Wisconsin Governor Walker thinking he's talking to David Koch

This is the conversation between Ian Murphy and Wisconsin's governor, Scot Walker(Thanks to Wally Kennedy for forwarding it) .  Murphy posed as David Koch, the billionaire right winger who supports Walker and the Tea Baggers and called Walker to support his efforts at Union busting.  What is interesting for me is the determination and dedication to his principles. If the leaders of the working  class were as clear about what they want and as ruthless and determined to get it as the capitalist politicians like Walker is we would be in good shape.

He must feel quite confident as the leaders of the workers' organizations and their friends in the Democratic Party are all begging him to back of while at the same time offering him what he wants in terms of concessions on wages, benefits and stuff like that.  He refers to Reagan and PATCO.  Reagan fired 11,000 air traffic controllers in 1981, smashed their Union and barred them from working in that industry for life.  They were fighting for a 30 hour workweek among other things.

The AFL-CIO leadership did next to nothing.  This gave the green light to the employers and they broke a number of major strikes in the 80's with the help of the heads of organized Labor.  The right wing are tapping in to the anger that exists in society and the labor leaders are not, that is why they get an echo among some workers.

Walker's determination to accomplish what he believes in has to be met with equal determination and resolve from organized Labor.  The way that can happen is through an offensive struggle for jobs, pay, housing, education etc, that cab draw all sections of the class in to this struggle, as well as building a mass political party of the working class as an alternative to the Democrats. This will not happen with the present leadership who will block this movement that has arisen in Wisconsin and weaken the movement further.  They are wedded to capitalism and the market and are incapable of building a movement against it unless they are forced; for them, this can only lead to chaos.

The obstacle of this leadership will be overcome at some point through a movement from below, lets hope it stars in Wisconsin.  But these bastards are determined and with people like this, offering to placate them strengthens their resolve; weakness breeds aggression as they say.

They only back  off in the face of power. And I refer readers again to one of Scott Walker's class brothers for some advice, George Schultz, who said:

"Negotiations are a euphemism for capitulation if the shadow of power is not cast across the bargaining table."