It helps if you're going to cover a big rally to get there early. Today was a perfect example. Union members across the state of Wisconsin rallied for the second day against governor Scott Walker's proposal toabolish bargaining rights of state workers and drastically reduce pay and benefits. This includes teachers, police, firefighters, corrections officers, game wardens, snow plow drivers, doctors, nurses, university professors, and a myriad of other state workers who staff the various divisions of state government. (You can read more about the proposal here)
I didn't get there until 4:30, when most people had left. It wasn't over by any means, though, as busloads of teachers and other union members were arriving from all over the state. The governor, a none-too-bright guy, has awakened a sleeping giant. Tomorrow's rally promises to be even bigger.
In the wave of "Republican" election gains last fall everyone from Barack Obama to governors and local officials nationwide are proposing drastic cuts in spending for government services and payments to less fortunate citizens for such things as home heat and help with food and rent. Nowhere in any of these plans is it mentioned to place any burden whatsoever on those who benefit the most from living in this country: the rich. The multibillionaires, multimillionaires, Wall Street profligates who destroyed our banking system with their greed, corporate executives who pollute the land and air, agricultural conglomerates who sell us tainted food, pharmaceutical executives who push harmful drugs down our throats, weapons manufacturers who promote wars in order to generate more demand for their implements of death, and much more. I shouldn't leave out the media conglomerates who shape and manipulate public perception to acquiesce to corporate propaganda.
There are rumblings of change, though. Just as in the recent upheaval in "Egypt," people right here in "America" are waking up to the reality of what is going on all around them. It is still winter, yet Wisconsinites from all over the state sacrificed their time, money, and energy to come to the state Capitol to stand up for their rights.
There are other rumblings. To my great delight, renowned economist Robert Reich isadvocating for progressive income tax, much like existed before the demented era of "Conservatism" that began with the demented presidency of Ronald Reagan, starting in 1981. Reich also provided some insight into the budget debate.
On tonight'sNews Hour, independent Senator Bernie Sanders (Vermont) talked about how unfair the budgeting process is to the most vulnerable among us. Among the things he said were the following:"...our middle class is collapsing. Our median family income has gone down. Poverty is going way, way up. And the gap between the very, very rich and everybody else is going wider.
So, I think, before you look at budgets or how you deal with the deficit, you have got to take that into consideration. For example, the top 1 percent today earn more income than do the bottom 50 percent. They earn about 22 percent of every dollar earned in America. And that gap is growing wider.Meanwhile, what this budget includes are massive tax breaks for millionaires and billionaires. So, you have a situation. The rich are getting richer. Their tax rates have gone down for many, many years. Their effective tax rate right now -- people like Warren Buffett talk about this -- at 16 percent, is lower than at any time in recent history, and yet we're giving them huge tax breaks, while poverty in America is increasing.
We have the highest rate of childhood poverty in the industrialized world for our children, and we're cutting programs for those people. So, the first thing we have to deal with is revenue. And, as a nation, we have got to say, sorry, the rich are getting richer. They're doing really well. Our friends on Wall Street, we shouldn't have to worry about. They get huge amounts of compensation.
We cannot continue to give huge tax breaks to the wealthy, cut back on programs for the vulnerable. So, that's the first issue I think we have to deal with."
He goes on about how Obama is clueless (my term, not his), most significantly about the causes of the budget deficit:"The deficit primarily has been caused by two wars unfunded, huge tax breaks to people who don't need it, an insurance-company-written Medicare Part D prescription drug program, and the bailout of Wall Street.
The cause of it is not hungry children in this country or people who are sleeping out on the street. So, we have got to deal with the deficit, but you do it in a fair and progressive way. For example, this year alone, we're losing a hundred billion dollars in revenue because corporations, the wealthy, are stashing their money in tax havens in the Cayman Islands.
This year, ExxonMobil, the most profitable corporation in the history of the world, is not paying a nickel in federal income taxes, despite having made $19 billion last year. In 2005, one-quarter of corporation -- large corporations in America making a trillion in revenue didn't pay a nickel in taxes. You have got a military budget which in many ways is still fighting the old Cold War.
So, I believe that we have to move toward significant deficit reduction, but you don't do it on the backs of the middle class and working families who are already suffering as a result of this Wall Street-caused recession.
You want to know the way to raise money? Put a transaction fee on Wall Street, so maybe we can curb some of the speculation and raise some money."
The same can be said for budget problems at the state and local level. The rich are not bearing any burden whatsoever. It is time to overthrow them, just like the "Egyptians" overthrew Mubarak. The days are getting longer, and the weather is getting warmer. It is a perfect time for overthrow._______________________________________________________
Here's a video of yesterday's Madison rally.
Here's another.
This video is a must see.
There is power in a union.For a little revolutionary energy, clickhere. Also here. One Tracy Chapman song isn't enough.Here's another.
Just change the name to Madison for thisone.
This song might get some revolutionary energy going.
Can't leave the Beatles out. This version was for the Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour.
Or Leonard Cohen.
You likely never heard this song, but it still resonates.
Here's Walker announcing his proposal.
This story in Mother Jones describes the relationship between Wisconsin governor Scott Walker and the notorious Koch brothers.
For more information about the Koch brothers, click here.
The New York Times has a story about the involvement of the Koch brothers in Wisconsin.
A diagram that depicts the connections between the Koch brothers and Wisconsin politics can be seen here.Here's a bit of background on public employee pay versus private.
Here's some background on how Wall Street "investors" caused the mess we are in. For an interview that gives a shorter synopsis, click here.
This analysis by John Dean explains much about our current predicament. It is from a book he wrote on the subject of authoritarianism and conservatism.
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Comments
The biggest problem I find when I write something is that the vast majority of people don't know how to read. They tend to have no sense of ambiguity, nuance, metaphor, or even humor. The word overthrow, for instance, can be taken in a number of ways. What I actually said was overthrow the rich, so in the case of "Elijah Rising," literal ability to read is problematic.
Overthrow, especially of the rich who control this country, is a big task, and can mean many things to many people. It isn't likely to get very far if you think it is better to recall them. Maybe "Elijah Rising" might want to reread the last paragraph of the post. I suggest scanning it first, then reading it sentence by sentence, then out loud, then from back to front. Then write a summary. Maybe then you will have some understanding of what I actually wrote.
We're having a rally here on March 5th, for teachers to protest the introduction of almost a dozen bills in the state legislature, bills that have been introduced under the guise of "education reform", but are nothing less than attacks on the union on every front.
I'm hoping we'll have thousands show up.
As a federal worker, we too have come under fire for being "overpaid fat-cat bureaucrats." Tell that to the kitchen workers for whom management refuses even to provide a table in their breakroom--and they're forced to eat their meals ON THE FLOOR!!
If it can happen in Wisconsin, God forbid, then the rest of us are next in line. I'm praying for y'all--and the rest of our poor working-stiff Americans.
Rated.
The word "dictator" has cropped up frequently. I even saw an "Impeach Walker" sign a mere month after he took office. The good news for the Democrats is that Walker's actions and those of other conservative self-proclaimed "non-politicians" in the state Congress have already doen more to ignite the Democrats for the 2012 election than the Democratic party could have done for itself!
rated
Why don't you ask the teachers about calling in sick? I'm sure that is violation of their contract.
Of course, there are always a few clunkers. I didn't put any pictures of the governor with a hitler mustache because I didn't see any. The same goes for dreawings of him in crosshairs. If you have any pictures of your own, maybe you could post them, along with, of course, an inteligent, insightful analysis of the issues involved.
Among the occupations I have pursued over the years was substitute teaching, including a few years in the Madison area. I found the teachers to be better than ever, more dedicated, and surprisingly adept at managing increasingly challenging student populations. The main reason schools are having so many problems is that the society is breaking down. Kids come to school with more problems and pressures than ever before - divorce, unemployment, TV and other electronic media, peer pressure, bullying, and general alienation. Then there is the silliness of "No child left behind" and "Race to the top." I'm amazed that teachers achieve the success they do.
Substitute teaching was a fallback occupation for me, because my regular job waxed and waned so much. The facility where I worked for years closed a few years ago, and we were all fired. Some of us, myself included, were rehired at the company's main facility a few months later, without benefits, and of course no union. It is a longer drive, and I have no sick days, no vacation days, no health insurance, and I pay almost all my 401K. Welcome to the future of "at will employment."
I'm lucky, because I can get health care at the VA, and am going to retire soon. I saw this coming decades ago, and never really put much faith in the American Dream or myth of mutual cooperation in some grand civilization. The Vietnam war was evidence enough for me that wealthy interests are pure evil, and will do whatever they can to have the whole world for themselves.
Now we are at a crossroads. We can decide as a people if we are going to have a distributive society or wage slavery. The first step is recognizing the problem. The next step is acting on that knowledge. Here in Wisconsin both factors are fully manifest, and it is a time of great hope and inspiration. If the rest of the country picks up the torch, so to speak, then we just might save our failing civilization.
When your plant reopened did they not tell you what you were going to make? Did you not agree to it?
Politicians over spent for years. They have to make cuts. They don't have a choice anymore. If he would have cut the "save the fruit fly" budget the fruit fly people would have come out to protest. This time you ox got gored. Next time it will be mine. None of us have a choice.
"I'm sure that is violation of their contract."
"This time you ox got gored."
typos???
When you gonna' admit you don't know the basics of the language, catnliar?
you do remember the time you PMed with a vicious set of YOUR rules, and I replied: "Also I will ask you ONLY this one time: please do not under any circumstances PM me again.
And you posted that I had threatened you.
Anyone ever hear of a threat that has the words "ask" and "please" in them.
Thus, catnLIAR.
You are the worse kind of slim. You think nothing about anyone other than yourself. You are a selfish asshole.
The person who posted this blog took his time to post his thoughts to start a conversation. Others came and used their time to read and reply. You come with you bullshit and you add nothing to the debate.
All you can do is complain about typos and attack someone who posted something. That's just slim by a slimy person. Why don't you act like a normal human, I know scum like you are not human, and debate the issue the people took their time to post here. People at OS want to debate and learn. They don't want you form of slim
So FUCK YOU. Go back under what ever rock you came out from under. Either that or GROW UP. You are nothing but a selfish child.
To be specific, I believe that what we refer to as "right wing" is actually a psychopathology. I don't believe the imaginary spectrum of "left" to "right" exists, but I have encountered a great number of "right wingers" in my life. They all have one thing in common: mental and emotional disturbance.
"Leftists" aren't much better, taking them on on ideological grounds, as if authoritarian personality disorder, bullying, bigotry, and paranoia are all policy stances. If I had the time I would go through all the "right wing" letters and deconstruct them, but I have a life other than words on the Web. The comments will be there for a long time, so I can always go back to them.
I can just see these guys, lurking around on various "liberal" websites, pecking away at their computers, hammering out trash talk. Which brings up one of my favorite questions: What kind of life is that?
You are the worse kind of slim
You come with you bullshit
That's just slim by a slimy person.
They don't want you form of slim
No, I'm really not that slim, nor am I slimy.
These are not typos. You continually your ignorance of the English language.
Just as you cannot recognize a polite request from a threat.
"Also I will ask you ONLY this one time: please do not under any circumstances PM me again."
Is this a polite request or as you characterized on-line (for anyone to see) a threat?
Until you can answer that simple question STFU and expect me to continue to dog you.
Thanks for opening your mouth and proving to all the fine people here on OS that I'm right when I say you're an asshole. You prove you're an asshole a lot better than I can.
Is this a polite request or as you characterized on-line (for anyone to see) a threat?
And a question: The PBS's The News Hour provides transcripts--is that right?