WASHINGTON: President Obama and Congressional Republicans failed to break the political gridlock as the partial shutdown of the US government entered Day 3 on Thursday. There are now growing concerns not only about shutdown’s economic impact on rest of the world should it extend for weeks as some are projecting, but also about global faith in the American political system itself.

A White House meeting with Congressional leaders called by Obama on Wednesday only served to accentuate sharp differences and immovable stance of the two major political forces.

Although the personal exchanges were polite, Democrats and Republicans targeted each other through public statements that followed the futile engagement. The only things both sides agree on is that the other side is to blame for the impasse.

Obama said he would not set a precedent where “an extremist wing” of a party holds a government to ransom, and the so-called extremist wing, whose core beliefs include a profound distrust of government and its role in people’s lives, made light of the shutdown , which showed signs of cascading to other areas. Republicans accused the President and his party of refusing to negotiate. “You don’t get to demand ransom,” the President hit back, saying there can be no negotiation on basic economic fundamentals such as the spending bill and the debt ceiling.

While the immediate problem is the hardline Republican faction (the so-called Tea Party) refusing to pass the spending bill to fund the running of the administration into the next fiscal year in its bid to scuttle Obamacare, political pundits are now trying to get their heads around the larger issue: Can the US afford a political system where a few lawmakers can subvert the appropriations process to throw sand in the wheels of the government and bring it to a grinding halt?

Basically, the US House of Representatives controls the purse strings of the government , and the party that wins the House has a handle on appropriations process — allocating money to run the government . In recent years, when Congress and the White House have been won by opposing parties, House members have it to keep the government on life support, using it as a bargaining chip to extract various concessions.

Although government shutdowns have occurred before , and continuing resolutions that fund the administration in bits and pieces, have become part of the legislative process, the current scrap goes to the heart of profound changes the US is experiencing . The extreme wing of the Republican Party, about 30 members of Congress, find their political space and core beliefs under siege in country that has become racially diverse , and to an extent politically moderate. This is their rebellion — against what they believe is an indulgent government whose “reckless” overreach — specially towards minorities and immigrants — will destroy their lily— white vision of America.

Angry Americans vent their ire online

The roiling debate over the US government shutdown is extending to Twitter, Facebook and Instagram as fed-up Americans turn to social media to register their disgust with lawmakers . Some called Congress members “stupid,” “immature” and “idiots” who need to “grow up.” There were a few who cheered the Republicans stance. But most tweeters said they couldn’t understand why a compromise seemed so elusive. AP

Closed monuments disappoint tourists

For many people it is the trip of a lifetime. But thousands have been left angry at being locked out of landmark US national parks due to the shutdown. Hundreds who were already be staying in places like Yosemite and the Grand Canyon faced a deadline Thursday to leave. Other tourist attractions shuttered include the Statue of Liberty, Mount Rushmore, Yellowstone National Park, and the Alcatraz prison island. (AFP)