With the current crises and revolutions in North Africa, Maghreb and Middle East, the political crisis taking place in Wisconsin has flown under the radar in Europe. Wisconsin is going through a major political and social crisis as the future of labor unions’ power and other social rights of public workers in Wisconsin and ultimately in the rest of the US could be at stake.
With the beginning of the financial crisis marked by the fall of the Lehman Brothers in September 2008 worker rights have been targeted, through reforms of the welfare state, as one of the sources of slow recovery. Governments across Europe and North America have spent billions of dollars in bailing out financial institutions, the ‘too big to fail’ institutions, with tax payers’ money and implemented major budget cuts. UK Prime Minister Cameron was elected on this particular agenda, President Sarkozy of France is doing it to a lesser extent, and the US is under major political debate on where and how to cut spending. The US solutions, at least promoted by the conservative-republicans and the tea party, are to cut all ‘useless’ social programs such as education, social security, kill the ‘health care’ bill – often called as Obamacare – and others. Spending in defense have been cut as asked by President Obama, but such action is strongly criticized by the conservative-republicans. But the problem lays in the confusion between a real political debate and ideological/party lines beliefs. Partisan politics are simply destroying the foundation of democracy, debate, and hurting the economic recovery.
In addition of budget cuts, we are witnessing considerable attacks towards civil and social rights of workers and citizens. Wisconsin is currently under major political heat as Republican Governor Walker plans to cut social benefits of public workers, teachers, while limiting labor unions’ bargaining power. His argument is that in order to cut Wisconsin’s debt the state needs to cut funding. He is doing so by attacking public workers’ benefits. But the debate has been extremely perverse as Republicans all across the country have denounced the injustice between middle class public and private workers, between the ‘have’ and the ‘have not.’
The lesson for the rest of America but also Europe is pretty sinister. Social rights and social benefits are being cut in the name of competition, productivity, and globalization. Politicians are obsessed with keeping their economies competitive against China. But let’s face it, how democratically and socially developed is China? What are the social benefits and workers’ rights in China? Where is the welfare state in China? It seems that the Euro-Atlantic community underwent major social and economic changes throughout the course of the 20th century in order to enhance the welfare state. Should it be violated in the name of productivity and competition? Unfortunately, the current capitalist system is extremely unequal and ‘unfair.’ After major bail out, the transnational capital elite is seizing this transitional moment in order to advance their interests and increase their power on governments. The truth is that ‘too big to fail’ institutions should have paid the price of their mistakes and being seriously reformed in 2008-09. The latest G-20 meeting in Paris is an illustration of the loss of momentum and willingness by governments to do so as it is easier to remove social rights and tax workers. Ultimately, social rights need to be maintained and respected as symbols of our stage of development. Because the only way to be competitive again will go through, as claimed by Jon Steward, ‘a third-world make-over.’ Are we willing to let this happen?
