To the Esteemed Leaders of the United States Government (For the Third Time),
Well done. Truly. A third partial shutdown — because apparently twice wasn’t enough to prove the point.
Once again, the country is treated to the spectacle of adults in expensive suits performing outrage for their most enthusiastic donors while the rest of us refresh our banking apps and hope the lights stay on. It would be impressive if it weren’t so exhausting.
On one side, we’re promised strength. On the other, we’re promised compassion. What we get is theater. The rhetoric gets tougher, the press conferences get louder, and the results get smaller. Meanwhile, the “average American” — the mythical creature invoked in every stump speech — is nowhere to be found in the final deal.
Federal workers are told to hang tight. Small businesses are told to be patient. Travelers are told to expect delays. Families are told this is necessary. Necessary for what, exactly? Another symbolic standoff? Another fundraising email declaring moral victory?
The last shutdown was supposed to be about urgent priorities — healthcare, displaced workers, fiscal responsibility. That was the headline. Somewhere between the speeches and the cable news chyrons, those promises evaporated. Funny how that works.
Here’s the uncomfortable truth: governing a country of 330 million people is not supposed to feel like a tug-of-war between the loudest corners of the internet. Yet that’s what this has become — policy by pressure, leadership by hashtag, and consequences for everyone except the people in charge.
Those in power continue to be paid. The rest of us continue to adjust.
If this is strategy, it’s a strange one — a long-term plan built on short-term chaos. If this is negotiation, it’s indistinguishable from dysfunction. And if this is representation, you might want to check who exactly is being represented.
The American public does not need more posturing. We need adults who understand that shutting down the machinery of government is not leverage — it’s failure.
So once again, respectfully and with steadily declining patience:
Do your job.
Sincerely,
Still Here. Still Paying Taxes. Still Waiting.
