Our bipartisan government has once more found itself in an area of stagnation as Republicans and Democrats have failed to agree upon a prospective budget for the 2013-14 fiscal year.

The Democrats are blaming the Republicans for this shutdown as a means of protesting the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, or Obamacare, while the Republicans are blaming the Democrats for instituting a program that presents itself as counterintuitive toward the upcoming governmental loan defaulting.

But who is truly to blame? I believe what it comes down to is money, money and more money, and everyone, including ourselves, is to blame. This bipartisan system is growing more and more one-sided. It remains us versus them in name only, and we are the ones to pay the price. Why not institute a party that represents our interests, which represents our safety and protection, and not that of some anonymous billionaire’s offshore bank account?

A budget needs to be passed because, as of Oct. 17, the U.S. will face defaulting on its loans, which means the federal government will no longer be able to legally borrow any more money. What Congress specifically can’t agree upon comes from the Sept. 30 passing of Obamacare into law.

The passing of Obamacare directly thwarted Republican time, money and effort to see it thrown out, as it calls for extra funds to be allocated in order for it to be implemented. Therefore, the Republican response was to throw a legislative temper tantrum and shut down the entire federal government.

In the wake of this shutdown, nearly 800,000 federal employees are on temporary furlough, while another million are still asked to work without pay until Congress can agree upon a budget, although Congress members will still be receiving their usual pay. It’s estimated that should the shutdown continue for at least three to four weeks, it will end up costing the U.S. $55 billion in revenue. This also means that, for the time being, the Food and Drug Administration will not be doing routine inspections all across the nation, so, especially now, you better be aware of what you eat.

The government has at least some of its priorities in order as all individuals in the military will still continue to receive pay throughout the shutdown. Relative to how long the shutdown lasts, the economy could either hardly be affected or see a multibillion dollar loss in revenue should it go on too long.

Again, don’t worry, Obama and Congress will still be receiving their paychecks throughout the shutdown … not that they need them with all the money they’re pocketing from lobbyists and the like.

So why are Republicans so up in arms over Obamacare? Essentially it calls for all U.S. citizens to either be appropriated some form of government-sponsored healthcare or to have to pay what will come out to about a $125 fine should they choose to opt out and remain with a private insurance company.

One could argue that this whole debacle is simply about the U.S. reaching its debt ceiling and each side having a very different solution. But reading between the lines reveals that a few unfathomably affluent individuals and their respective pockets are directly threatened by the passing of Obamacare and this is worse to them than any life and death situation the general public might have. In principle, I like the idea of Obamacare, but would question it in practice. However, this does warrant shutting down the government while a decision is postponed.

When 70 percent of voters consider Congress to be doing a poor job, we find a definitive lapse between public interest and that of Congress. Whatever you choose to believe, the fact remains that we are at a significant impasse in our history, and it’s we the people who are forced to sit and watch as our elected representatives fail to do exactly what their title dictates: represent us.

The last time Australia was faced with a legislative shutdown, the queen’s response was to fire every single member of Congress in light of their being inept. Might I add that has been Australia’s only government shutdown in history?

Should politics really be a matter of choosing the lesser of two evils? Bear with me now, but six out of 10 Americans are currently in favor of the creation of a definitive third party. What if this entire shutdown is yet another signal that our bipartisan system is failing to serve its one and only purpose: to serve the people who created it, and not trample over them as a means of personal gain.

It’s time for a change, time for an official who represents the people and not a small circle of special interest groups and factions. The world waiting for the American people to wake up, but how many more times can we hit the snooze button, roll over and fall back asleep?

When the government fails to represent us, we are obligated to represent ourselves. The introduction of a third party would grant hope to a truly representative democracy, and act counterintuitively towards that of the current plutocracy. May we the people uphold the Constitution when our elected officials won’t, and may we the people act accordingly.

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