I'm always stunned with amazement when I hear or read about this or that group in the world voting against their own individual and social interests because they claim to prefer a particular politician or political party for being
"fiscally conservative".
I simply cannot get into my head how it can be more important for anyone to have lower taxes, a balanced budgets or less government spending etc., than to receive full and equal human rights, the full protection of the law from harassment and bullying in the workplace and other walks of life, the right to marry the one you love or even the right to negotiate your wages the way you want or through whatever group you choose.
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| Cartoon by Drew Sheneman-Tribune Media Services |
Taxation is not an evil in itself, not if you by taxation can ensure that your population gets decent healthcare, decent schooling, decent housing and decent social care, a decent police force, a decent defense and anything else we need from our government to feel good about ourselves as a society.
This rant was brought on today by the news that 34% of the trade unionists in Wisconsin, United States of America, yesterday voted for governor
Scott Walker in the recall election. The same governor Walker who last year pushed through legislation that effectively ended collective bargaining for public employees and teachers in Wisconsin. However, I have been mulling over this to me bewildering phenomenon for some years now at different occasions, usually when I notice gay individuals or groups supporting bigoted and homophobic politicians and political parties that will not allow them full and equal human rights.
