Wednesday, March 30, 2011

Thug Life in Cheeseland

This is lovely:
Members of Wisconsin State Employees Union, AFSCME Council 24, have begun circulating letters to businesses in southeast Wisconsin, asking them to support workers’ rights by putting up a sign in their windows. If businesses fail to comply, the letter says, “Failure to do so will leave us no choice but (to) do a public boycott of your business. And sorry, neutral means 'no' to those who work for the largest employer in the area and are union members."
What a bunch of brownshirts. There's more:
In the letter from [Jim] Parrett to some businesses, he says that, “It is unfortunate that you have chosen ‘not’ to support public workers rights in Wisconsin. In recent past weeks you have been offered a sign by a public employee who works in one of the state facilities in the Union Grove area. These signs simply said, ‘This Business Supports Workers Rights,’ a simple, subtle and we feel non-controversial statement gives the facts at this time.”
Parrett is a "field representative" for AFSCME Local 24. Yeah, his approach is subtle. Subtle as a flying mallet. Let's think about what these swells are doing. They are demanding that people who would rather not be involved in their dispute become involved. They are conscripting people into a battle that isn't their particular concern. And they are threatening economic harm to those who do not comply with their wishes, regardless of the reason. This is the worst sort of behavior -- raw, unmediated thugishness.

One of the things that I cherish the most about this country is that, in the main, we have built a society in which coercion is disdained. It is difficult for me to imagine the kind of mindset that believes the cause of justice is served by coercing people to toe anyone's particular line. This is the worst kind of behavior and, since law enforcement seems to be siding with the unions in Wisconsin, it appears to be going on with impunity.

Riddle me this -- why should someone like Jim Parrett win? And what is happening in the State of Wisconsin that a guy like Jim Parrett feels like he can comport himself like this?

6 comments:

Night Writer said...

Politics in the U.S. have always been loutish, underhanded and savage; I don't know that anything is worse today than 100 years ago. One thing that has always been to our credit, however, is that even the most contentious election is followed by a bloodless transfer or continuation of power. I fear that that record may soon be challenged.

Gino said...

i think if he posted a sign that simply said 'God bless taxpayers' he would get more business.

Anonymous said...

The record of bloodless transfer has already been challenged. Look at what's going on in Wisconsin. The Repulicans won the 2010 elections and the Democrats and cronies won't accept the results and have resorted to everything possible from Running Away to challenging laws in Kangaroo Courts, to making threats against peoples lives and livelihood, to extortion based boycotts.

Mr. D said...

The record of bloodless transfer has already been challenged.

Well, no blood yet. But I'm highly worried about it. I'm hoping that people are paying attention to the tactics being used here and thinking through the implications of people getting by with acting this way.

Bil C said...

This is one teensy step removed from: "You've sure got a nice business there, buddy. Be a shame if something bad happened to it...." *smacking baseball bat into his hand*

Is this kind of a threat applicable to RICO statutes?

Anonymous said...

Anymore talk about extortion, and I'll have your legs broken.