More bad news for the Koch-heads
A Gallup/USA Today national poll also shows strong support for collective bargaining rights for public sector workers: 61% of respondents would oppose a law in their state similar to the one proposed by Gov. Walker. Who knew?
LBO News from Doug Henwood 
Surprising, but the poll also shows that there is not a plurality that wants to reduce state services or raise taxes either. Does that mean that most want to do nothing, or just that they want to do whatever doesn’t impact them or the services they use?
“Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable” JFK
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Non-violent_revolution#Peaceful_revolution
That the ‘Koch’s’ (as a heading for the ascendant faction of the US ruling class) have been able to penetrate so deep into the Union belt is not good , however.
I have to keep this kind of thing in mind whenever I’m tempted to say anything along the lines of “the American public are stupid and TV-addled and will sell their own rights down the river given half a chance.” They’re actually a lot smarter and more progressive than I (usually) think. So thanks for the info.
(Or maybe it’s just Wisconsin??)
Doug, I agree that this is an astounding poll result. How do you account for the apparent disconnect? It is agreed that GOP candidates don’t run on “union busting” and voters are often slow on the uptake. So why the popular support? The Koch-Luntz combine has been playing the popular media like an old banjo; on the major networks (not just Fox), unions cause cancer. From what comes this unexpected outbreak of solidarity?
“Gee, ya mean they’re not pickin’ on blacks and Mexicans and Muslims ONLY?”… that’s right, America, your racist insistence on identifying with the powerful and white privilege didn’t protect you from capitalist exploitation, alienation, oppression…
“Gee, ya mean electing a black guy, a woman speaker, and a whole rainbow isn’t enough to stop the vanguard of the capitalist class, the Tea Party GOP?”… that’s right, America, pinning your dreams on Wall Street’s prepackaged signifiers of change and aspirational brands of hope can’t replace popular mobilization… in fact, those signifiers and brand names are your enemies too. Real sacrifice will be required.
From Caracas to Cairo, the rest of the world has been patiently showing Americans how… are we smart enough, serious enough, civilized enough, and moral enough to learn?
“The revolution is being televised…”
“Who knew?”
“They’re actually a lot smarter and more progressive than I (usually) think.”
“From what comes this unexpected outbreak of solidarity?”
Have none of you read a book called Manufacturing Consent?
Anyway, I imagine most of you have heard about Ian Murphy’s prank phone call by now. If you haven’t – he (Murphy) poses as David Koch, and actually gets a line through to Walker (using skype, no less). The whole thing lasts just under 20 minutes, and Walker does almost all of the talking (it’s almost like psychoanalysis). Anyway, listen to the audio on this (you can find it on Youtube) for a very clear representation of what you already knew to be the case.