People won't be able to pay the internet companies for their service, or phone companies for theirs.

We would no longer be able to call our representatives or email them.  I'm going to assume writing won't do much good because they'll be in Washington, or the Postal service won't be running.  Does anyone have information as to whether the Postal Service was up and running during the depression?

Wouldn't this essentially lock up the citizens of the United States?  Allowing our representatives to do what they want without little to no backlash from the citizens?

We'll survive.  We'll just be like Argentina

Exactly.  Look at Argentina after it collapsed.  Look at the Russian Federation after the Soviet Union collapsed.  People survive.  Economic conditions are not life or death. Food and water are.  It's all you really need (and guns to keep your food and water).  Gradually, we'll pull ourselves up by the boostraps and perhaps be a better people with less dependence on .gov (no more welfare for the welfare mommas, foodstamp diners and other recepients of government welfare).

Yawn.

Your electric bill will be $3k per month. You will reduce your carbon footprint because you won't be able to afford it.

didn't you hear the latest news? all the boob-tube touters are saying we'll be climbing out of the recession during the 4th quarter! hell, the stock market has already reached last November's lows! everything's rosy!