Government definition of “essential” programs shows America's skewed priorities

A shocking majority of the government agencies affected by the government shutdown can be broken down into two groups: cutting services for marginalized groups & cutting corporate oversight/enabling corporate crime.

While the cuts to marginalized groups are horrific and most likely to affect the people in their day-to-day lives, I feel that's been well covered.  Lots of people have talked about the impacts the shutdown will have on women, the poor, and everyone in general. So I'm going to focus on a broader, quieter, more sinister issue.

 

Cutting Corporate Oversight: What it Boils Down To:

• no audits
• few investigations into money laundering
• fewer product recalls (and if there are any, the USDA won't be calling the press)
• less mine & fishery oversight
• no FDIC investigations
• privacy & civil liberties investigations halted
• litigation slowed
• no investigations of any chemical spills
• no campaign finance investigations
• no anti-trust investigations

There's a serious pattern here, and it's an opportunity for corporate crime. Regulations exist for a reason, and quite a few of them have been enacted in the last few years.  And now the agencies in charge of enforcing those new protections are hobbled.

For instance, the FDIC insures the public against bank failures. There is an independent regulatory board assigned to make sure banks are acting in accordance with the law, seeing that insuring every account-holding individual is a big deal. This board is closed right now. Does that make a nice incentive for bank fraud?

Money laundering, tax evasion, and campaign finance fraud are the biggest and most common crimes of the 1%, and there will be little to no oversight over such crimes during the government shutdown. As such, these already insanely powerful individuals have a serious capitalist incentive to keep the shutdown going on as long as possible.

Anti-Trust litigation is already paltry in this country, but I highly doubt any good can come of getting rid of it. What happens exactly if a merger officially takes place during the shutdown? I would imagine it would be much harder to start an anti-trust investigation after the merger has already occurred. Usually mergers are stopped before they officially occur, which is much less messy.

Chemical spills won't be investigated until after the shutdown is over. If there is a spill, depending on how long the shutdown lasts, the company responsible will have some time to create a version of the facts that makes them seem less at fault.

Mines & fishing operations will receive limited oversight during the shutdown. As two ecologically dangerous industries, this is a big problem. Not to mention that mine safety for workers is another big issue.

And of course, active duty military, FBI, ATF, Bureau of Prisons, Border Patrol & DEA get to keep the VAST majority of their employees & operations.  Because things that are a matter of "national security" continue to run.  Things like keeping bases running in peaceful countries, staying at war with Afghanistan, spying programs, and "protecting our border" from people who want jobs are "essential".  Stopping pollution, providing jobs, caring for starving children, and ensuring corporations don't buy our elections?  Those are, of course, the "non-essential" portions of government.  

 And of course, everyone is going on and on about how both sides aren't willing to compromise.  So let me make myself abundantly clear.  I am not a fan of Obama.  Also this is 100% the Republicans fault.  Republicans don't seem to know the definition of the word "compromise".  I didn't vote for Obama in 2012.  I voted for Jill Stein and the Green Party and their Medicare-for-All plan.  And we lost.  And I wouldn't hold the government hostage to get my version of the best healthcare.  Thankfully, it looks like on this, the public is on my side.

And while imperfect, Obamacare is not too shabby.  I'd say it's definitely a step in the right direction.  I know quite a few people who are hungrily awaiting January 1st, when they can sign up for health insurance.  Because, aside from some Tea Party crazies, most of the uninsured really really want to be insured.  And a step in the right direction is a big deal.  It gives me a bit of hope that we're finally getting our act together on at least trying to get healthcare for our people.

And I have a very, very optimistic hope.  I hope this is the last nail in the GOP coffin.  I hope they crash and burn and become a tiny little fringe group with little power.  The Democrats are already well poised to become the new moderate right.  And then maybe, just maybe, there will be room for a new left.  A true left.  A Green Party or an Occupy Party or some other sort of People Powered Party.  Maybe it's time.  Maybe this will be our last showdown.  Maybe this will be our opening.

That's my kind of hope.

(for an agency-by-agency breakdown of services, click here)