Wisconsin: Overwhelming Ironies

The plain truth is that the Democratic wing of the Corporate Party does care about unions – as sources of campaign organizing and contributions. And it needs the union contributions more now because corporations need the Democrat sham party less since the Robert Extreme Court allowed them to buy elections almost directly.

But the Democrats want tame unions. They have no choice but to speak in favor of the demonstrators in Madison, but they’re undoubtedly pretty worried about those demonstrators.

If the Wisconsin union folks should somehow manage to make Little Caesar Walker back down to substantial degree, they may well inspire similar insurrections elsewhere, and insurrections are notoriously difficult to control. The unions could, possibly, decide to become a power unto themselves, backing politicians who actually support them and fight for their needs, rather than just backing any pol who decides to put on a Democrat team jersey. Wouldn’t that be ironic?

And then there is the powerful irony of seeing some Republicans and “conservatives” cheering popular uprisings in the Arab world and, just days or hours later, decrying the uprising of American workers who have had enough of being screwed over.

Of course, the boobs who believe Glenn Beck and the rest of the Fox liars won’t get caught in that particular irony and hypocrisy. That’s because they’re already drowning in the hypocrisy of decrying those Arab efforts at grabbing freedom. They’ve been told by Fox, and so they believe, that all Arabs are Islamic fanatics out to destroy the West and that, therefore, we should be sending in our military, if necessary, to uphold the right of vicious dictators — “our friends” — to murder, torture and otherwise repress their own people.

I’m not sure that “I’m an utter damned fool” is a whole lot better than “I’m a hypocrite.”

But other “conservatives” are in that ironic, hypocritical corner, cheering efforts for freedom in democracy in the Middle East and decrying it at home.

I hope that somewhere along the way those Wisconsinites -– and the working people of Ohio, and Indiana and New Jersey and elsewhere — start backing politicians, including our corporation-loving president, into corners and demanding much, much more from them. It’s time they — we — told the pols that it is not enough to mouth meaningless phrases designed to appease working people while avoiding any offense to the corporate elite.

The folks in Wisconsin should say a hearty thanks to the 14 Democrats who walked out of the Legislature, and add “Now do more.”

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I strongly recommend this column from the New York Times by one of the three honest economists in the United States (well, maybe four or even five). And this one.

Jim Fuller

James Clay Fuller

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