Thanks to Rudy Perkins for sharing this first-hand account of his weekend trip to Madison

On Saturday, Feb. 26, 2011, I took part in the latest of the large demonstrations at the Madison, Wisconsin State Capitol building against the attempt by Republican Governor Walker to strip collective bargaining rights for many of the public sector unions in the state and to launch sharp cutbacks.  The late afternoon demonstration surrounded the Capitol with large contingents of union members, Wisconsin families, and progressive activists  — maybe 50,000 to 75,000 demonstrators in all, with more still arriving when I left, as dusk and a new dusting of snow began to fall across the city.

It’s quite possible that organizers hit their 100,000 target by day’s end.  Certainly tens of thousands of demonstrators filled the streets, curb to curb, completely surrounding the Capitol on the four long city blocks that surround the state house square.  Several thousand more demonstrators circled on the sidewalk at the base of the Capitol building, or stood on its wide steps or on the snow-covered slope of the Capitol lawn.  Hundreds more continued the occupation inside the Capitol building.

The Post Carbon Institute is posting early release chapters from Richard Heinberg’s book The End of Growth, coming out in July. Read other early chapters here.

Chapter 1, Part 1: Economics for the Hurried

The first economists were ancient Greek and Indian philosophers, among them Aristotle (382-322 BC)-who discussed the “art” of wealth acquisition and questioned whether property should best be owned privately or by government acting on behalf of the people. Little of real substance was added to the discussion during the next two thousand years.

The 18th century brought a virtual explosion of economic thinking. “Classical” economic philosophers such as Adam Smith (1723-1790), Thomas Robert Malthus (1766-1834), and David Ricardo (1772-1823) introduced basic concepts such as supply and demand, division of labor, and the balance of international trade. As happens in so many disciplines, early practitioners were presented with plenty of uncharted territory and proceeded to formulate general maps of their subject that future experts would labor to refine in ever more trivial ways.

These pioneers set out to discover natural laws in the day-to-day workings of economies. They were striving, that is, to make of economics a science on a par with the emerging disciplines of physics and astronomy.

The other day I called Governor Walker’s appearance on a prank phone call — showing the world the corrupted state of affairs inside the halls of power here in the U.S. — his “Mubarak Moment.”

I think today he’s done it again. Walker’s Mubarak Moment #2 was today’s attempt to close down the Capitol Building, giving protestors a 4pm deadline to leave.

Check out Ben Brandzel’s live feed of what’s happening in the Capitol Building. I think it’s possible that Walker’s curfew might have sparked the defining battle, like that over who controlled Tahrir Square.  Whose House?! OUR HOUSE!

The fraud that Scott Walker and the billionaire-funded Tea Party movement represents is slowly unraveling before our eyes. Their magic show has stumbled, and like Hosni Mubarak and Muammar al-Gaddafi, their worthless lies are being exposed. All elected officials who want to play the role of the Wizard of Oz, keeping us from looking behind the curtain, should take heed. Now is the time for honest dialogue and debate about where we stand. No matter what political stripe you color yourself — Green, Blue, Red, Black Tea or whatever — it’s time for some hard truths to emerge. And it’s time for people to start standing up for common sense collective problem solving. United we stand, divided we fall.

It will be interesting to see whether they go through with this charade, whether Koch-funded Americans for Prosperity will really go ahead with an ad campaign designed to turn the tide against the public employees and their supporters. It was dumbfounding to see Mubarak and Gaddafi take to the airwaves so many times in such a clueless, tone deaf manner. The clearer these billionaires want to create a frontline of fraud, the better for the people fighting such an unholy alliance of greed and government.

Now Madison police chief Noble Wray is calling on Governor Walker to explain his comments that he looked into sending infiltrators into the crowds in Madison. Time to throw this guy out of office.

If you want to watch the incredible “prank” phone call that outs Walker’s naked allegiances, you can watch them below the fold.

From Massachusetts Jobs with Justice:

Support the Rights of Wisconsin Workers

Tuesday, February 22nd

4-6PM

Massachusetts State House

Join workers from across Massachusetts to show support for our sisters and brothers in Wisconsin who are fighting to keep workers’ rights alive. Click here for more info on their struggle.

Sponsored by: Mass Teachers Assn., AFT Massachusetts, Mass AFL-CIO, Greater Boston Central Labor Council, AFSCME Council 93, SEIU Local 509, 1199 SEIU, SEIU Local 888, Jobs With Justice and many others.

For more information call 617-524-8778

Check out the Facebook event here

While Bloomberg News was boasting that Chevron might be able to muscle its way out of paying a cent for the environmental damage that Texaco wrought upon Ecuador, Democracy Now! was reporting on the hypocrisy of Chevron’s legal maneuvers, led for years by our own Deval Patrick. Which side are you on, Governor Patrick?