Walker’s Wisconsin Blueprint for Neo-Feudalism
“Our basic point is, why do that in a bill that’s being rushed through the legislature in a week’s time that could really stand a more deliberative review?” Peacock says. “We need to find ways to reduce the cost of Medicaid, [but] we expect legislators to make those decisions and be accountable to their constituents for those decisions.”
This is, in short, a massive attempt to restructure the state’s power-relations permanently and fundamentally away from a republican form of government, in which all sectors of the society have a say in how society is governed and back toward a form of feudalism, in which the property relations of the most powerful actors dominate virtually every aspect of public–and even private–life. This neo-fuedal model was first popularly treated by the cyber-punk writers of the early 1980s, just as Ronald Reagan was laying the initial foundations, and what we see in Walker’s “budget repair” bill is the clearest outline seen so far of just how this transformation is intended to be carried out.
The good thing about this is that it’s all so out-in-the-open. The bad thing is that it’s still so poorly understood. That’s why we need to start pushing beyond simply focusing only on the union-busting aspects of the bill, as morally repugnant as they may be. We need to be focusng on all of the inter-related power-grabs in the bill that take power away from the citizens in general, and central that power in the governor’s hands for the purposes of punishing his enemies, rewarding his friends, and acting in perpetuity as a modern-day feudal lord.
This is, of course, also yet another example of the iron law of conservatism: whatever they accuse liberals of doing is projection of what they themselves are up to. So it is that the baseless accusations that Obama is trying to transform America into an alien form of government antitherical to American values reflects the reality of what conservatives are actually up to. What once was difficult to prove, necessitating a careful bringing together of many different pieces of evidence can now be demonstrated by simply pointing to a single document, and reading it carefully.
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William Timberman:
February 26th, 2011 at 3:45 pm
Ah, found you, thanks to the old OpenLeft crew at Site to be Named Later.
Life is good.
Paul Rosenberg:
February 26th, 2011 at 4:08 pm
Indeed!
And I’m not even sure I’ve found myself yet!
Spitball:
February 26th, 2011 at 4:43 pm
Hi Paul.
You’ve defined “teachable moment” with this bit:The good thing about this is that it’s all so out-in-the-open. The bad thing is that it’s still so poorly understood.
David Kaib:
February 26th, 2011 at 4:45 pm
Yes. What we need is politicize this, not in the sense of distorting for partisan gain, but rather making connections between issues and people. That depends on not merely opposing what the are doing, but on offering an positive alternative. Sadly, it is a job elite Democrats are ill suited to play.
As Robert Reich said (my emphasis):
John:
February 26th, 2011 at 4:52 pm
Bravo!
Daniel:
February 26th, 2011 at 7:13 pm
You know, we really need to coin a name for this:
This is, of course, also yet another example of the iron law of conservatism: whatever they accuse liberals of doing is projection of what they themselves are up to
Hypocrite’s Razor perhaps?
The Solipsism Principle?
The Cynical Criminal’s Conjecture?
Michele:
February 26th, 2011 at 7:26 pm
Your point about Walker’s plans for Wisconsin’s budget -
Paul Rosenberg:
February 27th, 2011 at 1:30 am
Agreed
The Democratic Party elite are possibly the last people on earth to look to for leadership here. Fortunately, it looks like we might finally have a strong enough movement from below to start producing a new wave of leadership for the future.
It won’t happen overnight. But the longer the Democratic Party leadership stays AWOL, the more certain that new leadership will emerge.
Paul Rosenberg:
February 27th, 2011 at 1:33 am
I Think You’re 100% Right, Michele
None of these guys is the least bit warm or cuddly. They just know a sure loser when they see it, and have so many other things on their to-do list that it doesn’t bother them a bit to move on to the next items.
pieceofcake:
February 27th, 2011 at 2:20 pm
Whassup
So you got a new blog – and I like the ‘title’ even there are probably no ‘dirty’ Hippies anymore -(as you mentioned – in this century they are all ‘washed’ and probably smell like aftershave) – But why are you hanging out here all by yourself? -(I’m talking about ‘writingwise’?) – Let’s say you put a second ‘line’ up on your blog for real’unwashed’ writers – where they can try out some stuff – and create traffic for you – and interest – and do all these things the ‘good people’ of Wisconsin did – by showing up in ‘numbers’.
You know that’s the big ‘secret’ nowadays -(or it always ways) – You GOT to show up ‘in numbers’! Not this lonely ‘individualistic’ stuff anymore – That get’s you nowhere -(and isn’t ‘UNISON’ the major lesson from Wisconsin anyway?) – I know it’s hard – this ‘we do it together stuff’. At the ‘sitetobenamedlater’ we even didn’t manage to come up with a name yet – while you just sat down and decided: ‘I call my blog’: The dirty Hippie!
And here it is!
But I just don’t get what ‘really’ is going on in the homeland. I mean there is the so called left ‘wrecking’ it’s brain how to beat back idiotic conservativism -(or ‘what’s after Wisconsin’) – and one of the most obvious resolutions is avoided in the strangest way: F… UNITE! TALK TO EACH OTHER! Why do you – and hundred of other ‘progressive’ bloggers have to have their own f… individualistic blog? Why can’t they be ONE -(it probably would turn into the most powerful progressive blog on the Web) – and I mean – if it is about ‘the money’ – that problem has to be able to be solved -(The good Glenn found an arrangement with the useless Salon – Right?) –
AND isn’t it true that there are thousands of unemployed writers and journalists out there – What’s about doing something ‘solidaric’ for THEM? -(and thus for yourself) – - Give them a ‘stage’ on your -(our?) blog. And I hate to repeat myself – but a blog with a few hundred writers would even give the Huffpost ‘a run for the 300 Mill. – and you – me and ALL THE OTHERS could own it TOGETHER – (let’s see… 300Mill divided by a thousand that’s…?) – So are you the ‘the one’ who will do that ‘unification- thing’? – Or do I have to leave – and come back again in 30 years after the lesson from Wisconsin finally has ‘sunk’ in?
Towner:
February 28th, 2011 at 9:14 pm
Paul, been waiting to see where in bloglandia you would land. Thanks for the always insightful writing.
Just want to add that I attended “the People’s Legislature”organized by fightingbob.com here in Madison on Saturday where the upcoming state supreme court race in April was a major topic.
JoAnne Kloppenburg may have a real chance at unseating the conservative Walker supporter David Prosser, flipping the bench to a 4-3 “progressive” majority. Hope this gets national attention because there will no doubt be a ton of outside right-wing cash poured into that race.