The Party That Broke America

The government isn’t paralyzed — it’s being deliberately strangled by those who now own every lever of power.

By Dr. John Petrone

A Manufactured Crisis

The government is officially shut down. Hundreds of thousands of civilian Defense Department employees have been furloughed, scientists at the CDC and NIH have been sent home, and health research that protects millions has been frozen in place. Roughly forty percent of the federal workforce more than three-quarters of a million American are without pay. National parks are shuttered, Smithsonian museums are running on fumes, and air travel is facing disruption as air traffic controllers and TSA agents are forced to work without compensation.

This is not a government in crisis by accident. It is the direct result of deliberate choices made by the party that controls every branch of American government. Republicans control the White House. Republicans control both chambers of Congress. Republicans hold a firm grip on the Supreme Court. Every lever of national power is in their hands, and they have chosen to use that power to grind government to a halt.

Power by Design

Donald Trump has made no secret of his goals. He has openly boasted about slashing federal jobs and shrinking public services, presenting it as proof that government is bloated and broken. Now, with his allies in charge of Congress, he has the muscle to turn that rhetoric into reality. The shutdown is not a side effect of gridlock; it is a strategy to weaken the very institutions that serve the public.

Essential workers like Border Patrol agents, air traffic controllers, and federal law enforcement are being ordered to stay on the job without pay. Families who depend on programs like WIC are being told the funds may dry up. Even FEMA’s disaster relief capacity is threatened if the shutdown drags on. While regular Americans are forced into uncertainty, Congress shields itself from consequence — members still receive their paychecks in full.

Complicit Congress

Republicans in Congress cannot hide behind procedure. They control the budget process, the appropriations committees, and the agenda on the floor. They have chosen brinkmanship over governance. In previous shutdowns, there was at least the appearance of divided government or clashing visions. Not this time. This shutdown comes with the GOP in charge of every chamber and every gavel. It is their shutdown, their choice, and their responsibility.

The Real Cost

Consider what this means in daily life. Passport processing will slow to a crawl, disrupting international travel. National parks left unattended will suffer vandalism, garbage, and looting. Small businesses that rely on federal contracts will see work dry up. Mortgage approvals tied to federal flood insurance will be delayed. Research experiments at NIH and other labs will be abandoned mid-stream. Meanwhile, millions of children and elderly citizens who rely on food and health programs face growing insecurity.

These aren’t abstract policy debates they are lived consequences of one party’s decision to hold the country hostage.

The Authoritarian Blueprint

When one party holds the presidency, both chambers of Congress, and the courts, checks and balances become hollow. The shutdown is part of a larger authoritarian playbook: starve the government of resources, let chaos ripple through society, then point to the wreckage as proof that only strongmen and one-party rule can fix it. That is the road we are on today.

What We Can Do

We cannot meet sabotage with silence. The fightback begins with each of us. Here’s how:

• Call and write your representatives every day. Make it impossible for them to pretend that their constituents aren’t watching. Demand an end to congressional pay during shutdowns. Insist that workers get back pay and that critical programs remain funded.

• Stand with federal workers and contractors. These are our neighbors, friends, and family members. Offer mutual aid, join local rallies, and make sure their stories are amplified.

• Support community institutions under strain. Food banks, schools, hospitals, and nonprofits will feel the brunt of a prolonged shutdown. Donate if you can, volunteer if you’re able, and help your local safety net hold together.

• Refuse the narrative of “both sides.” Speak clearly in your circles: this is not bipartisan dysfunction. This is one party with full control choosing sabotage. Naming the truth is the first defense against propaganda.

• Organize for the long fight. Authoritarian movements count on exhaustion and apathy. We must connect with local civic groups, unions, and grassroots organizations to keep pressure on and build networks that can withstand the long haul.

• Vote, and help others vote. The ultimate tool against one-party rule is overwhelming turnout. Registration drives, rides to the polls, and sustained civic education are all crucial if we are going to break this cycle.

None of these steps alone will end the shutdown, but together they build resilience. They deny the saboteurs what they want most: despair, division, and surrender.

The Fight Ahead

We must speak clearly. The Republican Party controls every major branch of government. They engineered this shutdown. They own its consequences. And they intend to use it as a weapon to reshape this nation into something smaller, meaner, and less democratic.

Americans cannot afford to normalize hostage governance. We must demand accountability. We must rally together. And we must never forget that silence and apathy are the soil in which authoritarianism grows.

The GOP owns this shutdown. They own the damage. And unless the American people push back, they will own the future.

P.S. Release the Epstein Files.