ADVERTISEMENT

Depending on your point of view, the United States and the United Kingdom can be seen as great bastions of liberal democracy, progress, and freedom; or imperial powers struggling to hold on to the power and wealth accumulated largely through colonialism and war.

Either way, the rest of the world looks on in curiosity as the governments of these once great nations decide to disengage from hard-won international treaties and agreements, put their fingers in their ears to economic realities and begin to build walls around themselves, now that they aren't allowed to just take from everyone else anymore.

But while Donald Trump stokes nonsensical fear of terrorist hordes, flooding over the border to justify his precious wall for 'national security,' people are finding themselves in real and present danger due to the government shutdown he has called to get his way. Hundreds of thousands of government workers are being stood down or are working without pay, including those critical to the safety of air passengers, such as airport security workers and air traffic controllers.

The irony of it all would be hilarious if it weren't so serious. Scroll down below to see the actual, tangible ways that the shutdown is affecting the safety of Americans and let us know what you think in the comments. (Facebook cover image: iStock / MediaProduction)

#2

Tsa-Agents-After-Government-Shutdown

dsherman2407 Report

Add photo comments
POST
kaisu-reinikainen avatar
Kaisu Rei
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Trump is so contradictory, he says he wants to keep terrorism out of the US by building a wall yet he throws a tantrum and shuts down the government which means TSA workers could easily let a terrorist slip by because they can't monitor everyone when they're not getting paid

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
#3

Tsa Agents

ColemanTH Report

Add photo comments
POST
thereader19 avatar
TheReader19
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This should be illegal, no government should be allowed to hold its citizens hostage like this. Especially in jobserved which are a matter of national security.

nwalkowski avatar
Nadine
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

And the irony is Trump is trying to convince us this all is to keep us SAFE from the "monsters and terrorists" at the border. Meanwhile, real terrorists have a free for all at our airports. Didn't we learn anything from 9/11? Trump didn't but he's not what I call a quick learner.

lallen8849 avatar
Linda Allen
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Get these imposters out of office. They don't care about us, they only care about their egos and their bank accounts.

lallen8849 avatar
Linda Allen
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

May God bless all of you and keep you safe. It would be so easy to stay at home.

paula_mary_hannon avatar
Paula Hannon
Community Member
5 years ago

This comment has been deleted.

sbagci avatar
S Bagci
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Not really for free.... they'll get all of it in back pay when the government opens up again.

mike_hansen_5817300 avatar
Mike Hansen
Community Member
5 years ago

This comment is hidden. Click here to view.

They are NOT working for free!!! When the shutdown is over, they will ALL be paid back wages!!!!!

daveroger710 avatar
Dave Roger
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

So you could just work for a month or two without pay? My god. You people will defend anything.

Load More Replies...
lynneinchile avatar
Lynne Wolfe
Community Member
5 years ago

This comment is hidden. Click here to view.

They are not working for free. They will be paid for every hour they work. What a stupid, misleading statement.

david_119 avatar
David Bloom
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

There's no guarantee of that. Trump himself has talked about how he wants to spend the money he's 'saving' by shutting down the government AND he's talking about keeping the government shut down for months. How do you think these people are going to live while that goes on? They're probably already stretched too thin. Most Americans are in serious trouble if they miss just two paycheques.

Load More Replies...
View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
#6

Tsa Agents

BillWeirCNN Report

Add photo comments
POST
wil_vanderheijden avatar
Wil Vanderheijden
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Their collegues call in sick so that they can do other jobs to earn the money they need to pay their bills. But the Tangerine Turd doesn't care. Liked a spoiled little bratt he's clinging on to his idea of having a useless wall.

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
#8

Tsa Agents

annagedstad Report

Add photo comments
POST
crabcrab avatar
Hans
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Maybe this should be the time to question all the security theather at airports. Most of the things currently being done harass innocent people while adding zero to actually stopping bad guys who know what they are doing.

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
#11

Tsa Agents

sanabhojwani Report

Add photo comments
POST
luismilian avatar
Luis Milian
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

most are calling sick in order to not get in trouble by just not showing up.

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
#12

Tsa-Agents-After-Government-Shutdown

TaraSetmayer Report

Add photo comments
POST
ariawhitaker avatar
Aria Whitaker
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This is so disgusting and embarrassing. I cant wait until our countrymen can have some dignity again in the world....everyone either hates us now, pities us, or is laughing at us. I feel so "Great" right now :-/ 2020!!!!!! It can not come fast enough, I have talked to so many people that hardly ever vote, but they said they will certainly be in line at the polls in '20 to get this incompetent embarrassment OUT OF HERE...

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
#14

Tsa Agents

ulabeast Report

Add photo comments
POST
christian-crisetig avatar
ADHORTATOR
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

How can a government force people to work and not pay them, perhaps for months?

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
#15

Tsa Agents

amandadeibert Report

Add photo comments
POST
bpbperic avatar
Night Owl
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

True, everyone should know about the scope and impact of this shutdown

View more commentsArrow down menu
#16

Tsa Agents

omacadams Report

Add photo comments
POST
thereader19 avatar
TheReader19
Community Member
5 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

It's not, but people can't afford to even get to their place of work. Your president should not be allowed to hold his citizens hostage.

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
#17

Tsa-Agents-After-Government-Shutdown

StephenAmell Report

Add photo comments
POST
tacticalsquirrel23 avatar
Conrad Strucker
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Guys, Oliver Queen has got you! On a more serious note, though, it's great of him to understand the problems TSA workers are having right now instead of getting mad about the wait like mos people would.

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
#19

Tsa Agents

AJTweetss Report

Add photo comments
POST
kaisu-reinikainen avatar
Kaisu Rei
Community Member
5 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I wouldn't put any effort either if I wasn't getting paid. You get what you pay for, though in this case you get what you didn't pay for when these people even showed up to work in the first place

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
ADVERTISEMENT
See Also on Bored Panda
#21

Tsa-Agents-After-Government-Shutdown

PGator93 Report