Just pull the damn plug

You start with this:

If Treasury were to decide to delay payments, it would need to re-program government computers that generate automatic payments as they fall due -- a massive and difficult undertaking.

...sensationalize it (a bit):

...It’s far from clear that it’s even possible to stop making the 3 million payments that Treasury makes automatically every day.  Doing so involves a massive computer-reprogramming effort which I’m sure could not be implemented overnight...

...and you get:

if Felix Salmon is to be believed, Treasury will send out checks anyway because it can’t stop.

The sad thing is, while I’m sure Glenn has his tongue firmly in cheek, because it’s "computers,”^[1] somebody is sure to believe it.

Watch for its appearance on the weekend gabfests!


Elsewhere: Smitty reacts:

Nonsense: ... This is more of a junkie/needle problem than a technical one.

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Posted by: Old Grouch in In Passing at 18:55:08 GMT | No Comments | Add Comment
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