Having so many people marked asessential, really guts so much of the pain from the shutdown, thus prolonging it. Would the various factions let this shit go on if the entire military was furloughed, the entire weather service, the entire Social safety net apparatus? If they themselves quit getting their paychecks? Fuck no they wouldn't. The American Taliban (yes yes, The Newsroom already did this joke a season ago, but jesus it just seems more and more apt) may even find a reason to come to the table.