The Shutdown Cliff Is Coming Up Fast
Things get a lot worse at the end of this week
If you thought the shutdown was bad, just wait. The real crash is straight ahead.
Federal programs are running out of money. Millions of Americans will feel it by the end of this week. Congress is still stuck. No deal. No path. Just another round of blame.
What’s About to Happen
Health insurance subsidies expire Friday. Without them, premiums could jump 30 percent — in some states, nearly double. Families already stretched thin will have to choose between coverage and groceries.
The same goes for food assistance. Funds dry up in days. States are warning that millions could see delays or cancellations.
Federal workers — including the military, TSA, and air traffic controllers — are still working without pay. LAX had a temporary ground stop on Sunday because of short staffing.
How We Got Here
The government’s been running on fumes for weeks. Lawmakers kicked the can down the road, then kicked it again. Now they’ve run out of road. It’s about to roll into the sewer drain, where Pennywise awaits.
Both parties know the damage this will cause. But the political playbook is simple: let it break, then blame the other side.
The president seems fine with that. Early on, he bragged about everything he could do without Congress in the way. The East Wing is now a pile of rubble, and plans for a 300-million-dollar ballroom were pushed through with no oversight, no review, no filings.
Why It Matters
This isn’t theory. It’s daily life. Health coverage, rent, food, childcare — all depend on programs that lose funding this week.
And it’s about trust. When government can’t pay its own people or keep basic promises, the system starts to rot from within.
What to Watch
Friday: Health care subsidies and food benefits start to lapse.
Next Week: Federal paychecks miss the cycle.
Mid-November: If the shutdown continues, state programs start collapsing under the strain.
The Bigger Picture
This is what government failure looks like. And unless something changes in the next few days, “shutdown” won’t just mean gridlock in Washington. It’ll mean American families going over the edge with it.
And rising over the horizon is the shape of what comes next — a federal government hollowed out until it’s irrelevant, leaving power in the hands of oligarchs and tech overlords. Centralized military control to contain unrest. “Emergency powers” that never end.
The picture isn’t new. We’ve seen it before — in the last days of the Soviet Union.
As usual this was a brilliant post by you! This was a hammer right to the head, the heart and the stomach of every US citizen! If this doesn't wake people up to alarm bells going off then I don't know what will. Question - could we see a political situation where Blue states offer to pick up the slack left by the Feds i.e. pay those federal gov't subsidies to each citizen that normally would benefit from them? Then raise the taxes on the RICH to account for the difference? All the while, in turn, inviting every citizen to not pay their FEDERAL taxes? Just pay the STATE? Or is this even worth a cogent discussion? Thanks, Rob. Jack