Here we are, just a few days after the Federal shut down, and still standing. We haven’t been invaded, no planes have fallen out of the sky, and we all still have to get up for school every morning.

800,000 non-essential Federal employees were furloughed on October first after the United States Congress refused to pass a resolution that would continue funding of the federal government. Some may see this as a bad thing, something detrimental to the American people. But a couple of question must be posed. Why were there any non-essential government employees? Would an ordinary American pay for these federal programs directly out of their own pockets?

In the business world, companies do not have the luxury of hiring non-essential employees, they only hire as many people as keeps them operating efficiently. Though it may be unfortunate that 800,000 people will no longer be bringing home a paycheck, which will make life more difficult for them, one can’t worry too much about that. This is likely the only way to end these agencies that are the closest thing to ‘immortal’ that we will ever see in this world.

The answer to the second question [Would an ordinary American pay for these federal programs directly out of their own pockets?] is obvious when you consider what would happen if organizations like the EPA or the Department of Commerce were to establish itself as an independent business. A person would never walk into an EPA store and ask not to be allowed to build on their own property.

The partial shutdown of the federal government is not going to ruin our lives; in fact, most of us will never even notice it. In the long run, though, it will certainly change our nation for the better.