I for one would be happy if the Federal Government largely shriveled up and went away and Federal income tax along with it.
The Founders never intended the mega-sized bureaucracy monster that we have today, and they've proven over and over again their general uselessness and inability to come to agreements and compromise. Only a government could be run so poorly.
Anyways, this ain't time to throw on the gas masks and hide in the basement. This isn't the first time the government has "shut down", though it has been 17 years. As Conan joked, the average person won't notice much of a difference. Pretty much all critical functions of the government will continue. Markets will be disappointed. National parks will be closed. 800,000 "non-essential" Federal workers will be furloughed. Not exactly the drama that it has been made out to be.