Wisconsin protests—now with farmers (and tractors)
I’m just reposting this from boing boing because it is cool and because farming is inherently socialistic.
Tens of thousands of people were in Madison, Wisconsin, again this weekend, continuing to protest Governor Scott Walkers attempt to do away with collective bargaining for some state employees. We’re at Day 18 now, if you’re keeping track.
This has been a very weird event, by U.S. standards. We don’t often have protest movements that sustain their momentum, at this level, over this long a period of time. Hell, one day is usually the maximum. So it’s been interesting to me to see the Madison protests evolve. Up next, apparently, are theme protests. Next Saturday, March 12, starting at noon, it’s farmer-labor day at the Wisconsin Capitol Building—with farmers from across the state set to bring a tractorcade of support to the protesters in Madison. Yes. A tractorcade. This just got 10x more awesome.
Next week, farmers from across the dairyland will bring tractors and solidarity to the WI capitol to fight for labor rights and a just state budget. Rural communities will be disproportionately hurt by the cuts to education and badgercare, and farmers in Wisconsin stand with state workers, and all working and middle class families in the state. The event is sponsored by Family Farm Defenders, Wisconsin Farmers Union and Land Stewardship project.
All farmers and eaters welcome and encouraged to come! If you have a tractor and would like to join in the tractorcade please contact John Peck at Family Farm Defenders – (608) 260-0900; familyfarmdefenders@yahoo.com
“Farming is inherrently socialistic”. Stalin killed and starved millions more than Hitler in an attempt to make this so in his collectivization of the farms. It didn’t work. The Soviet Union could never feed itself.
Stalin? (I will only hint at your error, because you will not learn anything any other way. Now don’t be afraid to think a bit before you respond.)
Maybe we should start a pool and bet on when he’ll get it.
Yes, Stalin. Research the Soviet Famine of 1932-1933 and the Great Purge, as well as the legacy of these in Soviet agricultural production.
Well guess I should be lucky I didn’t put any money on that.
Yep. Everything other than “never” is a sucker bet.
I’m from Wisconsin and may bring down our tractor to the Capitol this Saturday. Few important issues can be adequately captured and understood with simplistic sound-bite rhetoric. We need to engage with organizations that have the resources to fully understand them and the integrity to be trusted.
Both private and public sectors experience inefficiencies that are painful to learn about. But, let’s not throw the baby out with the bath water. It’s time to slow the process way down and give the public a reasonable opportunity to dialogue about and digest complex issues that have far reaching consequences. My grandparent’s generation permanently poisoned almost every environmental resource that they touched. Do we want our descendants to remember us that way?
I’ve worked with union employees, but have never been in a union. Having listened to and read a great deal about how school systems work, I am beginning to understand why some of our representatives are determined to maintain teachers’ bargaining rights. Despite their inefficiencies, they create a political stability that ensures the support that has kept us as almost the top rated school system in the nation. If we don’t give our kids quality education, what kind of lives will they live as adults?
It takes decades to develop effective regulation that can be torn down in an hour. I hope that the people who represent us will also want to slow things down. Contrast Walker with how Tommy Thompson took on big issues. Thompson got a lot done.
Thanks for commenting hugh. I think you are right. Part of the major problem is Scott Walker’s rush to put legislation in place that is ideological and not practical.
I hope you get your tractor to Madison and can report back on how it goes.
“If we don’t give our kids quality education, what kind of lives will they live as adults?”
THAT IS THE KEY. The rethugs dont want to GIVE anyone’s kids but their own a good education. They want people to have to BUY a good education… if they cant afford it, those kids have to wait tables for the rich kids.
That is the conservative philosophy. “screw you, i’ve got mine, ive taken yours. F off, liberal”
Best of luck saving your state, Hugh. Wisconsin is very nice. The time i was there i was in Madison staying near a bread factory… fresh sourdough smell every morning. mmmmmmm