When we complain about policy disagreements and dysfunction in government, I am fond of reminding the complainers of a simple fact.

Look for the common denominator, I am bound to say. All the issues that erupt have something in common. It’s more or less like the dysfunction I have witnessed in my immediate family. I can point to an individual who is at the center of the dysfunction as the cause of it all.

So it is with government. What is the common denominator in the troubles that have befallen the federal government, which at this moment has shut down many offices that provide service to those of us who pay for it?

It’s the Republican Party, its leadership and in this moment the MAGA wing that just can’t find a way to negotiate with those dreaded Democrats. They are the common thread that runs through all of this. They were present when the government shut down during Donald Trump’s first term in office. Indeed, they were in power when Newt Gingrich was the GOP speaker of the House.

Government shutdowns don’t serve anyone any good. They simply deny essential services to millions of Americans whose tax money pays for the government to work for them. Right now, it ain’t working for anyone!

Democrats want to keep health care available for millions of Americans. Republicans don’t. Hmm. What’s wrong with this picture?

I am not going to predict an end to this latest shutting down of the government. I just want us all to understand who is responsible for its occurence in the first place.

Then we need to respond accordingly when the time comes to vote on whether to keep these dipshits in power.