We are so easily played.

[nebenaube]

For two weeks, we’ve gleefully sunk into a relatively petty debate about pension contribution percentages, health care benefits, and wages for middle class Americans. Often, this argument has devolved into simple jealousies, of one middle class worker upset that another has, thanks to a strong union, better wages and benefits than they have. It often sounds unsettlingly childish: “I don’t have that so you shouldn’t.”

There are certainly details in Gov. Scott Walker’s budget repair bill worthy of discussion and argument, but his bill is not being proposed in a vacuum. That is where we fall into the trap that takes us to the wrong debate.

I can’t compartmentalize what’s happening in Madison, can’t plug it into a simple debate about whether the benefit packages of public workers are too generous or their wages too high. Or even about whether their unions should be weakened or busted.


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In a vacuum, I would agree that contributions to health insurance and benefit plans should rise, but I’m not living in that vacuum that Mr. Walker, Mr. Obama, and most of Washington and Madison want us to move into. I won’t be sucked into it, no matter how strong the pull of the powers that be – Democrats, Republicans, Wall Street or Big Ag, Obama or Bush or Clinton.

snip...

[classof56]

1. The words "advertisement" and "snip" indicate a link for this post.

Can you post that? Thanks!

Peace and blessings.

[nebenaube]

2. oops fog of info war here... link included.

http://www.ppulse.com/Articles-c-2011-02-25-97101.114136-The-Wrong-Debate.html

[hfojvt]

3. who is writing this nonsense - you, or some other blogger?

First, the writer calls the debate petty and then takes a cheap shot at one side - the working poor.

I mean, how dare poorer people look up and get upset about privileges and perks that they don't have themselves?

The nerve of those immature imbeciles. They should be happy to pay more taxes to preserve the wages and benefits of other people who have more than they do.

Apparently the only reason we are having this debate is because of the working poor, or advocates for the working poor, who are "unsettlingly childish".