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talkpolitics2011-03-10 09:06 am
paft.livejournal.com) wrote in talkpolitics2011-03-10 09:06 am
Lawless
As I was saying:
This attack on public sector unions is not about being fiscally responsible, any more than “voter fraud” laws supported by Republicans are about respecting the vote.
This is about breaking the unions, defunding the Democratic party and making it difficult for President Obama to be elected. It is about the raw exercise of power, regardless of the law. It is about establishing what amounts to single party rule.
I draw a direct line to this moment from our willingness, as a country, to countenance what happened during the 2000 presidential “election,” when Florida’s Republican Secretary of State, Katherine Harris, deliberately disenfranchised several thousand legal voters. Afterwards, the leadership of both parties told those of us who objected to sit down and shut up about it, as if valid American voters being turned away from the polls were nothing to make a fuss about.
The Republican Party learned they could win by openly and illegally subverting the will of the people and trashing the constitution and rule of law. Nobody should be surprised that they’ve escalated this tactic over the years. A large voter turnout is a liability to the G.O.P., and they know it. Their agenda directly and adversely affects too many voters – minorities, women, gays, union members, and lately, the middle class in general.
They don’t really need or desire a lot of voters anymore – just a nasty core of astro-turf supported yellers, and corporate buddies to funnel money into their campaigns.
And we, as a country, have allowed this to happen.
I stand behind pro-union demonstrators in Wisconsin. I wish them luck. I hope the tide of protests doesn’t recede. I hope that every single one of those Republicans who are ramming through this law find themselves confronted with hisses of “shame” every time they step out into public. I hope that recalls send as many of them as possible packing in the next couple of years.
But to every one of those protesting people who voted for Scott Walker, or those other Republicans I also say, “elections have consequences.” By voting for people who have nothing but contempt for you, you threw away freedom with both hands.
Good luck getting it back. And I mean that sincerely.
Crossposted from Thoughtcrimes
Republican Wisconsin State Senator Scott Fitzgerald on what Walker’s union busting is REALLY all about:
If we win this battle, and the money is not there under the auspices of the union, Obama is going to have a much more difficult time winning this election and winning the state of Wisconsin.
Democratic Representative Peter Barca, as the Joint Conference of Committee rams through the bill stripping public sector unions of most of their collective bargaining rights:
This is a violation of law. This is not just a rule. This is the law.
This attack on public sector unions is not about being fiscally responsible, any more than “voter fraud” laws supported by Republicans are about respecting the vote.
This is about breaking the unions, defunding the Democratic party and making it difficult for President Obama to be elected. It is about the raw exercise of power, regardless of the law. It is about establishing what amounts to single party rule.
I draw a direct line to this moment from our willingness, as a country, to countenance what happened during the 2000 presidential “election,” when Florida’s Republican Secretary of State, Katherine Harris, deliberately disenfranchised several thousand legal voters. Afterwards, the leadership of both parties told those of us who objected to sit down and shut up about it, as if valid American voters being turned away from the polls were nothing to make a fuss about.
The Republican Party learned they could win by openly and illegally subverting the will of the people and trashing the constitution and rule of law. Nobody should be surprised that they’ve escalated this tactic over the years. A large voter turnout is a liability to the G.O.P., and they know it. Their agenda directly and adversely affects too many voters – minorities, women, gays, union members, and lately, the middle class in general.
They don’t really need or desire a lot of voters anymore – just a nasty core of astro-turf supported yellers, and corporate buddies to funnel money into their campaigns.
And we, as a country, have allowed this to happen.
I stand behind pro-union demonstrators in Wisconsin. I wish them luck. I hope the tide of protests doesn’t recede. I hope that every single one of those Republicans who are ramming through this law find themselves confronted with hisses of “shame” every time they step out into public. I hope that recalls send as many of them as possible packing in the next couple of years.
But to every one of those protesting people who voted for Scott Walker, or those other Republicans I also say, “elections have consequences.” By voting for people who have nothing but contempt for you, you threw away freedom with both hands.
Good luck getting it back. And I mean that sincerely.
Crossposted from Thoughtcrimes
no subject
Yes. I know.
s: Why didn't you share it with Talk_Politics?
I owe you no excuse or explanation for what I do or do not choose to post here.
PFT: The contempt the Republican party has increasingly shown for the concept of a popular vote and for a political system based on at least two major political parties
s: Ok let's do it.
That's my intent in citing things like voter suppression and union busting.
no subject
That is fair.
However, can you see how if (in the eyes of this community) you continue to harp on one party without addressing the shortcomings of your own people will be inclined to dismiss you as a hack?
no subject
Because it's not the Democrats who've been engaging in massive voter suppression, and I'm sorry, but I'm not going to pretend they have for the sake of "fairness." Nor am I going to close my eyes to such unpleasant fact os history as the Republican's Southern Strategy and their current embrace of barely-even-covert racism.
Sometimes reality is damned unfair.
I am a Democrat. I am also a liberal. I am a Democrat because I consider the Democratic party the better political party. I am a liberal because I consider liberalism the better viewpoint. That means in political discussion, I will favor Democratic politicians over Republican politicians, and liberal policies over conservative.
This does not make me a "hack." I do not attempt to bolster by views with lies, nor do I play word games. My arguments are directly related to conclusions I've drawn based on reality -- not merely on the fact that one side is wearing t-shirts that read "DP" and the other t-shirts that read "RP."
I realize that on many online talk boards, this makes me anomaly. I do not, for instance, a cache of funny pitchurs and personal insults on hand to post when I run out of arguments. No doubt in the eyes of many people here, that's terribly unfair of me.
Tough.
no subject
You initially asked why I thought you were Logically Inconsitant. This is why.
no subject
What incidents do you have in mind -- and were the Republicans supporting my views?
sw: You initially asked why I thought you were Logically Inconsitant. This is why.
How would that be logically inconsistent, given that when the current Democrats have done things I disapproved of, they've been acting like Republicans?
no subject
Because, from what I've seen on this community, when the Democrats "act like Republicans" you seem willing to let it slide (http://www.don-lindsay-archive.org/skeptic/arguments.html#you_too).
The Political affiliation of the individuals involved shouldn't be a factor yet your posts always start with some variation of "those nasty Republicans are at it again".
no subject
no subject
http://community.livejournal.com/talk_politics/924815.html?thread=71942799#t71942799
no subject
And is Obama's embrace of indefinite detention counter to the Republican stance on this issue?
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I did not post any OP after June 6th of that year, until July, probably because A) The end of May is frequently a time when I leave town and B) I start teaching in June, which means I am, in the weeks leading up to it, often furiously tying up other loose ends in the weeks before summer classes start. In short, I wasn't posting much of ANYTHING to the board.
And again -- was Obama's embrace of indefinite detention counter to the Republican stance on that issue?
no subject
No it was not, but that is not the issue being discussed.
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This is the internet, perception/presumption is all any of us have to go on.
no subject
no subject
Likewise, if somone with Acute Tritanopia told you the sky was yellow, would they be lying?