US gov shutdown leaves IT projects hanging, security defenders a skeleton crew

US Political Stability & Global Standing

• Several comments argue that electing Trump (and potentially reelecting him) has critically damaged US democratic institutions and credibility.
• Foreign governments are said to now treat US deals as only reliable for 4–6 years, since a future “insane” administration could reverse them.
• Others note volatility is common globally (e.g., Hungary, UK/Brexit); the extreme scenario is the US becoming “just another” mid-tier power.

Trump, Fascism, and the Right

• Some see Trump as uniquely destructive to democracy, worse than historic leaders in other democracies.
• Others frame Trump as “the glue” for a broader authoritarian/fascist project, with supporters more committed to the project than to him personally.
• Debate over whether anyone else (e.g., newer conservative figures) can replicate Trump’s media-era charisma.

Epstein Files, Pedophilia, and Conspiracy Fears

• Thread digresses into speculation over unreleased Epstein-related documents and political elites’ fear of exposure.
• Some believe their suppression shows they’re extremely damaging; others say “the government” is too large for such documents to meaningfully change its operation.
• A Republican senator’s apparent verbal flub about “stopping attacking pedophiles” sparks argument over whether this is an explicit admission or just a gaffe.

Mechanics of the Shutdown: Filibuster & Reconciliation

• Multiple comments explain the 60-vote Senate cloture requirement and how it blocks the funding bill despite a Republican majority.
• Others note that Senate rules can be changed by simple majority (“nuclear option”), so Republicans could end the shutdown alone if they chose.
• There is confusion and back-and-forth over when reconciliation can be used to pass budget/debt measures with 50 votes; some details remain unclear in the thread.

Responsibility, Bad Faith, and Project 2025

• One camp: this shutdown is squarely on Republicans, who both refuse compromise and decline to change rules they routinely bend elsewhere.
• Another camp: both parties are failing; funding government should be nonpartisan, but tribalism and bad faith dominate.
• Several comments tie the shutdown to a broader plan (Project 2025) to restructure or “coup” the federal government, including mass layoffs and defunding Obamacare.

Budget, Debt, and Structural Problems

• Discussion of chronic US deficits: fixing them would require large tax hikes and/or deep cuts to Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, and defense.
• Skepticism that either party will touch these core programs; everything else is characterized as “rounding error.”
• Some view the 60-vote norm as enforcing compromise; others see it as a relatively recent practice that now drives dysfunction.
• Broader blame is placed on first-past-the-post elections and the resulting two-party system.

Meta & Geopolitical Asides

• A few comments joke that the US has effectively been “shut down” for years.
• There is speculation that geopolitical rivals (e.g., China regarding Taiwan) might see US internal chaos, especially damage to the military, as an opportunity.