For every 1 of the 800,000 federal employees furloughed, there are probably 2 or 3 non-feds affected (at least). And none of them are going to get back pay.
That may be, at least in the short term.
But in the long term, aren’t we a lot better off as a nation with a much smaller federal workforce?
And whatever number that is, shouldn’t every one of them be absolutely and demonstrably essential?