The Liberal Mead's The Madison Blues. Real change is coming, moving past his "Liberalism 3.0."
For many Democrats, the weakening of the public sector union movement looks like a strategic setback to be resisted at all costs. Blue labor has contributed hundreds of millions of dollars to Democratic candidates in recent election cycles — both in direct cash contributions and in volunteer and in-kind contributions like phone banks.
But public sector union support, however attractive in the short term, is a poisoned chalice in today’s world. As long as Democrats are in hock to the teachers’ unions, the postal workers, and the various state and federal civil service unions, they are reduced to a producers’ lobby for government workers. They are tied to the 22.6 million Americans who have government jobs — and cannot respond creatively and thoughtfully to the needs of the 280 million who don’t.
and
However much money the public sector unions fling into the maw of Democratic party politics, the old system is going down. Workers will actually do better in states that act quickly; the longer the day of reckoning is postponed, the higher the bill will be, and the more savage and draconian the cuts will have to become.
But if the blue social model and 4.0 liberalism are losing, what will take their place?
Tracked: Feb 19, 10:42