Catholic Vote: Humpty Dumpty in Wisconsin

Fans of Lewis Carroll, author of Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass, will recall his Humpty Dumpty, who gravely informs Alice that words mean only what he wants them to mean, no more, no less.  The spirit of Humpty Dumpty is poisonous to the public discourse of a free society, because it turns language into a form of non-rational manipulation rather than a form of rational persuasion.  Unfortunately, Humpty Dumpty’s spirit is at work in America today, as is evident from the rhetoric of Governor Scott Walker’s opponents in Wisconisn.

Anti-Walker protestors in Wisconsin insist that the recently-passed measures limiting public sector unions amount to an attack on democracy.  Such charges are heard not only from college undergraduates, but even by experienced and (one would have thought) sober-minded people.  Thus Robert Reich, former Labor Secretary under President Clinton, styles the passage of the Republican legislation a “coup d’etat.”

Walker’s opponents are certainly entitled to their opinion that his legislative agenda is very, very bad.  And they are also entitled to express their views with all the vigor they can muster.  But if words are to have objective meaning among fellow citizens, if language is to be a mode of communication of ideas and not just of partisan manipulation of emotions, then we are going to have to recognize that Wisconsin Republicans’ actions are not a coup d’etat or an attack on democracy.  A coup involves an unlawful overthrow of legitimate authority.  Taken as a group, the Republican legislators (who are a majority in both legislative chambers) and Governor Walker are the state’s legitimate authority.  Their actions are not an attack on democracy but represent the workings of a representative democracy.  I suppose one could reasonably speak of a democratic attack on democracy itself if the Republicans were voting to cancel all future elections, or to radically limit the right to vote, but of course they are doing nothing of the sort.


Indeed, the truth of the matter is closer to the opposite of that alleged by the anti-Walker protestors.  That is, one could much more reasonably charge them with an attack on democracy. 

The rest at Catholic Vote: Carson Holloway