I already offered my opinion of twerpy Congressmen who think our pay should be cut but not theirs. Because, you know, they have bills to pay and stuff. Pfft.

Today, I’ve been stuck at the computer a lot doing my thankfully NON-governmental job, and sneaking peeks at Facebook and the FS Blogs feed. My goodness, the collective irritation out there is practically making steam come out my monitor.  And it’s perfectly understandable.

Life After Jerusalem is taking no prisoners.  She can’t say anything nice about this situation.  And why should she?  It is totally FUBAR!    I hadn’t even been aware of this insurance thing:

Generously offer to continue paying insurance for federal employees, but insist that they pay back their portion of the insurance when the government re-opens, EVEN IF THEY DON’T GET PAID.

Seriously?  Are you kidding me? As Chris Rock would say, that ain’t right!

Foreign Obsession wants to know how being unemployed will help her.  She just happens to be a taxpayer, too.

Sadie Abroad is just waiting and wondering.

Other bloggers are posting their plans for furlough days. SassandSweet has a Personal GOVT Shutdown Plan that includes eating at Mom’s house, lucky thing.

In all seriousness, at this point in our lives, we can survive a furlough.  But 15 years ago? It would have been very stressful.  My heart goes out to all the new hires who are more or less living paycheck to paycheck. This isn’t your grandaddy’s Foreign Service, populated by Ivy Leaguers from well-off backgrounds.  Today’s Foreign Service is well, us.  Just everyone, pretty much, who can pass a test, and those who are crazy enough to marry them.  There are student loans to pay, insane DC-area mortgages and rents to cover, and no trust fund to dip into.  And we put up with a lot.  We deserve better from our employer. In fact, all federal employees deserve better.  A lot better.

But hey, look what we got here.  John Boehner in tears AGAIN because members of his party actually gave him a standing ovation for “being tough” during negotiations.  Or maybe he’s scared to death of the Tea Party.  Who were actually chanting “Shut ‘er Down!” at a rally today.  Led by Michelle Bachmann, who apparently flunked the audition for “Desperate Housewives” and has decided to run for President instead.  With all her excellent fiscal expertise and stuff.  Whatever.

Here’s a plan: let’s shut down Social Security.  If government employees can’t even get paid for actually working, why should anyone get paid for not working?  And why should we pay anyone to process payments to people who don’t work?  You have to admit, it has a certain elegant logic. It’s almost–gasp–conservative!

And then let’s see just how long the Tea Party chanting lasts.  Pfft.

BTW, the American Foreign Service Association (AFSA) is organizing a “rally to serve America” on Friday 4/8 at noon at 21st and Virginia, across the street at the State Department. If you go, try and think of something snappy to chant, OK?