Supporters of Wisconsin anti-union bill hold rally

About 700 people rallied Sunday in support of Republican Gov. Scott Walker and his anti-union plan to balance the budget — a demonstration meant to counter three weeks of large anti-Walker protests in and around the state Capitol.

The rally was the culmination of a 10-stop bus tour sponsored by the conservative advocacy group Americans for Prosperity that started Thursday in Kenosha.

It took place at the Aliant Energy Center in Madison, which is a couple of miles from the Capitol, where thousands of pro-union demonstrators rallied Saturday and Sunday.

news.yahoo.com...

Well how about that....guess who funds American's for Prosperity???

THE KOCH BROTHERS....the same billionaire oil tycoons who backed and funded the current Governor of Wisconsin!

Powerful rich people are behind both sides. Did you just realize this now?

Right now they are not offering people a true alternative to public union support. I do not support the public unions but I definitely do not support the corporate alternative they are sponsoring. What do people such as myself do in this situation, that is what I would like to know? I am quite sure most private sector workers do not want the public sector unionized workers to continue with the highway robbery of tax payers but they also do not want to run straight into the arms of corporate domination.

Like the current party system, we are stuck in the middle with no real viable alternatives offered. Which thugs do you want to lock you in chains? Union thugs or corporate thugs?

I think they repainted the TEA Party buses and sent em out on a mission of dire consequence, gotta make sure people don't make too much money. Thank goodness the Kochs are ensuring that people don't get too wealthy, could you imagine what that would do to the economy, what they would spend that money on???

Originally posted by David9176
Well how about that....guess who funds American's for Prosperity???

THE KOCH BROTHERS....the same billionaire oil tycoons who backed and funded the current Governor of Wisconsin!

edit on 6-3-2011 by David9176 because: (no reason given)

And the other side -

George Soros and unions from across the country.

As someone said, powerful people on both sides..

Oh, and did these protestors cause $millions in damages to the Wisconsin capitol like the pro-union hooligans and thugs did?

Answer: no ...

Hypocritical to only point out one side.

It's funny to see people being tricked into protesting against themselves. They don't realize that the deficit was caused by a tax break the governor gave, they had a surplus before that. Then, he teams up with the Koch brothers and say's they need to eliminate collective bargaining to fix the "deficit". The funny part is the public unions agreed to the cuts that would fix the newly created deficit and the governor still wants to out collective bargaining. What a scam! This is why america will fail, public office used to be an honor and you would serve the people with honor and with the good of the nation at heart, now, the only thing that matters is corporate sponsorship and sweet deals.

Originally posted by centurion1211

Originally posted by David9176
Well how about that....guess who funds American's for Prosperity???

THE KOCH BROTHERS....the same billionaire oil tycoons who backed and funded the current Governor of Wisconsin!

edit on 6-3-2011 by David9176 because: (no reason given)

And the other side -

George Soros and unions from across the country.

As someone said, powerful people on both sides..

Oh, and did these protestors cause $millions in damages to the Wisconsin capitol like the pro-union hooligans and thugs did?

Answer: no ...

Hypocritical to only point out one side.

edit on 3/6/2011 by centurion1211 because: (no reason given)

George Soro has little to do with the motives of teachers, policemen and firefighters centurion, they have families
you know.


Look, just because you exalt corporations and the wealthy elite for what they contribute does not mean you have to be against the common man and woman. You do not have to paint them as thugs and demonize them
as human beings. Those people spend their money which undoubtably goes to business's, which in turn fund more growth... It is not just the rich who propel the economy you know...

Originally posted by Misoir
Right now they are not offering people a true alternative to public union support. I do not support the public unions but I definitely do not support the corporate alternative they are sponsoring. What do people such as myself do in this situation, that is what I would like to know? I am quite sure most private sector workers do not want the public sector unionized workers to continue with the highway robbery of tax payers but they also do not want to run straight into the arms of corporate domination.

Like the current party system, we are stuck in the middle with no real viable alternatives offered. Which thugs do you want to lock you in chains? Union thugs or corporate thugs?

Well we are already going headlong into corporate dominance, it has been the trend for several decades...

My mom will be happy to know that her teaching career supplemented her resume with thug experience, she is so dangerous and influential, she and her cronies must be stopped.

Wow a wopping 700 people compared to how many pro union protesters on the other side 10's of thousands. If i was AFP id be ashamed to even make the news with numbers like that.

reply to post by centurion1211


These people aren't protesting for George Soros...you know that. They are protesting for their standard of living...something every single one of us would do in the same situation. Of all the garbage going on about class warfare and the billionaires running scared....the only ones who are taking the hits are the middle class. It doesn't matter if they are union or not. They are people protecting their jobs and benefits.

I can assure you that the people who are about to get layed off or take drastic cuts to their pay...they don't GIVE A DAMN ABOUT SOROS.

I don't give a damn about him...he's just as bad as all the rest. The average joe out there trying to protect their way of life is not my enemy....but apparently it is yours. I know you only like to stand by the extremely wealthy most of the time....but often you don't seem to see the consequences of your stances.

Of all the extended tax cuts to billionaires, banks, and wall street...the complete ravaging they have done to our economy....and they have you attacking the teachers.

Hypocritical to only point out one side.

Oh please, for you to point out anyone as being hypocritical is laughable in itself.

reply to post by Janky Red


I do not think you quite understand what I meant by "thugs". The protester is not the thug, they are the average working Joe, confused or not, it is the people at the top of the Unions who are the thugs. They are about power and politics, same as the thugs at the top of the corporations it is about power and politics, the little guy is just a pawn in a large chest game.

reply to post by Misoir


You know I was not trying to be a dick... But I really think you should consider the power dynamics
of the two sides, Unions are a dying breed Misoir, if the goal is to make it gratuitous I suppose it does not matter. We deny our common threads and fight to cut all that binds us together, this is the other side of that cultural dismissal of traditionalism...

the yang to the yin.

My larger concern is the attempt to create a power vacuum where wealth dictates freedom through contractual force throughout all facets of society, free from the effects of political redress... Have you ever bothered reading one of those very long contracts you get with a cell phone, credit card or internet feature? The consumer side is already dominated, to use a cellular phone in America you HAVE TO give up your rights, the use of the phone
itself removes your legal standing altogether, your legal avenues are dictated to you. This trend has moved onto employment now, fully enforceable by law, this concept is the revolution that nobody is talking about, this political battle is one of the last outposts.

reply to post by Misoir


I'm a steward with my AFTRA local and I don't appreciate being called a "thug"!!

Because I believe in the working man having a say in his working conditions I'm a "thug"?
Would you appreciate being called a right wing Fascist?

All I want is a fair wage to pay my taxes and support my family. If left up to the studios I would work in dangerous conditions, no health insurance, for min. wage; after a masters degree and 6 years experience.

This name calling has got to stop!!

www.abovetopsecret.com...

Originally posted by Misoir
reply to post by Janky Red

 

I do not think you quite understand what I meant by "thugs". The protester is not the thug, they are the average working Joe, confused or not, it is the people at the top of the Unions who are the thugs. They are about power and politics, same as the thugs at the top of the corporations it is about power and politics, the little guy is just a pawn in a large chest game.

Well I disagree to some degree, the union member is attempting to affect their personal benefit from governance, right or wrong. In the case of a union, the TOP is supposed to act in the best interests of the "JOES"

The corporate working joe will not personally benefit from lobbying governance... The TOP of a corporation works for the TOP and the JOES are supposed to cater to the TOP as well - have you ever seen corporate stiffs protesting the government on behalf of shareholders? Maybe the Tea Party in very round about way, but I think the dynamics are different, the effects on government might be similar too, BUT the effects on society, IMO
are vastly different. Unions do not lobby government in order to go out and hire INDIANS to extract money from the US economy for example... Unions do not lobby government in an attempt to legitimize their pollution
and poisoning of the environment... Unions do not create the seeds of war in an attempt to profit from munitions
and bandages... ETC...

Reply to post by KevinB

The surplus to deficit thing is false. Politifact has your answer to that.

I believe that the Guy who originated that story, Maddow and Daily Kos ran away with, retracted the statement.

Furthermore, he ran and won the governor's race on an anti-public union campaign.


Posted Via ATS Mobile: m.abovetopsecret.com

I know this is a daily show link....but it definitely gets it right....going straight back to the bailouts to what we are doing now. I posted it in another thread but it definitely pertains to this one as well.

www.thedailyshow.com...

Originally posted by David9176
I know this is a daily show link....but it definitely gets it right....going straight back to the bailouts to what we are doing now. I posted it in another thread but it definitely pertains to this one as well.

www.thedailyshow.com...

Oh my

I dare EVERYONE to watch that clip

You are a fool if you do not,

ideas can't bite you know

I think there are many different issues that have been mixed together.

First, are the issues in Wisconsin. I think this is an attempt to weaken unions. The circumstances were created where the unions could be demonized and weakened. The end game being privatization of 401ks, and other programs. Walker is merely the face of a wider attempt across the country to weaken public unions.

Second, is the idea of being able to unionize. Yes, it is good. Since the 1840s the ability to organize and seek redress has been key to making steps forward for the average worker. If the management has total power they can literally work the employees to death.

Third, is the modern union. Today, unions have become something very different from a group deciding to go on strike together. They now have become institutionalized to the point of great power and influence. This creates many problems. Government unions in practice have many problems, and are inefficient in many ways. I am not saying that means dissolve them all. What I am saying is that the union of today is not the union of yesterday.

The point I think misoir was making is that institutionalized corporate and union power are very similar. Using political influence these institutions build legal defenses for their own empires. The average joe is rarely the beneficiary of either parties efforts. They are more about gaining, or sustaining the institutionalized power which they possess.

I think is important to recognize that the philosophy of unionizing, and the modern practice of unionizing are very different things. If Wisconsin was truly trying to balance budgets they would do many things. They would raise corporate taxation, and at the same time institute cuts. If everyone in society actually tightened their belts it would be more acceptable. For the elite to expect the middle classes to shoulder more of the burden without contributing is criminal.

The left/right portrayal of these issues is a distraction. It has been a fabricated issue where the population is polarized into different camps. The reality is that both sides are suffering from the same elite class leeching off our labor. Come on! Both parties gave 23 trillion to wall street! The entire wealth of the lower and middle classes were redistributed to the elite classes. As long as we let ourselves be divided over these issues they will keeping robbing us blind. We can hate corporations, or hate unions. We can hate republicans, or hate democrats. In the end they are all guided by the same people.

reply to post by whaaa


T&C read them and have followed them, I was not talking about anyone in particular and the statement of mine is not an assault on any ATS member directly, if it has affected you personally it was indirectly and that was not my intention. I stated my opinion on a subject, I called the leaders of such groups as AFL-CIO and the like, as well as the corporate leaders, “thugs” I own up to that statement and do not regret using it.

Does this mean every member or affiliate of a labor/trade union is a ‘thug’? No. Does this mean everyone who works in the organization and function of the labor/trade union is a ‘thug’? No. I do not see how this is direct name calling in regards to anyone here, which is what I sense you are attributing to my statement.

Now can we get back on topic and stop freaking out because I said the word “thug”? Sheesh…

Originally posted by Misoir
reply to post by whaaa

 

T&C read them and have followed them, I was not talking about anyone in particular and the statement of mine is not an assault on any ATS member directly, if it has affected you personally it was indirectly and that was not my intention. I stated my opinion on a subject, I called the leaders of such groups as AFL-CIO and the like, as well as the corporate leaders, “thugs” I own up to that statement and do not regret using it.

Does this mean every member or affiliate of a labor/trade union is a ‘thug’? No. Does this mean everyone who works in the organization and function of the labor/trade union is a ‘thug’? No. I do not see how this is direct name calling in regards to anyone here, which is what I sense you are attributing to my statement.

Now can we get back on topic and stop freaking out because I said the word “thug”? Sheesh…

All good here, I only pointed it out because it is page in the corporate play book designed to fractionalize the folks who slog... in response we fight over the remaining portion of all the money generated in america, more importantly, it insulates the people orchestrating the transfer of power.

So when the hammer falls what are you thinking Misoir? I reckon this is a battle in a larger campaign, do you agree with my analysis? Are avenues of redress bestowed upon employees dangerous to the prosperity
of quasi capitalism and America at large? My opinion shifted drastically on this matter recently due to some wise words, what is your opinion?