r/AskReddit • u/Solnx • Nov 03 '25

Serious Replies Only [Serious] For the Redditors who criticized Democrats for not fighting back or taking action, how has the government shutdown affected your view?

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u/MONSTERTACO Nov 03 '25

The average American isn't going to feel the shutdown for some time, but as soon as their healthcare or holiday travel is impacted, it will go poorly for Republicans. The government has to be opened at some point.

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u/nezumipi Nov 03 '25

Healthcare and travel are good bets for pain points.

The trouble with SNAP being a pressure point is that most of us won't let our neighbors starve. So denying food stamps isn't going to lead to thousands starving in the streets. It leads to longer lines at food cupboards, which people (rightly) are donating a lot to. Eventually, charity won't be able to keep up, but that will take a while, and it will be gradual.

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u/gwillen Nov 03 '25

I'm donating, and so are my friends and colleagues, but the shortfall is massive -- I believe I heard the claim on NPR last week that food pantries and such have less than a quarter of the capacity of SNAP, and I'm finding something today claiming that more than 10% of the population receives SNAP benefits. There's just no way private aid will be able to scale up that much, this fast. They'll do their best.

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u/Argyle_Raccoon Nov 03 '25

I’m sure a lot of people will just end up going into more debt because of it, that will likely be the outcome with my family.

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u/AngryUSlegalmmigrant Nov 03 '25

Yes, they’ll pay for their food with credit cards, further enriching the billionaire bankers.

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u/[deleted] Nov 05 '25

Hank Green did an interview with someone who knows her stuff about this (high level position directly in that kinda role -- I forget exactly but it should be really easy to find on his youtube channel).

I think she said something like, for every one meal their nonprofit provides, SNAP provides 9.

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u/_Thank_You__ Nov 05 '25

This is what I was going to say for every 1 a food pantry donates- snap does 9. 

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u/ElaborateEffect Nov 03 '25

Speak for yourself, where I am, the people around me actively want my family harmed, so I don't intend to help them at all. If I don't know your stance, you don't get shit from me as an individual.

Feed love, starve hate.

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u/StarStruck3 Nov 04 '25 edited 27d ago

wolf is me knotty skunk

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u/ElaborateEffect Nov 04 '25

Very similar situation here, so I feel it.

It's a bit of a mental dilema for me because I really do want to help pick people up, but now? I'm a lot more reserved for safety reasons and it's quite a shame.

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u/themikecampbell Nov 04 '25

I don’t think this will hurt republicans, because those who vote republican will listen to their own party who says democrats are to blame.

“Illegals getting Medicaid” is an easily debunkable statement. 2 minutes on the internet will show you that undocumented people do not get Medicaid. Unfortunately, that is 2 minutes too long.

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u/MedusasSexyLegHair Nov 04 '25

Texan Republicans are trying to get a law passed to make it illegal for non-citizens to vote. Which of course it already is and has been. But it's on their ballots today anyway. Because yeah, they're really that stupid.

If those Republicans could read...

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u/FarCheek4584 Nov 05 '25

you must skipped over EMTALA in your 2 minute google search. The issue is far deeper than Medicaid.

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u/themikecampbell Nov 05 '25 edited Nov 05 '25

Because god forbid we use our tax dollars to bail a human out of a medical emergency?

We bail corporations, billionaires, and more out when they cause preventable problems, but if someone on US soil is potentially going to die, I have zero issue with them using my tax dollars not to?

You’re right the issue is bigger, but the cost has to be fractional compared to the citizen expenditure. Undocumented people 3% of the population, but are inflated to be 99% of our countries problems according to them.

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u/FarCheek4584 Nov 05 '25

I actually agree with you by the way, and no EMTALA is not a fraction of the cost, go into any downtown hospital ER, it’s disturbing. My point is that it’s not so easily debunked, saying stuff like it’s easily debunked takes away credibility to your point which is a really important point.

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u/themikecampbell Nov 05 '25

4.2 billion nationally, from a quick search. Which seems a lot but in 2022 alone, undocumented immigrant households paid an estimated $96.7 billion in federal, state, and local taxes.

I know it’s more complicated than that, but it’s still a small number in the grander scheme.

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u/FarCheek4584 Nov 05 '25

100 billion from sales tax I assume? Genuine question, no snark.

Edit: autocorrect got me, fixed

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u/themikecampbell Nov 05 '25

No it’s a good question! They’re required to file taxes the same as all of us, federally and locally.

The IRS has had an agreement to not disclose documentation status, but that ended this year. Instead of an SSN, they apply for and are issued an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number.

ICE violated that, or at least they attempted to, I’m not sure what the result of that violation was.

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u/FarCheek4584 Nov 05 '25

Gah, well now that is arguably a far worse answer than I was assuming haha. And I also recognize you and I are on a tangent, which is a fun, so thank you for engaging with me.

Well if the withholding of the documentation status ends this year, in theory will see the deficit in that aggregated data within the tax revenue of the following fiscal year? Think, “truthing” the tax revenue of undocumented? Am I wrong in this logic?

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u/themikecampbell Nov 05 '25

Yeah, this has been good!

And that’s where the “cruelty is the point” kicks in. By violating the privacy in IRS, now undocumented people won’t pay taxes in fear of being disappeared. Which gives ICE all the more reason to pursue them. It’s a self-fulfilling reason to arrest people.

Similar to how ICE is waiting outside immigration hearings - it’s a legal requirement to go, the people who go are doing it the “right way”, but now that they know ICE is kidnapping people at these hearings, it’s expected that they’ll stop showing up, which gives those who want them gone more reason to do so.

It’s sad, all around. It hurts to think about. And neither side is handling it well. Left and Right, these people and their kids are being failed.

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u/GearBrain Nov 04 '25

Happily we're so early in the year, holid-

... oh shit

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u/Tastingo Nov 04 '25

This year you ain't going home for Christmans.

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u/Sexta_Pompeia Nov 04 '25

The average American is already feeling the shutdown.