The Wisconsin Microcosm
"We can have democracy in this country, or we can have great wealth concentrated in the hands of a few, but we can't have both."
- Supreme Court Justice Louis D. Brandeis
I'm damned-near speechless - but hardly surprised. Could the election have been tampered with? We'll never know. Democracy is today at the mercy of easily hackable, computerized voting machines, not to mention unlimited money for paid propaganda and misinformation. A strange new world. It took 1984 twenty-eight years to finally get here.
Do you want to get a clearer picture of what the future has in store for the people of the United States? Look toward Wisconsin. You say you want a revolution? Don't waste your time. The American people (or enough of them to make stealing the election easier) will be distracted by the pretty wrapping paper every time. Forget what's inside the package. Just look toward Wisconsin.
Do you have any idea the damage that the Supreme Court's disgusting Citizens United ruling of two years ago has done to your country? Would you like an example? Look toward Wisconsin.
Governor Walker and the Republicans attacked the unions by ending collective bargaining. They slash a billion dollars from public education. They lightened even further the tax burdens of huge corporations based in that state. They have effectively told the middle class to lay down and die. And yet yesterday, enough Wisconsin voters were lulled into complacency by the sweet sounding bells and the lovely whistles. In the recall election of June 5, 2012, an event that had political junkies across the globe riveted, Mayor Tom Barrett of Milwaukee was soundly defeated. He was outspent seven-to-one, most of the cash coming from the out-of-state Billionaire's Club. He never had a chance.
The president of the United States was out there pitching for the candidate. His contribution to the discussion? A tweet. You could have gotten as much from your pet canary. On his Twitter account, in the 140 spaces that are allotted to him, he sent out a single message saying what a neat governor he thought Tom Barrett would be. Give 'em hell, Barry.
Scott Walker is shill for the plutocracy. He doesn't even try to hide that fact any longer. Over a year ago, in what has to be the greatest political prank of the last fifty years, someone claiming to be one of the Koch brothers was able to get Walker on the telephone. In a recorded phone conversation, the fake Koch told the very real governor that when all of the right wing agenda that he wanted passed in Wisconsin was finally the law in that state, he would fly him down to California and show him a good time. Scott Walker accepted the offer gratefully. Where I come from that is what is known as a bribe. Scott Walker will be sleeping in the governor's mansion for at least another two-and-a-half years.
June 5 usually
marks a sad anniversary for conservatives in this sick country. It was, after all, eight years ago yesterday that their beloved Gipper shuffled off this mortal coil. That date now has a new significance in their delightfully twisted history. It will forever mark the day that the right wing was reborn, revamped, renewed and rejuvenated. Some of their talking heads have already picked Walker as the presidential nominee for 2020 (after Mitt Romney's two terms are over of course). Yesterday, enough of the Wisconsin electorate proved for all time and eternity that substance is passe. Enlightenment and vision don't matter anymore. It's all about the money. Money-money-money.
There is room for a healthy dose of schadenfreude here. The nitwits who cast their lot with Scott Walker on June 5, 2012 are going to deserve everything that happens to them. When their public schools are turned over to private corporations, when their adult children are struggling to get by on barely a minimum wage, when that monthly Social Security check that they labored a lifetime to obtain is merely a shadow of a memory - it'll be oodles of fun to be witness to their complete and utter despair. Cheer up. At least we have something to look forward to.
I have a bit of advice for the poor fools who decided yesterday to stick with Scott Walker. And since Wisconsin is a microcosm of America, I'll offer it to all of you. Always encourage your kids to grow by learning. Encourage them to read as much as they can about art, science, history and biography. Show them that there are indescribable, personal rewards to be gained in the pursuit of knowledge and wisdom. Just don't bother sending them to college, okay? Don't waste their time. Don't waste your money. What's the point? Do you seriously believe that this recent epidemic of unemployed college graduates is merely a temporary, sociological fluke? You ought to rethink that one. If what happened yesterday is a grim harbinger of things to come, your children have no future. Keep your eyes on Wisconsin.
Every cloud
has a silver lining, right? Not necessarily. What happened yesterday is bad all around. I have a silly question for the people who voted for Scott Walker. Assuming you really were the majority (and that's open for debate) did you folks even pause to wonder what the motivations might have been for the tens-of-millions of dollars that were poured into his campaign by out-of-state billionaires - some of whom I'm sure have never even visited your state? Were you actually stupid enough to believe that it was merely a matter of civic duty on their part, and that they had your best interests at heart? You'll find out what their motivations were soon enough. They were making an investment - and they're expecting a return on that investment.
Just look toward Wisconsin.
And finally a messa
ge to my friend Jacqueline and my cousin Amy Clements (photo on left): the two of you were out in the thick of it, trying to warn your fellow Wisconsinites of the gathering storm. You did well. Remember what Theodore Roosevelt said. If you failed, at least you failed "daring greatly, so that [your] place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat." Don't let the bastards bring you down.
After looking at a rough draft of what I had written, Jacqueline told me that there is still more room to believe that the election was rigged. She makes a good case:
"The numbers do NOT make sense. There were NO exit polls that were made available. They are usually adjusted to match the "official" totals, but last night, For the first time ever, unprecedented really, the UNADJUSTED EXIT POLLS WERE NOT MADE AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC....The electoral process is corrupted - the machines are riggable and the criminals go UNDETECTED. stolen elections are EATING democracy."
Jacqueline also informs me that the "liberal" media called the election before the polls had closed in three true blue counties. To be continued....
Say what you want about the times we live in, they sure as hell aren't boring. Anything but. Just look toward Wisconsin.
Tom Degan
Goshen, NY
tomdegan@frontiernet.net
SUGGESTED LISTENING:
Democracy is Coming
Get the fuck out of the way.
- Supreme Court Justice Louis D. Brandeis
I'm damned-near speechless - but hardly surprised. Could the election have been tampered with? We'll never know. Democracy is today at the mercy of easily hackable, computerized voting machines, not to mention unlimited money for paid propaganda and misinformation. A strange new world. It took 1984 twenty-eight years to finally get here.
Do you want to get a clearer picture of what the future has in store for the people of the United States? Look toward Wisconsin. You say you want a revolution? Don't waste your time. The American people (or enough of them to make stealing the election easier) will be distracted by the pretty wrapping paper every time. Forget what's inside the package. Just look toward Wisconsin.
Do you have any idea the damage that the Supreme Court's disgusting Citizens United ruling of two years ago has done to your country? Would you like an example? Look toward Wisconsin.
Governor Walker and the Republicans attacked the unions by ending collective bargaining. They slash a billion dollars from public education. They lightened even further the tax burdens of huge corporations based in that state. They have effectively told the middle class to lay down and die. And yet yesterday, enough Wisconsin voters were lulled into complacency by the sweet sounding bells and the lovely whistles. In the recall election of June 5, 2012, an event that had political junkies across the globe riveted, Mayor Tom Barrett of Milwaukee was soundly defeated. He was outspent seven-to-one, most of the cash coming from the out-of-state Billionaire's Club. He never had a chance.
The president of the United States was out there pitching for the candidate. His contribution to the discussion? A tweet. You could have gotten as much from your pet canary. On his Twitter account, in the 140 spaces that are allotted to him, he sent out a single message saying what a neat governor he thought Tom Barrett would be. Give 'em hell, Barry.
Scott Walker is shill for the plutocracy. He doesn't even try to hide that fact any longer. Over a year ago, in what has to be the greatest political prank of the last fifty years, someone claiming to be one of the Koch brothers was able to get Walker on the telephone. In a recorded phone conversation, the fake Koch told the very real governor that when all of the right wing agenda that he wanted passed in Wisconsin was finally the law in that state, he would fly him down to California and show him a good time. Scott Walker accepted the offer gratefully. Where I come from that is what is known as a bribe. Scott Walker will be sleeping in the governor's mansion for at least another two-and-a-half years.
June 5 usually
marks a sad anniversary for conservatives in this sick country. It was, after all, eight years ago yesterday that their beloved Gipper shuffled off this mortal coil. That date now has a new significance in their delightfully twisted history. It will forever mark the day that the right wing was reborn, revamped, renewed and rejuvenated. Some of their talking heads have already picked Walker as the presidential nominee for 2020 (after Mitt Romney's two terms are over of course). Yesterday, enough of the Wisconsin electorate proved for all time and eternity that substance is passe. Enlightenment and vision don't matter anymore. It's all about the money. Money-money-money.There is room for a healthy dose of schadenfreude here. The nitwits who cast their lot with Scott Walker on June 5, 2012 are going to deserve everything that happens to them. When their public schools are turned over to private corporations, when their adult children are struggling to get by on barely a minimum wage, when that monthly Social Security check that they labored a lifetime to obtain is merely a shadow of a memory - it'll be oodles of fun to be witness to their complete and utter despair. Cheer up. At least we have something to look forward to.
There is no frigate like a book
To take us lands away,
Nor any coursers like a page
Of prancing poetry.
This traverse may the poorest take
Without oppress of toll;
How frugal is the chariot
That bears a human soul!
Emily Dickinson
To take us lands away,
Nor any coursers like a page
Of prancing poetry.
This traverse may the poorest take
Without oppress of toll;
How frugal is the chariot
That bears a human soul!
Emily Dickinson
I have a bit of advice for the poor fools who decided yesterday to stick with Scott Walker. And since Wisconsin is a microcosm of America, I'll offer it to all of you. Always encourage your kids to grow by learning. Encourage them to read as much as they can about art, science, history and biography. Show them that there are indescribable, personal rewards to be gained in the pursuit of knowledge and wisdom. Just don't bother sending them to college, okay? Don't waste their time. Don't waste your money. What's the point? Do you seriously believe that this recent epidemic of unemployed college graduates is merely a temporary, sociological fluke? You ought to rethink that one. If what happened yesterday is a grim harbinger of things to come, your children have no future. Keep your eyes on Wisconsin.
Every cloud
has a silver lining, right? Not necessarily. What happened yesterday is bad all around. I have a silly question for the people who voted for Scott Walker. Assuming you really were the majority (and that's open for debate) did you folks even pause to wonder what the motivations might have been for the tens-of-millions of dollars that were poured into his campaign by out-of-state billionaires - some of whom I'm sure have never even visited your state? Were you actually stupid enough to believe that it was merely a matter of civic duty on their part, and that they had your best interests at heart? You'll find out what their motivations were soon enough. They were making an investment - and they're expecting a return on that investment.Just look toward Wisconsin.
And finally a messa
ge to my friend Jacqueline and my cousin Amy Clements (photo on left): the two of you were out in the thick of it, trying to warn your fellow Wisconsinites of the gathering storm. You did well. Remember what Theodore Roosevelt said. If you failed, at least you failed "daring greatly, so that [your] place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat." Don't let the bastards bring you down.After looking at a rough draft of what I had written, Jacqueline told me that there is still more room to believe that the election was rigged. She makes a good case:
"The numbers do NOT make sense. There were NO exit polls that were made available. They are usually adjusted to match the "official" totals, but last night, For the first time ever, unprecedented really, the UNADJUSTED EXIT POLLS WERE NOT MADE AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC....The electoral process is corrupted - the machines are riggable and the criminals go UNDETECTED. stolen elections are EATING democracy."
Jacqueline also informs me that the "liberal" media called the election before the polls had closed in three true blue counties. To be continued....
Say what you want about the times we live in, they sure as hell aren't boring. Anything but. Just look toward Wisconsin.
Tom Degan
Goshen, NY
tomdegan@frontiernet.net
SUGGESTED LISTENING:
Democracy is Coming
Get the fuck out of the way.
posted by Tom Degan @ 4:22 AM
45 comments
45 Comments:
Jug ears in next.
T - 152 days
With respect, the Wisconsin Dem's were asked by their national party not to do this (the recall), but they ignored that request/advice went ahead any way. All they've done now is embolden Walker and his teapotty support base.
They have no one to blame but themselves.
Gary Younge nails it here:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/cifamerica/2012/jun/06/wisconsin-democrats-come-up-empty
With even more respect...who cares what the national party thinks? They haven't had any interest in the working class for years. The Democratic Party is a joke. Unfortunately, the workers in Wisconsin had little other choice and look at what it got them...half hearted support from the national party. I'm willing to bet that small individual donations made up most of the money spent on the recall. I know they got mine and I don't even live there. If the Democratic Party would return to their Liberal roots, they might find more support.
Robert Reich even gets what is going on...
http://robertreich.org/post/24472398883
The National Democratic Party can kiss my Ebony Donkey from this day forth.
Considering ESS&E owns 95 percent of the voting machines and one of them was recently examined by two computer scientist, the results were dramatic. They have three built in methods of being remotely accessed and controlled. The machine in question had been remotely controlled for periods as long as 80 minutes in an election in Penn. In an election as important as this, I would bet that there was massive election fraud committed.
Then you have the famous Kathy Nickolaus, the Wis. election official who "found" 14000 votes 2 days after the election was over, taking away victory from the Democrat. The fact she was able to play a part in this essential election points out how weak and disorganized the Dems are.
Then you supposedly have 36 percent of union households voting for a notorious union buster, that has to be bullshit.
boltok can't even put four words together into an intelligent sentence: Jug ears in next.
Tom, one of the most important points on your Rant was for people to encourage their kids to read and to learn. As you point out, funds for public education are being gutted so that schools can not, will not be able to provide any kind of education in the future. Here in the Chicago area, we had examples this past year where kids who graduated at the top of their high school class had to take remedial courses to bring them up to speed for college.
And you are absolutely correct in that going to college is pretty much a waste these days. When I look at what I learned in college almost 50 years ago and look at what they are teaching now, the comparison is pathetic.
Sadly we as a nation are becoming dumbed down, easily swayed by halfwits who have their own TV and radio shows spewing lies and hatred and the American people are simply buying into it, and abdicating their ability to think for themselves.
Almost every story on the 'news' in election cycles is about how x raised y dollars and b raised c dollars, rather than what their records and statements are (and how they match up).
I came to the conclusion after CU that we might as well simply put our elections out for bid. S/he who raises the most gets the seat. The money is what it's all about now. Nothing else.
I still vote, but I don't hold out much hope for the future.
Tom and Charles,
I agree with you that it is important for parents to teach their kids how to learn and to read. I agree that a undergrad degree from four years of college is now equal to a High School degree 50 years ago. I do not agree with you that this decline in the results of our education has any correlation with the popularity increase of talk radio and cable news net works. You need to show how the two are connected, when most of the kids I deal with today, do not listen to any form of the news. What all of does do, however, is begs the question of why aren't kids learning in the public schools that we pay for?
The leadership of the teachers unions would tell you that it is due to underpayment of their member teachers and the failure of parents to do their part. I think this is too easy of a fix, IE need to spend more tax dollars to pay our Union members, and you aren't doing your job as a parent. I would question just what are we, the tax payer, getting in return for the billions of dollars we now spend for public education, if as Charles stated, "Here in the Chicago area, we had examples this past year where kids who graduated at the top of their high school class had to take remedial courses to bring them up to speed for college"? Wouldn't it make sense for the voters to demand accountability for the money being spent now on public education before being expected to give more money? Maybe you can think of one, but I can not think of any industry in which their results of the workers continues to decline, yet those workers continue to demand more money, better retirement, smaller class rooms, more help in those class rooms, while the results of their teaching efforts by all accounts, is going down.
If you know of any school district where teachers pay is being reduced, please share here. We then can dig into what is going on with in that district, before blaming a lack on money as the sole problem.
Just the Facts, I think we are all on the same page here, just saying the same thing differently. While schools may not be actually cutting teachers pay, there are more subtle ways to get around this. I know of quite a few older teachers in the Chicago area who are being let go, fired, if you will for various reasons, but mainly because they can be replaced with younger teachers who can be paid less. And sadly, these younger teachers do not have the same education level as the ones they are replacing; hence a dumbing down and lowering of the quality of education.
As for kids not following any of the TV or radio news, their parents do, and if the parents do not read or look beyond this media for real honest information, how can they encourage their kids to do so and how can they ask for accountability from schools and teachers? The parents in many ways are just as ignorant as their children.
Did you know that in some countries (countries with better education results than our) teachers must have Masters degrees? Are you prepared to pay for that kind of education? Of course you aren't. Do you know how much it costs to equip a school district with the computer hardware and software that industry uses today? $Millions! Are you prepared to pay for that kind of education? Of course you aren't. Do you know how much it costs to equip a high school science lab to educate our children in the current science? $millions again. Once again I doubt that you are ready to pay for that either. If we really valued our children's education we would be clamoring to pay more in taxes because that is what it takes, folks. Or...we could start using some of the budget money of the War Department.
JTF/Charles -
Education in America fails largely due to the breakdown in the family (which is the major underlying cause for most socio-economic problems). A child's eductaion tends to correlate with the interest/impact of the parent(s) in his life. Of course, teacher quality, curriculum, base intelligence, etc. are factors, but poor education is a symptom of the greater problem. Pay teachers $150,000/yr and give them $5 million dollar labs - it will have little effect, if any.
That private education leads to better results gives the false impression that more $ gives better results. No, the fact that the people who are paying (many sacrificially) for private education are VERY involved and interested.
Staying on topic, though... When Dems are elected, democracy in action. When they are not, fraud. Cute.
Steven,
Can you show a direct correlation with the amount of money a teacher is paid, and the quality of the teachers product IE: ACT scores?
I'm all for paying a teacher more, much more, even a lot more, for a better product, but I have yet to find a Teachers Union that supports this idea. Instead, they support paying the poorest performing teacher the same as the best teacher, or not even allowing teachers merit payment based on results of their work. In this type of environment, wages not based on performance, what is the motivation for a Teacher Union member to improve their work?
Question, what does the amount spent on the Defense Dept. have to do with what a school district or state, taxes it citizens for their schools?
Harley A - so, staying on topic, why is it that usually it is only the Republicans who are so anxious to purge voter lists to eliminate fraud?
Anonymous said...
Harley A - so, staying on topic, why is it that usually it is only the Republicans who are so anxious to purge voter lists to eliminate fraud?
Answer, cause they are the victims of it in elections!
Hi Tom,
This day was a bad one to wake up to for many of us here in Wisconsin who put so much effort into getting out the vote and making an attempt to have our voices heard. The elections results were in some places called just minutes after polls closed.
The results of he recall will undoubtedly give Walker the cue to further implement his agenda.
I can only say to your readers that if you ever thought about moving to a lovely midwestern state, steer clear of Wisconsin. We are now officially the home of the Tea Party radical majority.
Many jobs went down the toilet when Walker turned down a hefty government grant which would have provided, not only jobs in its making, but an alternative to driving to work sites in the suburbs which currently is the cause of expressway gridlock during rush hour. It would have also given people who don't have cars a way to get to jobs outside of their neighborhoods. I was astonished when Walker turned that money down, as were many.
The only possible escape we might get from this little sleaze bag is if the John Doe Investigation ties him to the scandal he is knee-deep in. I can't think of another governor who has taken out-of-state monies (at last count some $160,000 worth) to put aside a criminal defense fund.
May of us went to bed last night saddened and sickened.
Sal
The hefty grant I was referring to above was for rapid transit, which in my mind is key to a vital state economy.
Sal
Sal,
"Many jobs went down the toilet"
What jobs are you talking about, the Keystone Pipeline jobs?
"We are now officially the home of the Tea Party radical majority." As opposed to being know as the home of the radical public workers unions that are bankrupting our states.
This is a preview of the effect the Citizens United decision will have on the next Presidential election. Add to that the dubious nature of these electronic voting machines and viola' a rigged election outcome. The fact that most Amerikans are now dumb as dog-shit barely even figures into the equation anymore. Looks as if the time for revolution has arrived....
JTF, at 1:06 PM asked, “If you know of any school district where teachers pay is being reduced, please share here. We then can dig into what is going on with in (sic) that district, before blaming a lack on money as the sole problem.”
Try this one on for size. In 2011 all Florida public employees, including teachers and excluding legislators, began having 3% of their pay deducted to fund pensions. There were no changes in the pension benefits, just 3% less pay for the same benefits. Except for Legislators, who had the same pay and the same benefits.
Also in the 2011 Legislative session the state funding for education was cut $1.3 billion. That is $1,300,000,000.00 (lots of zeros). For 2012 in a move widely touted to show state support for education the state funding was increased by $1 Billion. Technically that is even more zeros, but $300,000,000.00 less state funding than two years ago.
Politics in Florida is truly weird. 41% of the registered voters are Democrats, 36% are Republicans, and the other 23% of voters have no party affiliation. There are about 600,000 more registered Democrats than Republicans. Yet the Florida Legislature has twice as many Republicans as Democrats (a veto-proof majority). Democrats cannot even raise procedural objections to actions by the Republicans. They are totally ignored.
We cannot call those 23% of voters “Independents” because years ago someone established a real political party named “The Independent Party.” The significant part of the 23% have “No Party Affiliation” (NPA for short) and the rest are registered as members of a multitude of minor parties.
In just one Florida county (Pinellas) there are more than 600,000 voters, more than the entire population of Wyoming. Democrats have a small edge over Republicans in voter registration. The seven member County Commission has six Republicans and one Democrat. Anyone needing lessons in gerrymandering, or purging likely Democratic voters, come see us. Unfortunately our “hanging chad” seminars have ended (we now have scanned paper ballots with votes marked in ink). Of course the scanned results are tabulated by computers.
Oh the high crime, the inhumanity of it all, being asked to pay 3% of your pay to fund your own pension.
What a flipping joke the benefits and wages paid the public workers sector has become.
Ron Ballwin,
legislators are elected to office, they do not have a life time job like public workers do.
also, what was the raise % given to all public workers that year when they had to pay 3% towards their own pension?
>>> JTF: why aren't kids learning in the public schools that we pay for?
They are. Unfortunately, the majority of us who pay the taxes (including public school teachers) have little impact on curriculum. This is shaped on a national level. The primary goal is to demotivate the cleverest people. Think about the phrase, 'no child left behind'. How would you achieve that?
Here is another notion to chew on, it the more successful the demotivation effort is, the more secure the aristocracy position is.
I suppose I have a unique spin on the Wisconsin recall. Given the lead up, hype, and national attention given to this recall, it boggles my mind that three democrats were vying to unseat Walker.
Resources and opinions were divided in the quest for who would be the next governor. This is just sloppy politics on the Democratic side of things.
Why on God's Earth would the Dems run the very same guy who lost to Walker again? Is our bench that shallow?
I have a nagging feeling that laziness played into voting. People don't like to wait in lines and given that is Wisconsin, well-known for it's robust and rotund Cheese-heads (and thighs, and bellies, and arms), I imagine some voters took pity on their knees and didn't bother to vote.
More concerning is lock-step faith in which GOPers seem to ignore the influence of SuperPACs. You can't talk to one without them citing the Constitution these days, but SuperPACs--SuperPACs seem to get a pass. GOPers cite "union money."
I just came from the AOL/Huffington Post threads. Today's 2012 high in the stock market is being credited to Scott Walker's victory. Although the article spoke exclusively of a European plan to bail out Spanish banks and didn't mention: North America, the USA, the mid-west, Wisconsin, or Scott Walker; conservatives believe that they eyes of the world have fallen on Wisconsin as the sign of a 'new era.'
I'm beginning to hope the Mayans were right.
"Today's 2012 high in the stock market is being credited to Scott Walker's victory.
I'm beginning to hope the Mayans were right."
You would rather the world end that conservative policy's be effective and work? Reminds me of the "I'd rather be dead that Red slogan of the 60's."
It's curious... when people get together to guard their rights, their property and their future by assigning others to keep guard while they work for a living, we get Republicanism. When we decide to help others out with housing, medical care and sustenance we get Socialism. When people get together to decide to go kill others across the oceans we have Democracy. All of these processes are done in much the same way by much the same people and each event triggers name calling and labeling to replace logical discourse. I can't possibly be a Democrat, I don't support Obama. I can't be a Republican because I think Reagan was a senile old fool. I can't be a Conservative because I think schools should be publicly funded and free of religion. I can't be a Liberal because I think we should work for a living. Here I am, stuck somewhere beyond labels, beyond slogans. A mix-up of outdated and discarded opinions and old news... I guess my history book collection will be targeted by the government someday soon for telling the truth.
They can't be fascists because they aren't led by Hitler, he's dead. They can't be unAmerican because they wave our flag and salute it. This country can't be fading away just because we have a debt load impossible to repay, and we have wars which cannot be ended and our children continue to undereducated and ignorant. We must be the last great world power! That means we won, right? or does the fact that 99% of our goodies are made in foreign lands mean we no longer influence the world's markets? Does the fact that we can't afford to educate or medicate our people, to repair our roads and rails, to maintain our libraries and schools...does all this mean our Empire is collapsing. Only if history means anything...
China makes our society, owns our government and manages our wars. In exchange for which a few, very wealthy white men get to become even more wealthy and more powerful, at the direction of their Chinese masters. Well, every now and then China reaches out and controls the bulk of the civilized world. Let's see if they can handle the power or if like always, they manage to get greedy and over-reach. we live in interesting times indeed.
Anon rebuffed... "Harley A - so, staying on topic, why is it that usually it is only the Republicans who are so anxious to purge voter lists to eliminate fraud?"
Answer: Silly question. Because they are against voter fraud.
A better question is, why are the Dems crying foul when they are so (apparently) against measures to reduce voter fraud?
Even better question, can someone else see the laughable irony in the following statement...
"Democracy is coming - get the #%$& out of the way."
I don't trust the voting machines - they are too easily hacked. I'm not sure if it is still Diebold (I think they renamed that part of the company when their program was exposed and became synonymous with *probable* election fraud) but it is the same program - and I just don't understand why they refuse to put in the code to protect the integrity of their program. Why aren't the county election officials clamoring for a viable method of checking the voting results? It is easy and cheap to do. This stinks to me. Something is very rotten in the USA. It is of course possible that the people of WI are really that stupid and regressive (after all Michelle Bachmann is one of theirs) but WHY are we not allowed to CHECK out the results of any election that is done on these machines? You can check the results with the paper ballots - and that is a long and tedious affair. These programs could be fixed very quickly and checking that they were not tampered with should be an automatic action after every single election. How come nobody wants to do this quick, efficient fix to give the public ASSURANCE that the programs have not been hacked? Yeah something very rotten in USA.
"Something is very rotten in the USA" "I don't trust the voting machines."
"It is of course possible that the people of WI are really that stupid and regressive."
These types of claims are made every time the Democrats lose an election. Does it never, ever enter their minds that the voters are rejection their policy's? Do they still believe that 2010 was a fluke, or have they forgotten those results?
Has it ever crossed their minds that they are not endearing the voters to vote their way next time by calling them names?
You, like ALL Liberals are DELUSIONAL.
The reason we in Wisconsin voted for Walker, is, that we are sick and tired of endless tax increases to sustain government employees; some who make more money then those being taxed and generally do a hell of a lot less work.
Enough is enough with your libtarded giveme, giveme,giveme and who cares where the funding comes from.
If this election was rigged, then so was Obama's---BIG TIME--as how does a no nothing, do nothing community activist DUFUS become President?
I say 'RECALL OBAMA!'
Yeah, it's 'know nothing' before you LOONS get a chance to attack my spelling, instead of the FACTS.
One LOON was crying saying 'this is the day democracy died'---GOOD--because this is a REPUBLIC!
Most Americans don't follow the details.
They hear the left calling Republicans liars, scum, Nazis; they don't hear a difference from the right saying Obama is destroying America, Obama is a Socialist, Commie, etc..
The left must come to grips with the idea that millions of Americans want to destroy unions, want voter ID laws, want more tax cuts, want laws based on religious beliefs, etc..
Conservatives have a more successful election win record, than liberals over the last 30 years.
"Lefties are lazy voters." That's part of the winning equation for conservatives, and they successfully use that against lefties.
Apathy has been built by politicians from both the left and right by their behavior in and out of office.
We need an arbitrator between us to define what is legal, or not. Say a Supreme Court, but the court is packed with one political ideology.
So it was back in the 1960's when LBJ never had his social legislation cut down by the court.
FDR tried to add more judges to the court, of course he would appoint those extra judges.
Those in minority must count on the courts (law) to ensure their rights. That's the way it has always been. Good luck facing those conservative justices.
Have to do more than robo calls and five second sound bites, to change a persons thinking on what government should, or should not do. Of course, they have to give a dam, in the first place.
Thanks for having a place for me to rant.
"Most Americans don't follow the details.
They hear the left calling Republicans liars, scum, Nazis; they don't hear a difference from the right saying Obama is destroying America, Obama is a Socialist, Commie, etc"..support your statement Steve with some facts, or is this just your opinion.
Tom Degan and Steve,
We got our asses kicked in Wisconsin.
This coming election in November, we might as well just bendover and kiss our asses goodbye.
I knew Obama was a fake and Hillary should have won the primary, but too many people got tingles up their leg listening to a man whose only skill is blowing smoke up our asses.
I apologize for using asses 4 times. Its just that I am upset that the Koch brothers have bought Amerika just like Ellis D and Jefferson's Guardian always say.
Michael Stivic,
How much money did the Koch's give to Walkers campaign? I heard a million dollars, Also read that Walker raised 28 million to 25 million. That along with into account the ground game the unions had for Barrett should have made the race closer. Exit polls showed 38% of union voters voted for Walker.
Face it, the liberal idea of demanding private workers (both union and nonunion) pay with higher taxes, the Public Workers income and benefits which is higher than what either private union or non union workers are making, is not gonna fly any longer.
And why should it?
Liars figure and figures lie. Bottom line Walker WON! And he deserved to win! The whiner left wants a "vote until you win" logic applied and that didn't happen! There was never a reason to recall Walker, except the greedy unions wanted to take more from all the other taxpayers. Now they have been exposed, wounded, and will never again wield the power they had which spawned nothing but corruption.
The unions forcing the taxpayers of Wisconsin to pay exorbitant insurance rates to their own health insurance company, and use the massive profits to elect legislators that would be union friendly amounted to a mass extortion scheme to defraud the taxpayers of Wisconsin--a CRIMINAL act in my view.
It was nothing more than THEFT of tax dollars to pay for political candidates sponsored by the unions.
We all owe Walker an enormous THANK YOU for having the courage to take on the criminals running the unions.
While everyone is discussing the Walker recall I have heard almost nothing about the recall in the Wisconsin Senate that gave the Democrats a majority. That gives the Democrats a majority in the Senate to block any more carnage by the Republicans.
"carnage"?
That's an interesting way of looking at stopping of the Public Workers Unions bleeding the rest of WI dry!
National, Public Workers Unions represent more people than Private sector unions do. Don't forget Ron Balwin that exit polls showed 38% of Union voters voted FOR Walker. Are you aware of any action by Walker that has effected private sector Unions?
To repeat in case you missed it "Face it, the liberal idea of demanding private workers (both union and nonunion) pay with higher taxes, the Public Workers income and benefits which is higher than what either private union or non union workers are making, is not gonna fly any longer."
I'm sure the MSM ratings have gone up after the failed Scott Walker recall. But it won't last long.
Watching the veins pop out of the necks of people like Chris Matthews and Ed Schultz is very entertaining!
Emotional Jefferson's Guardian giving "Democracy died tonight" rant to CNN reporter after failed Wisconsin recall:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vEwXa197uBU
Dave Dubya lashes out at Koch Brothers and gives reasons to support Tom Barrett in WI recall:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qQsXgJJDdjw
Hey Tom,
My two cents. As long as we have both parties sticking it to the middle class, we have nothing to look forward to. From the Bush Iraq fiasco to Clinton's NAFTA trade agreement, we keep getting the bill. Until there is a real independent 3rd party not beholding to the special interests, things will remain the status quo or continue on the downward spiral. My hope is that the OCCUPY movement becomes a political force to be reckoned with. We can still dream can't we?
"Rather than attack workers who have organized themselves into a union and are doing better than you because of it, why don’t you organize a union yourself?! Then you can get better pay and benefits, too!” ~ William Winpisinger
That's not what FDR said about public workers unions.
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