Politics
WHAT IS TO BE DONE with the POLITICS OF RESENTMENT?
(This is the fourth article based on the book The Politics of Resentment: Rural Consciousness in Wisconsin and the Rise of Scott Walker by Katherine Cramer.)
Katherine Cramer says “So the problem, for me, is this. We are in a time of increasing economic insecurity and of stark policy bias in favor of the affluent, and yet the politics of resentment draws our attention to our animosity toward each other rather than in ways in which the political system is not working for anyone but the very few.”
1. Policy makers need “to reassess what is going on in rural ...
Wisconsin’s U.S. Senate Race and Social Security
On Social Security the contrast between Wisconsin's two candidates for the U.S. Senate could not be greater. Russ Feingold (D) and Ron Johnson (R) are polar opposites on what should be done with this highly successful and popular program.
Senator Ron Johnson has said Social Security is a “ponzi scheme.” Johnson, along with many reactionary Republicans, want to make Social Security voluntary and allow younger workers to invest their Social Security contributions in stocks, bonds, and mutual funds. The article “Attacks on Social Security Continue in Wisconsin” ...
POLITICAL LEADERS USING THE POLITICS OF RESENTMENT
Author Katherine Cramer says, “I call this book The Politics of Resentment because there are other ways to make sense of politics than by relying on ideas about which of one’s fellow citizens are getting more than their fair share and who among them is underserving. I draw attention to a kind of politics in which people do not focus their blame on elite decision makers as they try to comprehend an economic recession. Instead they give their attention to fellow residents who they think are eating their share of the pie. These interpretations are encouraged, perhaps ...
SACRED LAND, SACRED WATER
Even the casual follower on Facebook can’t miss the photos of the valiant walkers of “33 Days of The Evil Twin #66.” Many a Wisconsinite comes to walk for a day, learning and teaching others along the way about the evil of the twin #66 Enbridge pipeline. Lucrative to producers but costly and perilous to our environment.
Wisconsin is bisected by several pipelines operated by Enbridge, whose base is Calgary, Alberta (foreign oil). The current Enbridge 61 crosses 15 counties, from Superior to Delevan. That’s 321 miles! It removes almost 2000 acres from public ...
WEALTH AND MONEY PART XIV: THE FRIGHTENING PHILANTHROPIST
“Philanthropy, is commendable, but it must not cause the philanthropist to overlook the circumstances of economic injustice that make philanthropy necessary.” - - Reverend Martin Luther King Jr.
Philanthropy in the United States is not just the voluntary activity of a donor. Philanthropy in general, including the work of foundations, is generously tax-subsidized. The assets transferred to a foundation by a donor are left untaxed in two respects: the donor makes the donation more or less tax-free, diminishing the tax burden she would face in the absence of the ...
BUDGET CUTS AND THE WISCONSIN IDEA
“In many ways a cut of this size feels like a betrayal from Wisconsin,’ he (University of Eau Claire Chancellor James Schmidt) recalled telling faculty early this year (in 2015), when the looming statewide cuts were predicted at $300 million. It also feels like a death in the family.’” “Schmidt said they’ve had just as big of a negative impact on campus morale.”
Over the past five years, the University of Wisconsin System has seen budget cuts of $500 million. In the 2011-2013 budget, $250 million was cut from the UW System. An additional $250 million was ...
WEALTH AND MONEY PART XI: ENDING GOVERNMENT DEBT
The town of Plentyville had public land used to grow food for its people. The farmer was hired to plant the yearly crop and at harvest time the village sold the produce to its citizens for sustenance through the winter. Proceeds were used to provide community services.
The system worked well until a year when the farmer had problems with his tractor and had to spend his savings on repairs. Low on money, the farmer bought his annual seeds and fertilizer from the supply store on credit. This, of course, left him in debt. Because the supply store was waiting for payment ...
HOW DO YOU EXPLAIN THE CORPORATE ASSAULT ON PUBLIC EDUCATION TO FRIENDS WHO KNOW NOTHING ABOUT IT?
HOW DO YOU EXPLAIN THE CORPORATE ASSAULT ON PUBLIC EDUCATION TO FRIENDS WHO KNOW NOTHING ABOUT IT?
Diane Ravitch received an email from a daily reader of her blog who asked her how she could explain the downside of corporate reform to friends at a dinner party in the suburbs who know nothing at all about the issues. She said that her friends were liberal Democrats, but their own children are grown, and they don't read the blogs. What could she say that was direct, accurate, and informative?
They exchanged emails and began creating a list explanatory comments. The ...
The Game is Rigged: Fighting the CAFO
The Bayfield County Board passed two local ordinances to regulate large factory farming. Some of the provisions exceed state requirements. But citizens opposing the proposed Concentrated Animal Feeding Operation (CAFO) still have the cards stacked against them. The new ordinances may be challenged in court. State law does not allow local governments to prohibit CAFOs. Local regulatory power through local ordinances is limited by state law. Citizen's ability to sue for damages is also limited.
The state regulatory system is largely skewed in favor of the industry. The ...
WATSON
“It was an amazing feat when Watson, IBM's "cognitive" -- listening, "thinking" and learning -- computing platform handily beat two Jeopardy grand champions in February 2011” - - Doug Henschen Information Week
Many remember the victory of IBM’s “Watson” computer over the Jeopardy grand champions, but few are aware that Watson is now playing a significant role in the field of medicine. Teaming with such austere institutions as Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center of New York and the Cleveland Clinic, Watson is assisting medical professionals in determining ...
