Wisconsin: crucible for a new American left

[Snoutport]

Source: Guardian UK

Though socialism has been written out of US history, this new movement is reconnecting with America's great radical tradition

Read more: http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/cifamerica/2011/mar/18/wisconsin-us-politics

---

A very interesting article...

[murielm99]

1. Thank you. Good article.

I forwarded it to my daughter in Madison.

There are some teachers these days who are teaching about American socialism. "A People's History of the United States" is even being used in some classrooms. I was pleasantly surprised to find this in a classroom where I subbed not long ago. It was a school in a small northern Illinois town that has about 800 people.

Our media might be largely ignoring what is happening in Wisconsin, but people are finding out anyway. The recent and current events will not go unnoticed in contemporary history, either. This is just beginning.

I think Walker was stupid to ignore the history of his own state. Wisconsin is the logical and inevitable crucible for this new people power movement.

[deacon]

3. +1

[ElsewheresDaughter]

5. A People's History of the United States should be used in every classroom........

I gave it as a gift to all my childrens history teachers for years. They read and used it too.

[socialist_n_TN]

17. "Our media might be largely ignoring what is happening

in Wisconsin, but people are finding out anyway." How true. The RW cannot ignore it anymore because too many people know about it DESPITE THE BLACKOUT OF COVERAGE BY THE MSM.

Even our Teabagger Lt. Gov. has mentioned it after some arrests last week at the Legislature.

[deacon]

2. Recommend.

[myrna minx]

4. K&R n/t

[eowyn_of_rohan]

6. Excellent Article by John Nicholls - Thanks for posting.

I would like to see more analysis done on why this happened in Wisconsin. I find myself pondering this often lately - considering our ethnic heritage, education system through the years, women's history, et al, in addition to our radical roots, and other ideas mentioned by John Nichols. It is fascinating and thrilling that this is happening.

[socialist_n_TN]

20. I wondered about that too. The upper midwest has ALWAYS

had a history of STONG labor support. As late as the 30s, the Teamsters in MN were led by Trotskyists and WI elected SEVERAL socialists of one stripe or another to local and statewide positions.

I THINK it was just classic overreach. The hubris of the exploiting class thought that we, the people, were too beat down and propagandized to do anything to actively oppose them.

[eowyn_of_rohan]

21. Yes - I also thought we were too beaten down.

I felt beaten down in part because of the apparent apathy in the US and in Wisconsin/Madison, too. Hardly anyone showed up for protests over stolen elections, illegal invasion of Iraq, and all other travesties during the bu$h occupation. All of a sudden WHAM! The giant is awoken. The right issue, the right time, the right place and it just explodes into this amazing happening. The sense of mission, solidarity, and optimism is alive again like I haven't seen it in decades!

I have to admit I do not know as much about the history of midwest labor support or politics in general as you do, and I want to learn more now!

[socialist_n_TN]

36. As one of my Internet buddies uses as a posting name......

readmoreoften! :)

[Raksha]

7. K & R - great article!

[PhillySane]

8. How about a no fly zone over WI?

As in, this bill won't fly???

[Shagbark Hickory]

9. Um. No.

Radical? Gimme a fucking break.

[eowyn_of_rohan]

10. Revolutionary War wasn't radical?

1960's Civil Rights & anti War protests & riots?

[Shagbark Hickory]

11. Yes those were radical.

Wisconsin OTOH... Not radical. Not even a little radical.

[eowyn_of_rohan]

13. It may not be "radical "in terms of being violent or even in its motive or message

but it is at least a dramatic or radical change, with the suddenness,intensity, and rapid growth of the movement, after such a long period of public apathy and lack of solidarity. I'll have to reread the article - I didnt get the impression he was saying this itself was a radical event.

on edit
It also depends on which definition of 'radical' you are using, eg:
1. of or going to the root or origin; fundamental: a radical difference.
2. extreme, especially as regards change from accepted or traditional forms: a radical change in the policy of a company.
3. favoring drastic political, economic, or social reforms: radical ideas; radical and anarchistic ideologues.

By definition #3 wouldn't be the THUGS who are being radical, and the people who oppose them are radical via definition # 1 ?

[Shagbark Hickory]

14. Not in any definition were WI peaceful, polite, happiness rallies "radical."

[eowyn_of_rohan]

16. lol - you need to look more deeply into this.

When people are sneaking into the Capitol through upper level windows, and against the orders of Capitol police, letting throngs more protestors in through illegally locked doors, that may be considered radical. That is just ONE example to show you that it wasn't all polite or peaceful, and hardly all about "happiness". People were very concerned about it getting out of control because emotions were on FIRE. and nobody wanted to give the RW anything to use against us.

[Shagbark Hickory]

19. Exaclty. Too afraid of what they'd say about you on Fox news.

Radical doesn't give a fuck what they say on fox news.
Radical doesn't get concerned about things getting out of control.
Radical doesn't let their rights get yanked out from under them.

[eowyn_of_rohan]

22. FEAR has LITTLE to do with it. It is WAY more about TACTICS

and you have yet to think about or respond to most of what I took the time to write to you, so I won't waste any more of my time.

[Shagbark Hickory]

27. What didn't I respond to? What reply #?

If those were tactics, they were ineffective.

The other day someone posted with some pictures from this past week. Large crowds of people "rallying", long after their rights had been taken away. And not a one of them looked upset. People were smiling. There were their with their kids. Holding cutesy signs.

So that's how it is. That's why the r'pigs call us "chicken littles".
I'm quite upset about this whole thing.

[PeaceNikki]

12. The "largest pro-labour mass mobilisation in modern American history" isn't "radical" to you?

And the fact it's being ongoing for 5 weeks?

Weird. :shrug:

From article lined in OP:

When schools teachers in Madison walked off the job to lobby against Walker's bill, they were followed by thousands of students who marched more than two miles to the Capitol. When the teachers went back to work, parents stepped up to fill the void. The crowds at the Capitol grew from 10,000 to 30,000, to 50,000, to 70,000, to more than 100,000. Small towns across the state hosted their first ever labour rallies. And those who marched in the villages and towns of the state headed to Madison to join the rallies that grew larger and larger, and more and more diverse, as African American high school students from the urban core of Milwaukee rallied with 80-year-old farmers from towns too small to find a place on the map.

The Rev Jesse Jackson, astounded by what he was seeing, told a crowd on a bitter night: "This is a King moment. This is a Gandhi moment." And he was right. The protests in Wisconsin have captured national, even international attention, and caused union leaders in the United States, after being so battered for so long, to speak of "a rebirth of the labour movement".

And the definition of "radical"
http://www.thefreedictionary.com/radical

rad·i·cal (rd-kl) adj.
1. Arising from or going to a root or source; basic: proposed a radical solution to the problem.
2. Departing markedly from the usual or customary; extreme: radical opinions on education.
3. Favoring or effecting fundamental or revolutionary changes in current practices, conditions, or institutions: radical political views.
4. Linguistics Of or being a root: a radical form.
5. Botany Arising from the root or its crown: radical leaves.
6. Slang Excellent; wonderful.

Feels "radical" to me.

[socialist_n_TN]

18. In one sense I agree with Shagbark............

Radicals are NOT polite. You might be peaceful and be radical, but not polite. However, I feel like that's coming AND yes it is radical in the sense that it's tapping into a radical theme from the past, i.e., class consciousness and worker solidarity.

The longer this goes on and the more that the RW digs in, the MORE radical it will become. Civil disobedience is radical. It's not much of a cause if it's not worth getting arrested for.

[eowyn_of_rohan]

23. If everyone in TN thinks as you and Shagbark do on this

then what is happening in Wisconsin would likely fail in Tennessee. You don't go into a chess game swingin', boys.

[socialist_n_TN]

31. Well we'll see if it succeeds anywhere.........

I've been a big supporter of the Wisconsin uprising all along and I will continue to be so, BUT I just don't think that the opposition is going to back off.

I know there's a lot going on in WI, but the FACT is that Walker's law HAS passed the legislature. That's a BIG step. Sure it might be struck down by the courts, but that's not a guarantee either. And if it's upheld, then the BEST that can happen is that it's a law until 2012 when you can change the Assembly. Even if you won ALL of the state senate recalls, you STILL won't be able to overturn the law until you get rid of Walker and the majority Republican Assembly. And even if you recall Walker early next year, the Assembly is still a hurdle.

Hey, we're going through something similiar here in TN and it's an uphill fight all the way, simply because this IS a solid red state. I'm not saying that getting a little more edge in the confrontation is going to work either. But I do know that the exploiting class doesn't give up ANYTHING until they're scared of the people's righteous anger. Anyway I AM pissed off about it. Anytime people try to take away people's rights, I get PISSED OFF!

Unfortunately, I think that it WILL come down to a disruptive and statewide general strike. That is, if you actually want to win this thing.

[PeaceNikki]

24. You can blame (I prefer to thank) the Madison and Capitol police for the lack of arrests.

At least partially. There's been civil disobedience. Hundreds there are willing to be arrested if it comes to it, it just hasn't come to it because the cops aren't on a power trip itching to do it.

[eowyn_of_rohan]

26. You are so right. +1

[Shagbark Hickory]

30. If those people only simply stayed home from work for one week.

We wouldn't be having this discussion.

[socialist_n_TN]

32. Yes, that is something that I've noticed and considered........

and that's a good thing because that means the cops will probably be on the people's side when it comes to the general strike.

I still think that, IF YOU ACTUALLY WANT TO WIN THIS THING, it will come down to that disruptive, statewide general strike. Even the recalls won't do anything, but check Walker until he's recalled next year. And then there's the problem of the Republican Assembly. To win this "through the system", you're looking at January 2013 at the earliest. Over a year without unions is a LONG time to keep up a struggle like this.

It's REALLY good to know that hundreds of people are willing to get arrested because that shows a HIGH level of committment.

[eowyn_of_rohan]

33. Re: General Strike

If this bill passes, it is my understanding that the thugs have reserved the power to fire any and all who strike. I'm sure this is one major reason a general strike is not planned right now.

[socialist_n_TN]

34. Well sure they have those plans, but...........

which is why it shouldn't be entered into lightly, but I still think this is what it'll boil down to. And that general strike MUST BE DISRUPTIVE. One way of another you SHUT EVERYTHING DOWN FOR AS LONG AS IT TAKES TO WIN!

[eowyn_of_rohan]

35. time will tell...

it has just begun.

[Shagbark Hickory]

29. We talked about this a few weeks ago. They could have resolved this in 1 week.

Teachers would strike and the schools would be shut down. Then the police and fire would threaten to be next.

The general populous of Wisonsin which frankly- doesn't really have a clue or give a shit about workers' rights, who would then have to stay home from work or find someone to watch their kids. And they'd be so fearful and frantic that there would be no police or fire protection soon, would have every man woman and child calling the governor, very pissed off. And it will also put a pinch on the local economy. This will have business people that have clout, calling to demand a modification to the bill so that life can get back to normal.

This is where someone says "Oh but then Fox news will say we're being naughty and mean"

[Shagbark Hickory]

28. Well not to me I guess.

I wish I could find that photo of a girl with a dog holding up a sign that said "Walker is a meanie head".

Walker is a bully, In fairness to the demonstrators, he wasn't picking on someone his own size.
Unfortunately union leadership was out to lunch.

[XanaDUer]

15. K & R'd

nt.

[Critters2]

25. I often say that I feel much safer in this culture admitting I'm bisexual

than admitting I'm a Socialist. THAT's the truth I keep hidden. I hope WI will wake Americans up!