President Obama officially signed off on the highly contentious sequester late Friday night. Days later, its true effects have not yet been felt, leading many to discount it entirely. But the true dangers of sequestration are right around the corner.

The sequester dates back to the Budget Control Act of 2011, which concluded the debt ceiling crisis of the time. The law enacted budget sequestration, which would take effect on January 1, 2013—hence the fiscal cliff fiasco. In enacting this sequester, which attacked such conservative hallmarks as defense spending, Democrats intended to force the Republicans into compromise.

Indeed, the budget cuts were never truly intended to take effect. President Obama has even gone on record referring to them as “dumb.” They were nothing more than a ploy to the Republican Party. So what could have gone wrong?

The tactic proved a fatal miscalculation on President Obama’s part. Rather than compromising as they had to resolve the so-called fiscal cliff, Republicans have firmly held their ground and show no signs of backing down. Thus the “dumb” cuts have become much more than just a tactic. They are now our reality.

To some extent, the sequester is more hype than it is detrimental. The budget cuts shall not be implemented immediately, but rather will be graduated. Their true effects will not be felt for some time, nor will they become readily apparent. But that’s not to say there will be no consequences, both tangible and ideological.

Perhaps Representative Tom Cole, Republican of Oklahoma, best exemplifies the problem: “[Democrats] thought they had Republicans on the run, when all they did was push us to high ground. All the muskets are pointing out. You want to charge the hill? Come on.”

This sort of thinking does nothing for the common person. And, to be fair, nor does initiating the game of cat and mouse as the Democrats have done in the first place. Neither side is truly accounting for the people whom sequestration will most gravely impact in the coming weeks and months.

Sequestering does not help the economy. It’s not intended to help the economy. In proposing the budget cuts, Democrats intended on creating a law so disastrous that Republicans would be forced to compromise. And yet compromise they did not, for reasons equally foolish. The issue is not practical. It’s ideological. The unfortunate truth is that our very well-being has been thrown under the bus over two obstinate political parties. That’s about as “dumb” as it gets.