A positive side of the US shutdown: their spies have been shut down too:
Senior US intelligence officials have warned the shutdown of the US government "seriously damages" spy agencies' ability to protect the US.
Director of National Intelligence James Clapper told a Senate panel that an estimated 70% of intelligence workers had been placed on unpaid leave.
Also, the head of the US electronic spy agency said morale had been devastated.
Obviously he thinks that's a Bad Thing, but for the rest of the world its a different story. No American spies means no global panopticon and no totalitarian surveillance. It means no undemocratic coups to overthrow elected and legitimate governments the US does not like. And it means no rendition and no drone murders. The US should shut down its spies permanently, and leave us to live our own lives without their undemocratic interference.
