I propose we christen the demonstrators in Wisconsin–many of them no doubt bussed in from out of State on the more or less direct orders of Obama–the “pro-bureaucracy movement”. It sounds a lot like democracy, but of course you can’t call what they are doing “pro-democracy”. They are, after all, a movement specifically working to thwart the will of a legislature (and governor, if I’m not mistaken) just sworn in a month ago after a fair election.
They are pro-government protesters–they just represent the parts that are never ratified by the electorate, and who in most years get everything they demand.
2 replies on “Wisconsin”
"It sounds a lot like democracy, but of course you can't call what they are doing "pro-democracy". They are, after all, a movement specifically working to thwart the will of a legislature (and governor, if I'm not mistaken) just sworn in a month ago after a fair election."
Funny that these protests go against the democracy, but the Tea Party 's protests are the essence of liberty and American ideals…
Obviously, anyone can protest anything in a free nation.
Do you seriously want to make the case, though, that the majority of Wisconsin people–who just voted in this State government–don't want to balance the budget?
Do you want to make the case that all those protesters actually live in Wisconsin, and vote there?
Do you want to make the case that the Democrat law-makers are not treating their responsibilities to the voters with contempt and cowardice?
More generally, it is possible to use psychology and sociology to analyze people's intent. The Tea Party is based on the realization that the professional Left in this nation, which has taken over the Democrat Party, has in the long run no interest in sharing power, attending to the actual will of the people, and is dead-set on growing our national government until we are no longer free.
We will be bankrupt at that point too.
Put simply: the Tea Party is right, and the protesters in Wisconsin are wrong. That is my viewpoint, which I defend in detail often.
To take one example: Obama's Health Insurance Mandate. He clearly did not have the will of the People behind him. Polling data clearly showed that then, and continues to show it. The majority of Americans opposed what he and the Democrats were choosing to do anyway. They said we would come around. We didn't: and they got shellacked in the election, which was in large measure a referendum on leftist policy.
Wisconsin is no different. Unless you are stupid–certainly a tenable hypothesis–you should realize that these protests are going to be worth 5-10% points in the next national election. They show an entitlement mentality that is quite ugly to see when so many are struggling.
What they also indicate is a fundamental unwillingness to play fair, to accept the consequences of the electoral process. Obama never should have passed that infernal bill.
Wisconsin SHOULD pass their bill: it is what the people of Wisconsin want. That Obama has bused in professional bullies will not change this. It will hurt him and his cause in the short, medium, and long terms. That, of course, is to the good.