Wisconsin Like Egypt? Not at All

Scott Walker Targeted?

There are several glaring ironies at play in Wisconsin these days, as union members flood the streets in protest against Governor Scott Walker's plans to fiscally stabilize that state's economy. Some in the media have attempted to compare those protests to the recent ones in Egypt, as people there took to the streets demanding the ouster of dictator Hosni Mubarek, and democratic freedoms.

The comparison doesn't hold water, however, since Mubarek wasn't elected by the people in the first place. Walker, on the other hand, won that state's election with a five point margin and over fifty percent of the vote, giving him a clear mandate to do the very things he promised in the campaign. Perhaps the losers never believed Walker would be true to his word once in office, as is often the case with politicians.

While the Egyptian protests were about democracy and the will of the people, the Wisconsin union thuggery is more about ignoring the will of the people in favor of their own demands. Since Wisconsin was the first state to approve collective bargaining rights in municipal jobs in 1959, the irony here is rich in that the detrimental effects of union greed have necessitated such a move there. The willingness of the unions, in this case, to further exacerbate the budget woes by calling in sick to protest should speak volumes to their priorities.

Then there are the duly elected Democratic legislators who, in clear violation of their sworn duties, mirrored the antics of the unions. In order to have a quorum for a vote, the Wisconsin legislature needs 20 of its members to participate. The Republicans hold the edge in that body, 19-14. Curiously, all 14 Democratic members hid out in another state to avoid their responsibilities to the people of Wisconsin. Is that what some would call "democracy"?

There were signs in the Wisconsin protest crowds calling for the impeachment of Governor Walker. Someone should remind these folks that impeachment is for high crimes, misdemeanors and clear dereliction of duty. Scott Walker is not guilty - much less accused - of any of those. He merely bucked the trend and did exactly what he said he would once elected.

Wisconsin Union Protest Sign

But the signs were worse than that, and herein lies yet another irony. In the wake of the Tucson shootings, in which Rep. Gabrielle Giffords was seriously wounded, the media and the Left (redundant, I know) were all over the rhetoric and the tone of the right, demanding that people like Sarah Palin "explain herself". They complained about rare or non-existent Nazi signs at Tea Party rallies, complained about imaginary racial epithets allegedly hurled at black Congressman, and called for a "change in the tone".

How quickly that has all changed, with signs bearing cross hairs over Governor Walker's face and others comparing him to Hitler. And these signs are much more prevalent in Wisconsin than they ever were at any Tea Party rally. Suddenly it is alright by the media and the Democrats who support the unions because this is viewed by them as a "people's movement". Perhaps if unions respected the wishes of those who did not want to join a union, that assessment might have some merit, but that is not the case. Often, resistors to membership are ostracized, terrorized and sometimes beaten by union bosses and "consiglieres".

The unions knew full well what Scott Walker had planned. He told them in his campaign. They lost and now have four years to properly challenge his actions through the democratic process, as is our wont in America. Is Wisconsin the same as Egypt? No, it is not, unless Egypt falls into the hands of the Muslim Brotherhood. Then, if the unions succeed in their overturning of a fair election in Wisconsin, there may be an accurate similarity.

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