As the conflict between American workers and the Republican party spreads and continues, we now have more definitive proof that Republican claims that this is about budgetary issues are out and out lies. Americans for Prosperity is a front group for the Koch brothers. Their Executive Director for Michigan explained both their goal and the reason for it at CPAC.
In a speech earlier this month at the Conservative Political Action Committee’s annual conference, Americans For Prosperity-Michigan Executive Director Scott Hagerstrom revealed the true goal of his group and its allies like Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker’s (R) efforts. Speaking at CPAC’s “Panel for Labor Policy,” Hagerstrom said that AFP really wants to do is to “take the unions out at the knees”…
…Watch it:
Taking “the unions out at the knees” has long been a goal of the Koch brothers and their many front groups. In the run-up to the 2010 elections, the Kochs worked with other anti-labor billionaires, corporations and activists to fund conservative candidates and groups across the country. Now after viciously opposing pro-middle class policies for years, Koch Industries is trying to eliminate the only organizations which serve as a counterweight to the well-oiled corporate machine… [emphasis added]
Inserted from <Think Progress>
Note here that the reason Hagerstrom gave for taking unions out is “so they don’t have the resourses to fight these battles”. How do they fight battles for workers rights? A big way is by opposing Republicans and supporting Democrats. And what resources did he mean? Two come to mind. Union money and union members volunteering for campaigns. Republicans want to establish permanent one-party Republican rule.
It is critically important that we all stand together and support our union brothers and sisters. Republicans are especially well disciplined this way. When Theocons want to gut women’s rights, Neocons, Corporocons, and Plutocons goose step behind them. When Corporocons want more welfare for companies to export American workers’ jobs at taxpayer expense, the Neocons, Plutocons, and Theocons goose step behind them. This is a page we must take from their play book, because we lefties tend to concentrate on our own niche: pacifists, environmentalists, women’s rights activists, LGBT rights activists, civil rights activists, labor, etc. all tend to focus on the one area. To succeed, we must adopt each others causes with equal passion!
18 Responses to “Take the Unions Out at the Knees”
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In this case TC it seems to me for a change there is a fair amount out there that proves the repugs are wrong and the baggers have ill intent on their agenda.
But still the sheep believe the bull shit. It’s the media and it’s not ours and they are not going to change.
Fly, you make a good point. We have MSNBC giving a balanced perspective and the rest of broadcast media either never challenging or correction right wing lies or helping to spread them.
“so they don’t have the resources to fight these battles”.
Isn’t this where the government is supposed to help? Let’s see, doesn’t the Constitution say “Provide for the common welfare of the people?” Maybe the gov’t isn’t directly helping the corporations (actually they are with all the tax breaks, subsidies etc) but they ARE helping them by proxy by DOING NOTHING to help the commoner.
Nikolii, in the preamble to the Constitution it says “promote the general welfare”. In the body it says “provide for the common good”
The super-rich and criminal corporations ae getting all the benefits of socialism. The poor and middle classes are the ones stuck with free enterprise.
little time for blogging….
good source of info for what is happening in Madison
http://www.democracynow.org/2011/2/25/wisconsins_uprising_a_guided_tour_of
bless you (and I am an atheist) for spreading the truth… remember, Indiana and Ohio are coming up next….support workers and the middle class/!!!!
.. and as Dusty at http://leftwingnutjob.blogspot.com/2011/02/hannity-limbaugh-and-oreilly-are-all.html
points out…. Limbaugh, Hannity,O’Reilly are all Union members.
Thanks for the great links, Jim.
you’re right about this TC…dems are the pacifists, but all across the country today are protests and rallies like we haven’t seen from our party in ages and it looks so damn awesome!! I’m a proud member of the liberal party and proud of all the demonstrations going on in support of unions and the rights we as Americans fought so hard for! GO UNIONS!!!!
As for the Kochsucker brothers and their ilk, their day is coming. Stand up Dems, FIGHT!!!
Right on Sue. I have not seen this much energy from the left since 2008.
One way to fight the Kocks(uckers) is to BOYCOTT THEM. Don’t buy their crap, ANY of it! What I’d like to see and it could be organized on Facebook or Politics Plus(!) are organized, solid BOYCOTTS. What if the left half of the country boycotted Exxon-Mobil for example, for a weekend, a week, a month, a YEAR?!! We CAN do something about these rich pr*cks! We CAN hurt them financially, so let’s DO IT!! 😈
Nicolai, that’s hard to do with huge conglomerates, because their stuff goes into bunches of things we don’t know about.
While I don’t care for violence, my advice for that cocky Hagerstrom would be to shut his mouth before some irate union guy kneecaps him!
Not all unionists are as pacifist as you Jack. 😉
I’m with Nikolai – boycott them. I haven’t bought BP gas since April and never will again. I’d rather push my car to the next gas station. I find it funny that all the Senators are taking refuge in my thoroughly blue state, IL. All are welcome to stay as long as you like. Hey, there are even mild strip clubs at the border of WI. Go for it! (Like someone is gonna know….) I even have a spare bedroom and I’m 15 min from the WI border.
I am too, Lisa. I just don’t know where crotch products go.
Jack, lol…it’s been a long time since the kneecap busting days 😀
I agree. Instead, let’s use a butt plug on the elephant in the room, because it is crapping all over us!
It is critically important that we all stand together and support our union brothers and sisters. This is the key— because- standing alone , one is easily broken– In Union there is Strength ; So basic a concept is often overlooked–There are great old songs , ,such as “We Shall not be Moved”– The original fighters for the rights of workers formed what we have called Unions– A very powerful uniting force was the shared music– the songs they sung together—
Stand together , we are all in this now- whether we want to call ourselves Union , or not—- its a certainty if we dont back today’s struggle we will all go down together.
I agree, Phyllis.