Torn Like An Old Sweater

The almost two week long protest at Wisconsin's state capitol certainly has gotten the old gears grinding.  Both on a literal level as the majority Republicans and "spectacling" Senate Democrats and their throngs of supporting protesters are firmly entrenched in halting government movement and figuratively as the little engine that could between my ears continues to break down viscosity.  While the protests have been a beautiful, awe inspiring exhibit of public force, I get tired of the notion that the people have drawn a line in the sand.  No they haven't, they've drawn a circle around an issue.  Albeit an important issue, but what happens next?

Governor Scott Walker and his ilk seem to believe that while a majority of eligible voters don't actually show up to the polls, that the citizens of his state have voiced a mandate to disparage the better interests of the poor, the state workers and more importantly further strike down the diminishing voice of workers unions, perhaps the only big political sway left to counterbalance corporate interest, not to mention a champion of his political rivals.  While this may just be political kamikaze, I'm sure if and when the public removes him there will be plenty of corporate board positions available.  So let's say one of the Democrats comes back and the bill passes.  Then the real political fight begins.  General strike?  Recalls?  New voter sentiment in 2012?  Believe it or not this may be better than the alternative.

It is hard to look a grass roots political movement with, for the most part, the betterment of community in mind and say that's great, but......  You can't tell these people to give up, nor should you, so let's say the Democrats histrionics works and the protesters spirit overcomes, and the bill is rebuilt with the removal of collective bargaining restrictions.  Yay, victory, right?  Um, more like pacification.  Unnecessary union concessions to support corporate tax breaks? Retardation and constraint of Badger Care, a program that should be expanded?  State property sold off to no bid contracts?

Much has been made of the impressive number of protesters, reaching upwards of 100,000, but in reality there should be a minimum 300,000 protesters at every state capital every day saying, "Stop, take care of our communities!".  It's impressive the tools the conservative right (mostly religion and Ronald Reagan) has used to scare a large number of otherwise common folk from voting in their communities best interests.  They love to throw the term "wealth redistribution" around to scare folks off from wanting a fair tax system and good social programs, but damn it if they don't love to take from our teachers, nurses, snow plow drivers and prison guards to help bank roll billionaires.  I'm also perversely amused by the division tactic of telling people in the private sector they are unfairly paying for public pensions and health insurance benefits they themselves don't receive.  First pensions are delayed payment of income earned and secondly the United States government tried to provide everybody with health insurance benefits and the conservative right acted as if the feds were taking their precious guns away and now we are left with a cumbersome, bastardized, amateur attempt at socialized medicine.

Maybe someday the masses will see through rhetoric, realize their best efforts are achieved as a community and not as wealth rivals.  Hopefully the labor stand in Wisconsin is the spark that starts the fire.