The Joust

The teacher-benefit brouhaha in Wisconsin is escalating across the nation as left-wing groups are fulminating and flexing their community-organizing muscles. There are now sponsored protests occurring or planned today in most state capitals and many other major cities across the U.S. (see Organized Protests.) These demonstrations are corralled and paid for by MoveOn.org, the SEIU, the AFL/CIO and many other “progressive” organizations (see the impressive list in the above link) as a show of force to try to trample the rising populist revolution against the excesses of public-sector labor unions.

This is a tilting match that the Left has consistently won over the last fifty years … with the tacit support of many in the main-stream media. However, this time it might just be a little different. Many American citizens now recognize that public-service unions cannot continue uncurtailed because many states and even our nation teeter on the brink of financial ruin. The public-sector unions, some of their private sector brethren, and many fuzzy-headed youths have, over the last few weeks, been exhibiting unrepentant greed, anti-democratic scheming, and too-often outright thuggery.

This all-out attempt to silence the Conservatives and clear-thinking Moderates among us may well be a turning point in the politics of our nation. Last fall’s elections were the first indication that the Leftists may have overstepped their popular mandate. Yes, they are formidable and sometimes even a bit scary. But like most bullies, if you take their best shot and stay standing … or, to continue the jousting metaphor, stay on horseback, then you have a good chance of prevailing. And the strongest weapon, that the opponents of these goons have, is that they must eventually win if either combatant is to survive.