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Wisconsin Unions, A U.S. version of Contemporary Greece

by Colonel Bob Pappas, USMC, Retired

In my not so humble opinion, the time has come to do away with government unions. It has been a while in coming but with the uproar in Wisconsin, the dirty little secret is that Wisconsin citizens now work to support government unions and their bosses at levels that are significantly greater than what Wisconsin’s taxpaying private citizens enjoy. But, alas, as a Floridian, we have plenty of problems of our own. However, not being timid about expressing an unsolicited opinion, here goes.

Having observed and listened to arguments, both pro and con incident to union protests in Wisconsin, the bottom line is, the bottom line. The majority of the people of Wisconsin evidently no longer wish, not to mention are able to afford funding union contracts at previous levels, and whose membership receives more pay and benefits than Wisconsin taxpayers who do the funding. With pay and benefits amounting to over $100,000.00, (that’s one hundred thousand dollars), teachers of Madison, Wisconsin should be ashamed given Obama’s U.S. Department of Education report that Wisconsin’s 8th grade reading skills are at the 67% level of the nation as a whole, not that any place in the U.S. has a lot to crow about in today’s union dominated education system.

One wonders what would happen if Wisconsin’s non-government taxpayers decided to move let’s say, to Montana. Would its government unions continue their protests? From all indications they would, supported by Obama, George Soros and their ilk who would cheer taxpayers’ departure; but after winning that pyrrhic victory, who then would be left to pay union wages and benefits? Would Obama and Soros ante up their personal treasure? 

Here’s a novel thought. Opposing sides get together and have a mature conversation about fiscal reality. At least one element of that conversation should be whether or not the people of Wisconsin want their government employees to have a union, and assuming so, with how much power. Given instant union behavior, the argument against them is strengthened. When Obama was asked about the situation in Wisconsin, he said to the effect that the effort to rein in union negotiating authority and exorbitant union salaries and benefits amounts to an assault on unions. However, from most taxpayers’ perspective the illegal union “strike” is an assault on taxpayers’ children and families who cannot afford more taxes and who want a permanent solution.

Wisconsin’s government unions evidently believe it is they, not taxpayers who pay their salaries and benefits, who are in charge. If that is what the people of Wisconsin want, that is their choice. But when the issue was put to Wisconsin voters during recent elections, voting taxpayers elected people who told them plainly that they would bring fiscal responsibility back to the State without raising taxes.  Just as Obama ended the discussion with Republicans during an initial tax policy discussion with, “I won;” now would be a good time for Democrats who applauded that line, to practice in Wisconsin what Obama preached in Washington.

Semper Fidelis

Copyright ©  February 23, 2011, by Robert L. Pappas. With proper attribution, this essay may be quoted and redistributed, except it may not be used in conjunction with any advertisement without the author’s expressed written permission.

Obama’s Chickens Are Coming Home to Roost, and “it’s Bush’s Fault”

by Colonel Bob Pappas, USMC, Retired.

With so much acrid leftist politics and dissonant cacophony in the news, such as Tunisia, Jordan, Egypt, job killing “Obamacare,” attacks on 2nd Amendment rights, Administration imposition of regulations that bypass the Congress and the will of a vast majority of the American people, open borders, illegal immigrants that political and business criminals on the left and right like to portray as “undocumented workers,” this whirling dervish of an Administration makes it increasingly difficult to focus; and no doubt it is intentional.

In fighter aviation parlance, contemporary events are like maintining “situational awareness in a ‘fur-ball’” with a dozen high performance fighters and aggressive, blood thirsty, killer types each trying both to survive, and at the same time kill an enemy target. Stated another way, it’s like Clausewitz’ “Fog of War,” with the pandemonium of explosions, weapons fire, smoke, combatants scrambling, some hurt, and commands coming simultaneously from multiple directions.

Witness the past week’s events in Tunisia, Egypt and now Jordan. Listen to Vice President Biden state that Mubarak is “no dictator and should not step down,” meanwhile Obama said that the future of Egypt will be determined by the Egyptian people. Clinton on the other hand said, “…our assessment is that the Egyptian Government is stable and is looking for ways to respond to the legitimate needs and interests of the Egyptian people.”  White House spokesman, Gibbs said, “…Egypt is a strong ally.” From their diverse and somewhat divergent statements, it is evident they have no grip on the situation or they are incompetent, and most likely, both.

What the world is witnessing is the Obama Administration throwing Mubarak under the bus in the hope that it will turn out favorable to the U.S. The Administration evidently believes that by suggesting elections in the late summer that it will give the U.S. time to influence the outcome. Where this Administration is abundantly naïve is that delay buys time for adversaries as well. If they believe that Iran, Saudi Arabia and Israel will be standing idly by, they are even more incompetent than one has heretofore imagined.

On the one hand White House Press Secretary Gibbs stated that the U.S. had not been involved in Egypt, and on the other hand there are the numerous reports of secret activity which was intended to undermine Mubarak. That assertion is supported by Axelrod’s statement that Obama had directly confronted Mubarak for two years on the need for reform. Duplicity is a salient hallmark of this Administration, speaking with forked tongue so much and so often that even Obama’s South American bosom buddy, Venezuela’s Dictator Hugo Chaves calls U.S. policy hypocritical, at first supporting “strong” men, i.e. dictators, then abandoning them when something goes wrong.

Obama’s apology tour included a speech at Cairo University wherein he declared his affinity for Islam and announced in Istanbul on the same trip that the U.S. is no longer a Christian nation.  In a National Security Strategy paper, dated 27 May 2010, Obama all but declared that the U.S. is no longer an economic and military superpower. Now, as Obama’s erstwhile America hating pastor stated, “the chickens are coming home to roost.” It is Obama’s abandonment of American excellence, his “we are no better than” attitude, his “spreading the ‘poverty’ around” mentality, his reaching out to Muslim nations touting their contributions to science and technology such as they are, his evident racism, and anti-Americanism that are at the core of Obama’s international relations calamity. In two years, “We’ve come a long way baby!” Like he announced, “it’s a different world.” Right, and none of it good so far.

Often stated here is Obama’s mantra: “We will totally change the economic system,” “We will totally change America,” and “We will totally change the world.” Whenever one hears Obama’s media shills tell Americans that his economic policies are not working as well as the Administration had hoped, one must the contrary, that his policies are accomplishing precisely what he has intended, that is: spreading the poverty around the middle class, intentionally damaging the value of the dollar and increasing the debt to levels that are at once, historical and onerous for present and future generations. Why? So that everyone will work for the government to pay the debt; that’s called “spreading the wealth around,” if you are Obama.

Current events in Egypt, directly or otherwise are of Obama’s making, oh, sorry, one forgets, “it’s Bush’s fault.”  In any event, this fits one more component of Obama’s plan for total change. Where it will lead is both predictable and disastrous for the U.S. What used to be the strongest mid-eastern ally, Israel is said to be apoplectic at Obama’s evident interest in effectively rolling back the clock to pre-Carter days; all in the interest of advancing relations with Muslim nations the bottom line of which is to advance Islam, you know, the “religion of peace.”

If one has studied Obama, watched what he does, with whom he has surrounded himself and how his operates, a rational person must conclude that this man is the more dangerous to the interests of the U.S. than all Presidents in the entirety of U.S. history. Readers should therefore be prepared for anything and be surprised at nothing.

Semper Fidelis

Copyright © February1st, 2011, by Robert L. Pappas. With proper attribution, this essay may be quoted and redistributed, except it may not be used in conjunction with any advertisement without the author’s expressed written permission.