelMeade]

Amazingly some people are really gullible enough to believe that it costs money to "run" an open-air memorial composed of pieces of rock and bronze.

[Andrew S.]

Semi-on topic: A writer for National Review is doing an AMA (a question-and-answer thread, if you're not versed) on the shutdown over on Reddit. Given the general political bent on Reddit, and TNR, I have no clue why I clicked on it. But you can guess how bad it is.

[Gray Ghost]

Maybe the country really has gone full on fascist and will not be bothered by this.

Unfortunately, I think this would be the result. Followed by, "the law is the law" and "see what those rethuglicans made the Gov't do?"

In other news, Tom Clancy died today, at 66.

Completely unrelated, Kerry Howley (Yes, Warren, that one.) is now writing for a local magazine here in Houston. Her article about her visit to a local gun range is some unintended hilarity. Evidently Glocks draw blood, or something. Slide bite is never fun.

[Cascadian Ephor Xenocles]

The wife got bit by my XD first time I took her to the range. Some things are best learned by experience.

[John]

Shame about Clancy. I haven't read him in years. He was born 20 years too late. He was born to write Cold War pulp fiction and the Cold War ended just as he got famous. The rest of his work suffered greatly for him losing his natural subject.

[RBS]

Red Storm Rising was my favorite. I wish they would have make that one into a movie.

[John]

That is one of the most entertaining books I have ever read. It is just a fun read. It is nothing serious, it is just fun. Same with Hunt For Red October. I really don't think he ever matched those first two books.

[Pro Libertate]

I really liked The Hunt for Red October. And Red Storm Rising was an interesting take on WWIII. I remember thinking even back then that the Russians were overestimated as a military threat, if one could keep the nukes in the silo.

[Heroic Mulatto]

I'm going to pour a libation for Clancy today. Politika was a great game.

[Gray Ghost]

The wife got bit by my XD first time I took her to the range.

It's an excellent way to keep people from wanting to learn how to shoot, and I accordingly took great pains to repeat to my GF over and over how she needed to hold her hands. I didn't feel like having her learn not to in the same way I learned how not to hold an 12 gauge Auto-5 against my bicep instead of my shoulder...

Weirdly, in Howley's article, she describes her bleeding thumb to the staff at the range, and they are supposedly mystified as to how she could have done it. Then again, it was Top Gun, and the service there when it isn't rude, is usually abysmal. Much better to go down to Marksman (or Athena if you're made of money), even if the neighborhood isn't the best around it.

As to Clancy, I bailed out on him after Sum of All Fears, though Teeth of the Tiger wasn't too bad. Probably due to his ghost, as it reads nothing like his preceding two or three books. Speaking of ghosts, I wonder how much Red Storm Rising owes to Clancy, and how much of it is owed to Larry Bond?

I think Clancy's divorce took a lot of the wind from his sails. Still had a career that every author not named Rowling or King would envy.

[Mongo]

Clancy was a cunt-hair away from buying the Minnesota Vikings back in '97-'98 until The Divorce popped up and he realized he won't have the cash.

[Gray Ghost]

Yeah, didn't his wife take him for some obscenely high figure, especially when you consider she got to keep a share of the Jack Ryan partnership? Which is itself an interesting case. Then again, wasn't he screwing his research assistant or something like that?

I would've thought it's all over now, but really, what'd be the difference in the writing between him dead or alive?

[Michael S. Langston]

That's why he stopped writing books with Jack Ryan in them - Jack Ryan Lmtd. She got like 45 million, but also 50% of Jack Ryan Ltmd.

& it's been too long since I read any of them, but I liked the side couple of books about the crazy navy seal guy

[General Butt Naked]

Where the hell is the gun article? I just read a bunch of dick waving and there weren't a dang thing about shootin'.

[Gray Ghost]

Gun article here. Didn't realize the article was way back in April, when I read it this last weekend. I really need to clean out my office...

[Gray Ghost]

Really, I picked up the magazine because it was free, and the cover story was about the best burgers in Houston. Sounds good, even though they omitted the smoked hamburgers from Guy's Meat Market, and then I saw the article by Howley. "Hey, I remember a Howley from Reason..."

Small world. I shouldn't be surprised, given this place is one of the fastest growing cities in the U.S.

[General Butt Naked]

Thanks for the link...

reading it now.

[General Butt Naked]

Our guide is an experienced shooter named Robert Cavnar, and for the record, he doesn't believe any civilian needs to wield such destructive power.

I looked up Robert Cavnar and found the linked articles he's done for HuffPo. A good amount of his articles are anti-gun so he makes the perfect guy to take you shooting.

[Snark Plissken]

Just checked the MSM spin, and it is all the Rs fault for shutting down the gov in the first place.

Exhibit A:

Back on Capitol Hill, those who played a key role in the shutdown wiped culpability from their hands. "I know that today we have Honor Flight veterans flying into Washington to come and enjoy the memorials here," House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, R-Va., said. "I'm told that they are at the World War II Memorial site, regardless of the barriers, because they should, as Americans, as veterans, people who've served this country, have the ability to enjoy that site." He blamed Democrats' "silliness" for the shutdown, citing their refusal to sit down and negotiate.

No mention of the fact that they went out of their way to shut down a memorial that doesn't require workers or maintenance.

[Anonymous Coward]

Dick Durbin: We're not negotiating because WE have principles.

Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), appearing on MSNBC's "Daily Rundown," suggested that Democrats aren't negotiating with Republicans out of principle ? and out of worry that any capitulation would only embolden the cast-iron conservative wing of the party.

"Every parent knows that if you give into a spoiled child today, it's going to be worse tomorrow," Durbin said. "And that's what we're facing here."

TEAM Red are acting like spoiled children because they aren't giving TEAM Blue everything they want.

Makes a lot of sense.

[Hyperion]

TEAM Red are acting like spoiled children because they aren't giving TEAM Blue everything they want.

Makes a lot of sense.

It makes a lot of sense if you are a team blue corruptocrat. It's been working more and more for 100+ years, to the point that now the GOP is little more than team blues bitches, outside of the few wack-o birds.

[Cascadian Ephor Xenocles]

If we are to continue their favorite analogy, the terrorists have offered to release all but one of the hostages, but thankfully we have Special Agent Johnson of the FBI there to play hardball with them.

[John Thacker]

Well, you can't just get elected and HOPE to CHANGE things. You have to accept the status quo, you see.

[Auric Demonocles]

See, if you allow the cast-iron people to compromise with you, they will keep being so immobile that you can't compromise with them.

[John]

I am not sure that spin is going to be very effective. The evil Republicans made us be assholes? Really?

[Snark Plissken]

Especially if it gets out into the mainstream that the WH directly ordered the Parks to put up those unnecessary barriers.

[SweatingGin]

Well, you can try to FOIA that... haha, no, the FOIA office is shut down.

[Pro Libertate]

Wouldn't work, anyway. REQUEST DENIED. NATIONAL SECURITY EXCEPTION.

[Auric Demonocles]

Anecdotally, the spin is so far effective around here (which is admittedly a very stupid progressive area).

[John]

I am sure it will be in some places. But I really doubt it will be so effective with the average low information low interest voter. All they will see is a bunch of old guys being prevented from going into what looks like a park.

[John Thacker]

It requires some maintenance, but the maintenance have been prepaid in advance from private donations, and placed in a Trust Fund.

But as we learned yesterday, shutdown isn't about saving money, according to OMB. Some websites are shutting down even if it would cost more money to do so than to keep them open.

[Cascadian Ephor Xenocles]

It was even built in large part through private donations. I know because I kicked in $100 when I was in high school.

You know what? As part owner of the memorial everyone is welcome there.

[Juice]

No mention of the fact that they went out of their way to shut down a memorial that doesn't require workers or maintenance.

Not true. There's a guy there to run you off if you try to ride your bike through there.

[NoVAHockey]

McPherson Square at 15th and K is managed by the Park service. it's open for business. meaning the homeless guys are on half the park benches.

[RBS]

How many of them are furloughed government employees?

[Hyperion]

Most of them will be if the furloughs become permanent. You don't expect government employees to actually take jobs where they have to do work, do you?

[Sevo]

These guys are being paid to block it off? I thought the government was closed.

[Bam!]

Just imagine how incompetent the government would look if they declared the parks closed and people were still using them.

[Paul.]

The problem with you people is you don't understand just how many employees and how much overtime it takes to close a government. You can't just walk away. People might get services while you're not there.

[NoVAHockey]

now they're just trolling him.

apparently the vets are in the memorial.
and there is a sign: "NORMANDY WAS CLOSED WHEN WE GOT THERE, TOO."

[Cascadian Ephor Xenocles]

If this isn't true than it needs to be made so.

[NoVAHockey]

i tried to post a link, but apparently the squirrel are still on the job

[RBS]

Try again.

[NoVAHockey]

twitter account

[RBS]

I thought you had a pic.

[NoVAHockey]

sorry. didn't mean to imply that.

[Bam!]

If you Google the phrase, there are already posts about it from the last hour or two, but no photos.

[Paul.]

"NORMANDY WAS CLOSED WHEN WE GOT THERE, TOO."

Really. Fuckin' a.

[Bam!]

You know who else tried to erect a barrier?

[Cascadian Ephor Xenocles]

Erwin Rommel?

[Paul.]

The French?

[Anonymous Coward]

Jonathan Chait @jonathanchait
Idea: fortify WWII memorial with tank traps and pillboxes manned by elderly Germans.
5:19 p.m. Tue, Oct 1

Yes, Jonathan Chait really is that much of a shitbag.

[MJGreen]

Jonathan Chait is definitely the kind of guy that can make light of combat. He's earned it.

[Michael S. Langston]

Posted on wiki about Mr. Chait:

He's best known for mocking 90-year-old WWII vets with Nazi references as they visited the National World War II Memorial during President Obama's government shutdown in October 2013.

[Enjoy Every Sandwich]

Another good example of why I have such contempt for politicians. Shutdown or no this is totally unnecessary; it's just picking on elderly veterans in order to "prove" that we desperately need the fedgov for every little part of our lives.

[sloopyinca]

So there was a liberal talking head on the radio in this morning and he said we should erect signs at all government jobs, parks, installations, etc saying "this job site/park/monument/etc is closed due to government shutdown".

I have to say that I agree with him. But I want to go further. I think we should have a sign there the rest of the year that says "It cost $XXXXXXX a year in taxpayer money to operate this site/park/monument/etc". maybe then these dickfaces would STFU about how there's not a penny to spare when the proles realize it costs $3M a year to "operate" a national monument that requires zero staff.

It would also serve the dual purpose of making every government installation justify its existence.

[SweatingGin]

Remember the stimulus dog parks?

Kind of bummed those signs went away.

[sloopyinca]

Yeah, but if you just put a sign up that says "The government built this for you", people think it's funded by faerie dust. If you put up a sign that says "This dog park cost $6,000,000 to build and we stole the land through eminent domain to build it", then people might wonder WTF the government is doing wasting money.

[Cascadian Ephor Xenocles]

Every DoD construction site I've ever seen has a sign featuring the price prominently along with the firm doing the work. It's a point of pride for them.

[Juice]

Yeah, don't road work signs put the amount of funding received through the feds and the state and local governments?

[Michael S. Langston]

With projects that large and with minimal ability to compare one highway project against another due to differences - it wouldn't likely matter that much.

But I agree on the parks and buildings and other things - those are things people can "average" in their heads.

[The Late P Brooks]

Staright from the Did You Know desk:

This time is different. What is at stake in this government shutdown forced by a radical Tea Party minority is nothing less than the principle upon which our democracy is based: majority rule. President Obama must not give in to this hostage taking ? not just because Obamacare is at stake, but because the future of how we govern ourselves is at stake.

and then...

This danger was neatly captured by Washington Post columnist Dana Milbank, when he wrote on Tuesday about the 11th-hour debate in Congress to avert the shutdown. Noting a shameful statement by Speaker John Boehner, Milbank wrote: "Democrats howled about 'extortion' and 'hostage taking,' which Boehner seemed to confirm when he came to the floor and offered: 'All the Senate has to do is say 'yes,' and the government is funded tomorrow.' It was the legislative equivalent of saying, 'Give me the money and nobody gets hurt.' "

Considering the context, I think he should have used a different metaphor. It seems to me the President is the one saying, "GIMME DA MUNNY OR I'LL SHOOT THA DAWG!"

[robc]

The House is the body most designed to represent the majority of the people.

WTF?

[Anonymous Coward]

Give me the money and nobody gets hurt." How did we get here? First, by taking gerrymandering to a new level. The political analyst Charlie Cook, writing in The National Journal on March 16, noted that the 2010 election gave Republican state legislatures around the country unprecedented power to redraw political boundaries, which they used to create even more "safe, lily-white" Republican strongholds that are, in effect, an "alternative universe" to the country's diverse reality.

The nerve of TEAM Red, winning state elections and then redistricting to their hearts' content. How dare they win elections at all! They're racists and stuff for not snaking districts around the state to allow TEAM Blue to gain seats!

[Pro Libertate]

It is perfectly legal, constitutional, and part of its intended purpose for the House to do exactly what it's doing. And, given that the law in question was enacted through less clearly appropriate means, what's happening now is arguably more legal than Obamacare is.

Incidentally, are CRs for the budget even legal?

[Juice]

No, not really.

[Pro Libertate]

Well, then, how about the GOP also say, "No more CRs of questionable legality"?

[Juice]

the principle upon which our democracy is based: majority rule

Yikes. Massive facepalm.

[Pro Libertate]

It's so amazingly ignorant to suggest we are built first and foremost on majoritarian values. The Founders were all students of Roman and Greek history and were particularly concerned about the majority running roughshod over everyone else. Athens was an excellent warning that they were very aware of. In any case, tyranny by many isn't any better than tyranny by one if you're one of the oppressed.

Unlike today, because, you know, classical times are so dead white men-centric.

[Pro Libertate]

Leaving aside, of course, that the most "popular" and representative body in the federal government is doing this.

[Bryan C]

Our country is based on the principle of majority rule? Really?

Especially rich coming from the guy who wishes the US were more like China, so Top Men could "authorize the right solutions" to Simply Get Things Done.

[The Late P Brooks]

Majority Rule, in the version of America lodged in Tom Friedman's head, apparently means we elect (however narrowly) a dictator who has absolute authority to impose his will, and not an assemblage of elected representatives sent to defend and promote the interests of their various constituencies, to balance the interests of those constituencies in the daily operation of the government.

[sloopyinca]

Really? You gleaned all of that from the article?

All I got was that Friedman was a mendacious fuck.

[HazelMeade]

It's a fucking OPEN AIR MEMORIAL. It's an OBJECT. A SCULPTURE.
It doesn't do anything other than squirt water from the fountain in the middle of it! How the fuck does it cost money to let people walk through it and stare at stuff?

How does it cost any more than paying people to put up barricades and keep people from entering?

[Paul.]

Hazel, if you hold a government shutdown, and no one shows up... well, you get the idea. You have to bring the shutdown to the people, otherwise they wouldn't feel it.