The U.S. government is shut down.

It has been for 28 days now – making it the longest government shutdown in U.S. history by a wide margin. And there's no telling when it will come to an end.

Justin: Doug, the U.S. government shutdown is now 28 days old. Are you surprised it's lasted this long?

Doug: I'm not surprised, but I'm definitely pleased. There have been a number of shutdowns in the past. Sixteen days under Obama. Twenty-one days under Bill Clinton. Five separate shutdowns on Jimmy Carter's watch. This one, like its antecedents, is no more than a tempest in a toilet bowl – just a nuisance for a small segment of the population. A proper shutdown would include the IRS [laughs].

In this case, the shutdown is because Trump isn't getting the $5.7 billion he wants for his wall. But this begs the question… should there even be a wall? My answer is "no," for a number of both practical and philosophical reasons. Keeping illegal aliens out is a good idea. But it would happen naturally if just two things were done.