Foolishness

As these words appear on my screen, it's the 23rd of April, yet you'd never know it wasn't still the 1st, Fool's Day.

All sorts of foolishness has oozed up this month, but by far the most foolish, and ooziest, has to be the repeal by Governor Scott Walker of Wisconsin's law to ensure equal pay for women.  Why a purportedly sentient being living in 21st century America would attempt to reverse nearly seventy years of progress in gender equality baffles me.  The concept that jumping back to pre-WWII conditions is a good idea borders on insanity.  But then, this is the same Governor who took away worker's collective bargaining rights, essentially punting the working man and his not-equally-paid female colleagues right back to the 1930s.

Some conservatives will see Walker's actions as a move to improve family values, by ensuring that at least  one member of a marriage (and that needs to be man-woman, mind you) has to be focused on home, hearth, and family.  And since that was their traditional duty, why not make that one the woman?  So let's discourage her from seeking a career in business, or government, or anything outside the home.

And his take on bargaining rights?  That will ensure a rise in corporate profits due to savings in labor costs.  Sure why not?  If hourly wages drop low enough, Wisconsin could become the new Mexico (make that new Thailand) of exported labor.  To make that official, Walker should secede Wisconsin from the Union and re-apply for protectorate status, sort of like Puerto Rico, or maybe Guam.

But lest I rant on poor Walker too much, let me point out another piece of foolishness that had nothing to do with the Governor, or his downtrodden CheeseHeads:  long-range ballistic missiles. Specifically, why one kind that doesn't work is worse than another that works fearsomely well.

As is becoming a routine spectacle, the North Koreans failed to get their long-range missile to fly.  It sputtered and popped and doggedly avoided leaving home base.  Meanwhile, India got theirs to not only leave Mother Earth, but return successfully at the end of a very long range indeed.  Enough distance to reach most points in China, probably all of the Middle East, and maybe a few European destinations.

The foolish part?  World governments went ballistic about North Korea's flub, but remained absolutely silent on India's success.  Sure India is a democracy, but democracies aren't immune to mistakes (isn't that right, America?)

I could go on;  April's been packed solid with silliness, but taking up any more of your time would be foolish; especially if you live in Wisconsin:  you've got unequally (and poorly) paid work to do...