It's a blow to the Democratic Party and to the American Left. While, I still believe President Obama will win in November, even if he does (and possibly with his assistance) the Rise of the Plutocracy and the Dominance of the Neo-Feudalist State is not going to be stopped.
Unions were already one foot in the grave, when Scott Walker at the behest of his Lords & Masters, the Koch Brothers, decided to "Divide & Conquer" and kill them in Wisconsin. The Plutocracy has so much power and influence that one party (the Republicans are completely servile and worship the Rich) and a majority of the other (the Democratic Party) are under their sway as well, it will take a reborn Labor Movement to undue the damage of the last 30 years.
Right-Wingers are correct to be mad about the Government; It doesn't represent them. The Government represents the Richest 1% (or 1 in 100 Americans) and increasingly just the Richest 0.1% or 1 in 1000 of Us.
But, while millions of Americans continue to suffer from the Republican Recession, the 1% of this Nation have increased their share of Wealth, rebounded and are doing better than they were before The Republicans led by George W. Bush and his Plutocratic Owners crashed the economy.
While we Liberals and Unions have been working to lift up Our Fellow Americans, conservatives have been convinced that it is by destroying collective bargaining rights, crushing Unions and tearing down their fellow Americans which shall bring about a smaller, more representative Government.
But, what Conservatives seem to fail to understand is the 1%, the Plutocracy only speaks the words of Small Government, Free Market and Capitalism. Their actions show what they really want is a Neo-Feudalist State, in which the Government ruthlessly defends their vast wealth and crushes any real or imagined threats by the 99% under the Iron Heel.
As I wrote on New Year's Eve 2012, The 1% Hate Uncertainty,
The 1% of this Nation hate uncertain elements. What they would rather have is the certainty of the economic model they are confident in; Neo-Feudalism, in which their profits are privatized and protected by Government and their losses are socialized and paid for by the 99%.So, the question is what lesson shall we all take from Scott Walker and Wisconsin? Are we now locked into a path leading us down to Corporate Bondage and Wage Slavery? Or will we rise in Solidarity and craft a truly Democratic Party to represent Us and Our Prosperity?
The 1% don't need you. But, what they do need every so often is to eliminate Uncertainty. And that is why the filthy 1% who deliberately caused the economic collapse and the housing bubble are now trying to convince enough people that it was caused by social programs for the poor and middle class.
Because they need to get their Wholly Bought and Paid for Republican Party and Pro-Business Democrats elected to eliminate Uncertainty so that they may turn all of America into A Galt's Gulch. But while, they live as Lords, the 99% will live as serfs and wage slaves mining their gold, picking their arugula and quietly dying off when their working years are over.
Because that is Certainty the 1% are Striving towards; Rand's Ultimate Vision for the 99%, for the Common Man, that he toil unobtrusively underneath the feet of the 1% Colossuses and have the courtesy to die quickly and quietly.
Related:
The Walker Recall: Lessons for Progressives by Robert Borosage [OurFuture.org]
A Wake Up Call for the Dems, Labor and the Left by Greg Sargent [Washington Post: The Plum Line]
The lesson? Money (for the candidate) and ignorance(by the voter) is a dangerous weapon, and can used to win elections.
ReplyDeleteInteresting analysis, but it is much simpler than that: Nothing works like success. Walker eliminated the deficit, lowered taxes, lowered health insurance costs for teachers and schools, and lowered unemployment.
ReplyDelete38% of union households voted for Walker, so looks like you have some traitors in the ranks.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/06/05/wisconsin-recall-vote_n_1572662.html
"....Plutocracy and the Dominance of the Neo-Feudalist State.."
ReplyDeleteIsn't this roughly now the model of China. (I don't mean in total, but some of the major modes of operation) A plutocracy of sudden billionaires and government insiders running a capitalistic market based corporate nation. Stealing land from locals for industry, restrict voting to a few party members, keep wages low, manipulating banking and trades, punish protests, harass environmentalist?
Jerry C,
ReplyDeleteI think the accepted analysis of what motivates the right-wing voter needs a new look. Everyone wonders why conservatives would vote themselves into bondage and assumes it's do to being duped and ignorant.
While that might hold for a portion of the Republican voting base, it might just be that conservatives actually benefit from being the serville lapdogs of the Plutocracy. First choice of table scraps...
Silverfiddle,
Unlike Orthodox Conservativism, which punishes heresy with ostracization, Liberals believe in Freedom and Union members can vote whatever way they choose without being called "traitors".
yellow fringe,
Yes a Plutocrat in America sees his counterpart in china as much more akin to him than 99% of America.
It's why the Rich continually harm this Nation, they see 99% of American workers as the same as 99% of Chinese workers. Interchangeable parts to be used up when young and healthy and cast aside when old and injured.
That's what Scott Walker promises his Koch Overlords, that he'll keep the masses powerless and cowed easily broken, easily dispatched whne they get too "costly" liek wanting a middle class lifestyle.
What the Republicans in Congress seek is for a middle class of low income slaves to work in the 1% owned mills and farms - the whole reason behind the Far Right being against contraception is for the slaves to make more babies to work as slaves.
ReplyDeleteKeep the powder dry...
Sarge
They force women to have children so they can use those children as little hostages. Most women will do all sorts of things to feed a child that they would never do if it were just themselves they were looking out for. Men too, actually.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteUnlike Orthodox Conservativism, which punishes heresy with ostracization, Liberals believe in Freedom and Union members can vote whatever way they choose without being called "traitors".
ReplyDeleteWell, I'm glad to hear it. Wouldn't want any of them to get SWATed. Foam at the mouth lefties can get pretty vile when they don't get their way.
The larger question is, why would they vote against their own interests?
Fiddle- Maybe I can clear this up for you. A lot of Wisconsin Union Members do not enjoy the same retirement and healthcare packages that the Public Unions in Wisconsin received. These Public Unions did not receive much support from anyone. Chicago Policemen, Firemen, and Teachers pay 80-20. The Wisconsin taxpayer had to fund the Public Unions retirement & healthcare 100%. When asked to make concessions, the Unions said no. I understand why they said no. Once you give something away, you never get it back. However, the sympathy for the Wisconsin Unions were nonexistent. Only because they had benefits that no other Unions in the area had. That includes Private Sector unions in Wisconsin.
ReplyDeleteJ.O.B.,
ReplyDeleteEnvy usually runs across class because the 1% have successfully isolated themselves so the poor and middle class don't see the obscene shit they have. Thus Walker's divide & conquer strategy worked because one worker sees a union member with a few crumbs more and gets jealous...
Patricia,
Thank you for your generous comment, but please don't sell yourself short, your posts are always excellent.