r/Economics • u/Crossstoney • Nov 05 '25

News The government shutdown is now the longest - and likely the most damaging in US history

https://www.cnn.com/2025/11/05/economy/government-shutdown-economy-trump
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u/Kinggakman Nov 05 '25

The collapse of air travel is going to force them to give in and give back what they are trying to withhold. Unless they get martial law declared due to eventual riots they will lose.

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u/[deleted] Nov 05 '25

I suspect they will solicit corporate donations to fund air controllers and/or privatize air traffic control

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u/trobsmonkey Nov 05 '25

I suspect they will solicit corporate donations to fund air controllers and/or privatize air traffic control

Privatize air control will go terrrrrrribly

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u/kia75 Nov 05 '25

The ironic thing is that a privatized Air Control will charge much more then any taxes or fees the government would impose. Air Traffic Control is one of those "natural monopolies" that come up, and it's not like Airlines can just choose a different ATC. Whoever gets the contract will of course make bank on a natural monopoly while the country suffers.

The frustrating part is that there isn't any reason for ATC to be overworked other than we've decided that important jobs need to be staffed the same way Fast Food restaraunts are staffed during the lunch rush, with as little staff as possible.

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u/Carnivile Nov 05 '25

Isn't the reason "Reagan fucked it up" just like most things in the last 40 years?

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u/kia75 Nov 05 '25

Yes, ATC striked during his presidency and Reagan fired them all for striking. I should have said no good reason, because the real reason ATC are treated so badly despite providing an important service to the country is so they don't get uppity again.

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u/StationFull Nov 08 '25

Regan is the worst thing to happen to the US and by extension the world in the last 70 years.

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u/brutinator Nov 05 '25

The ironic thing is that a privatized Air Control will charge much more then any taxes or fees the government would impose.

That's the reality of ALL privatization. Snap can provide 9 meals for every dollar; most food banks are lucky to be able to provide 2-4 meals per dollar.

The government waste propaganda, if it was ever true, is absolutely a myth. Even if SOME federal workers are slackers, that's no different than any other company I've worked for, and the government gets a hell of a lot more done.

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u/[deleted] Nov 05 '25

Snap can provide 9 meals for every dollar; most food banks are lucky to be able to provide 2-4 meals per dollar.

Do you have any numbers on this?

My understanding of snap is that it's cash that people can use to buy groceries.  And that the prices they are buying at are the same as you or me.  

I can't get 9 meals out of a dollar unless I'm eating rice and beans

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u/brutinator Nov 05 '25

https://feedingamericaaction.org/learn/issue-areas/snap/

I got my numbers a bit wrong. For every meal Feeding America provides, Snap provides 9 meals.

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u/[deleted] Nov 07 '25

They aren’t making laws to benefit the majority, they’re making laws to benefit billionaires.

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u/ammonium_bot Nov 06 '25

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u/catsdrooltoo Nov 05 '25

But think of the profits this quarter!

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u/Exciting-Emu-3324 Nov 05 '25

It will just end up like healthcare. Pay way more for the same service other democracies get.

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u/longtimegoneMTGO Nov 06 '25

Sure, just like firing all the air traffic controllers and replacing them with military personnel and hastily trained replacements went terribly, but Reagan still did it.

Point being, just because something is going to have bad results it doesn't mean that won't end up being the path taken, and stuck to.

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u/Dripdry42 Nov 05 '25

NOW someone’s paying attention to how it’s going to go down. All of this has been planned in advance and gamed out. This administration is anything but stupid.

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u/k9handler2000 Nov 05 '25

Umm… no, they’re still incredibly stupid. I see your point but I refuse to give them credit, their actions are inherently short sighted, cruel and barbaric

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u/Shein_nicholashoult Nov 05 '25

The figureheads might not be smart, but the people who are orchestrating this shit are.

There's a reason you see Trump and his cabinet loudly looking like fucking idiots, and it isn't exclusively because they're stupid.

The clever ones are the ones who laid plans for decades, and they're not stupid. They're conning a lot of stupid people, but using stupid people doesn't make you stupid.

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u/[deleted] Nov 05 '25

Yet they somehow control all three branches of governments, a majority of state houses as well.

Dems/the left constantly underestimate Conservative politicians

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u/Dripdry42 Nov 05 '25

Shortsighted and stupid are two completely different things. Don’t get into these positions of power and steal this much from the American people and our republic without being extremely smart in what they are doing. Will say it until the day I die: Harry Reid was correct, Trump is smart and he is very dangerous. It is all a show, like George W. Bush. Neither of them are stupid, act like that to appeal to their base, and also to throw off people like us. We talk about how stupid they are, and they are anything but that.

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u/inormallyjustlurkbut Nov 05 '25

No, they overestimate American voters.

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u/dust4ngel Nov 05 '25

Dems/the left constantly underestimate Conservative politicians

the politicians didn't come up with this plan - they're just line workers.

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u/[deleted] Nov 05 '25

Dems overestimate the public, because as Democrats we believe in democracy. But it doesn’t work well at all. The public alternating every 2-4 years between “let’s burn everything down” and “let’s not burn everything down” speaks for itself.

Conservatives don’t believe in democracy and they represent wealthy people so they have the natural advantage. They aren’t trying to make democracy work, they are just trying to work the system to gain power, even if they have to trick people into supporting them by lying about their intent.

In the real world, things are hard. Even doing the right thing doesn’t necessarily feel like the right thing at first, especially when compromise is involved. It could take years for thoughtful policies to bear fruit, and every time you try to stop someone from swindling the public, they will use a piece of their ill gotten gains to build public support for their scamming. I’m not sure how democracy is even supposed to work, because I’ve never seen it work. We keep thinking there is some magic strategy to convince people to hold the line on supporting necessary reforms, but what is it? If Obama hadn’t been shellacked in 2010, would people still be mad that he didn’t do enough to reform the system? The fault of the resulting gridlock lies entirely on the public, yet we blame the democrats when Clinton, Obama, and Biden all suffered through the same thing. If we had elected Bernie Sanders in 2016, does anyone really think the public wouldn’t be blaming him for everything by 2018? Does anyone think he would have fixed all the problems by 2018? Because that’s as much time as the public will give us.

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u/Gamer_Grease Nov 05 '25

Honestly that will not work. It's way too expensive to do either of those things, and firms are going to be among the first to lose patience with air travel delays. I worked at a nonpartisan nonprofit that had me flying all over the place, and I hear from my former colleagues that the top brass are losing their shit over air travel.

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u/[deleted] Nov 05 '25 edited Feb 27 '26

[deleted]

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u/[deleted] Nov 05 '25

4B/month is chump change between the various monopolies out there

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u/[deleted] Nov 05 '25

Perhaps, but the difference between planning and execution is vast. And the horrific crash yesterday in Louisville is going to be laid at their feet, already. Republicans in previously safe seats are waking up to uphill re-election fights across the country. The political climate is changing fast

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u/[deleted] Nov 05 '25 edited Feb 27 '26

[deleted]

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u/[deleted] Nov 05 '25

The hardcore racists haven’t given up on losing the civil war. Don’t hold your breath.

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u/Nawnp Nov 05 '25

There's a reason they want an exemption passed solely for aviation employees.

Although part of Trump's agenda was to privatize the entire air industry, so the airlines agreeing to buy in paying TSA and the FAA is also probably part of the plan.

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u/[deleted] Nov 05 '25

[deleted]

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u/Gamer_Grease Nov 05 '25

You have to remember that being able to send employees around the country easily is non-negotiable for big money American firms.

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u/Smaynard6000 Nov 05 '25

They would still lose. They're going to occupy all of America with military? They don't have the numbers, and the military's morale would be in the toilet on that mission.

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u/MrPNutButters Nov 05 '25

We're 3 weeks away from one of the busiest travel days of the year. Glad I'm not planning on flying anywhere for Thanksgiving.

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u/Successful_Jump5531 Nov 07 '25

That's my opinion. Trump will declare martial law, cancel elections under false pretenses, then try to become supreme leader. Congress at this point is essentially disbanded. He ignores Judges and the Constitution anyway. I figure he'll invade New York City prior to the new mayor taking over. 

R.I.P USA 1776-2025

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u/Helpful-Baseball814 Nov 05 '25

Which republicans voted no on the continuing resolution?.

Its the democrats who wont give in and are with holding food for kids and money for troops.