Government Shutdown: A Media Double Standard No One Discusses
During a government shutdown, members of the media treat federal employees different than they treat furloughed or out-of-work private sector employees.
This opinion comes from nearly 30 years of personal observation, yet I never see anyone else talk about it.
Yes, this past weekend we avoided a government shutdown. Nevertheless, our nation is bitterly divided over politics. As such, politically divided government will continue for years, if not decades. Not that that’s a bad thing. Even conservatives get drunk and reckless on their own power and forget their core principles when they run the government.
At some near-future date, another government shutdown is inevitable.
PRIVATE SECTOR WORKERS VS. GOVERNMENT WORKERS
Private sector employees are subject to temporary work furloughs and layoffs all the time. Sometimes that’s the result of (1) the business owner’s mismanagement, (2) sudden shifts in consumer choices, (3) dumb, clueless politicians voting for things that wreck the economy….or a combination of all three.
I witnessed several newspapers I worked for furlough employees for weeks at a time without pay. I was laid off twice due to downsizing, both times during the holidays, without warning (and one of those times a week before Christmas).
RELATED: How to Stand Up to Your Local Liberal TV Reporter
Working in any private sector job is a risk. There are no guarantees. But that’s just life.
The media acts very casual when economic conditions force the private sector to furlough or cut jobs. The media, however, goes apoplectic whenever federal employees go through the same thing due to a government shutdown. We are subjected to federal employees appearing on the Today Show to complain they cannot feed their families or pay their bills.
This, the media drills into us, is due to stubborn GOP legislators who care more about politics than they do working families. Media reminds us every five minutes that the national parks have closed, and we are no longer allowed to enjoy them. They never point out that spending in Washington, D.C. is out of control. They never point out that Republican legislators are merely trying to reign in all that excess spending and see to it that future generations don’t carry our financial burdens.
THE MEDIA, THE PRIVATE SECTOR, AND COVID LOCKDOWNS
The media acted ever so casually when the government’s COVID-19 lockdowns forced private sector workers to lose their jobs and/or go out of business. I remember Katie Couric telling us she was using all of her free time to write a book and take journey of self-discovery…implying we can do the same.
But, again, the media narrative insists government employees cannot, must not, and shall not go a day without earning money.
Never mind the fact that when a government shutdown ends, government employees get back pay for not working (private sector employees get no such luxury).
Corporate media has a leftist narrative.
There are usually no pro-Democrat narratives to feed off of when private sector employees suffer (sometimes because the Democrat’ policies created those conditions).
Documenting the supposed plight of displaced federal employees, however, permits the media to preach that the GOP is wicked and evil. Displaced federal employees allows the media to take even more potshots at fiscal conservatives.
WHO CARES IF THE GOVERNMENT SHUTS DOWN?
Federal politicians and federal bureaucrats hose and screw over middle class people day after day after day. They and the federal politicians are the reason why groceries, gasoline and other essential cost-of-living needs are off the charts right now pricewise.
The feds try to micromanage everybody’s lives. Read any federal government audit to learn about all the waste, fraud and abuse that occurs within the federal government, the likes of which the private sector could never sustain.
IN THE NEWS: The Right Has its Star Wars Death Star Moment
The feds lie to and intentionally mislead the public every day. They abuse their powers to hurt and destroy innocent people. They use our taxpayer money to promote values and ideals that directly oppose ours’. They used OUR money to subsidize the lab in China that created and unleashed the COVID-19 virus.
And I’m supposed to panic over a federal government shutdown WHY, exactly?
Send story tips and other story suggestions to [email protected]
