With Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker's signing into law his measure to end collective bargaining with the public service unions his opponents see it as an act of war, not only on the unions but the middle class.
The protestors legitimately see him and his Republican cohorts as corporate backed lackeys doing the bidding of their deep pocketed corporate sponsors who have made it no secret their intent to kill all unionization not just in Wisconsin but all over this country.
And that realization is spreading beyond Wisconsin, at once inspired by the resistance there, but also because people everywhere are seeing the Machiavellian intent of these law makers and their corporate backers.
Ever since the Supreme Court's decision in "Citizens United" v/s "FEC" giving corporations the same status as people and giving the go ahead for unlimited corporate funding of elections, progressives have warned this ruling was the most egregious act that gives corporations undue dominance over the election process and those elected which overwhelms the influence of the people.
In Wisconsin and other states controlled by Republican governors and legislatures, the drive is on by these corporate backed assassins to destroy all collective bargaining, the backbone of unionization.
But the corporatists, led by the likes of the right wing extremist Koch Bros. largesse and their elected henchmen, may have overplayed their hand. The majority of people polled favor collective bargaining and see it as a right. They also see it as being a power play maneuver against people like themselves. It has touched a nerve of many people who are saying, "We have had it".
So the sleeping giant of the majority may have been awakened; their passivity and indifference to the plight of other people like them suffering undeservedly at the hands of the powerful may have reached unacceptable levels.
Most people are aware of the corrupting influence of big corporate and special interest's money's effect on our elected officials but they have not known how to take effective action against it. That is until now.
There is an emerging awareness that only through collective action by the people demanding they be heard and challenging those in power will the people's interests be acknowledged and respected.
So through mass demonstrations, court challenges, petitions for recall, strikes and boycotts the challenge is beginning to be met. The gauntlet has been thrown down.
The view from here it is none too soon.
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