Let's shut down government for real

(My Eastern New Mexico News column for October 15, 2025)

Recently, everyone has been up in arms over a supposed government shutdown. The same way they were over the last few and will be when the next regularly scheduled shutdowns roll around. Some act as if this hasn't become normal political theatrics. I'm not sure which rock they've been hiding under for the past few decades, but it must be a remote one.

These same people are trying to decide who's to blame. Blame?

Instead of assigning blame, if there were a government shutdown, I would suggest proudly claiming credit for the accomplishment. Blame belongs to those who want to end the shutdown and open government back up, not those who keep it shut down. Even if I oppose them on everything else they do, shutting down government is heroic. Shutting it down permanently would be an improvement.

Of course, there is no government shutdown, nor has there ever been one in modern America. Government shutdowns are a hoax, and too many fall for it every time. There's too much government still happening to call it a shutdown.

As long as your paycheck is being taxed, grandmothers are being groped at airports, and gun purchase background checks are being committed, government is still open and violating you.

Political criminals only shut down, or scale back, the few things they hope will make the public whine and beg to have government turned back on. They'll never shut down something if it would neuter government's power to bother you.

I want a real shutdown.

I want the political parties to compete to see who can shut down government the best. Let them jockey to shut it down the most often, the most completely, and keep it shut down the longest. Trying to blame each other for a government shutdown is like people condemning each other for not mugging you. It's nothing to find fault with; it's the right thing to do.

Any fault is found in not shutting down enough of it, or in giving it a chance to come back... with back pay for all. Just let it go. Have you tried unplugging it and NOT plugging it back in?

As long as people entertain the illusion that there is such a thing as the right to govern others, they'll keep doing the wrong thing. They'll fight to reopen government. The occasional shutdown theater is nothing but a distraction from reality.

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