Posted by Brian
Kshama Sawant emigrated to the United States from her native India in the 1990's, becoming a U.S. citizen in 2010. Does she come here to embrace our Constitution, or to the dreams of The Founders? No, she comes here to change her new country into a socialist one. In short order, she became a political activist, and Occupy Seattle organizer, and a Seattle City Council Member.
Growing up in India,
Sawant's political views were shaped by her opposition to India's caste system, a system of social stratification,
which is now also used as a basis for affirmative action, eventually leading to her adopting Socialism as her ideology. As we all know, it makes perfect sense to replace one ideology which puts people into social and economic classes, by adopting one in which an all-powerful(and rich) government ruling class oversees a managed economy for the serfs and peasants.
Kshama Sawant is Seattle's first socialist council member since 1918, and
a member of the Alternative Socialist Party, which espouses a Marxist/Trotskyite ideology.
Now, before you say that capitalism in the United States has created exactly that - an economic chasm between the haves and have-nots - I would point out that the
United States no longer has capitalism, but a system of crony capitalism which has been corrupted by politicians who no linger work for the people. Politicians now answer to Wall Street bankers, billionaire CEO's (Buffett, Gates, Soros, etc.), and other millionaires and bundlers who donate big money the campaign coffers of the Democrat and GOP coffers.
So, the frustration of people trying to get ahead is understandable. It is also that frustration which allows leftists such as Sawant to suck people in to a movement which is the exact opposite of where their dreams lead. She make false promises that $15/hr jobs is the road to economic freedom. Yet, she ignores what is happening in her own backyard.
The Seattle suburb of SeaTac recently adopted their own $15 minimum wage, and the effects are already being felt.
Some of the effects:
- "Living Wage" surcharges for parking near SeaTac
- A sit-down restaurant closed, to be replaced by a "less labor intensive" cafe.
- Benefit packages for workers cut or dropped:
- 401K's dropped
- Health Insurance dropped
- No paid holidays or vacation
- Overtime cut
- Free/reduced meal prices cut
- Free parking cut
One restaurant worker said she made $7/hr before the minimum wage hike, but with tips made over $15/hr, said she has seen a drastic reduction in tips in addition to all of the cuts mentioned above. A cleaning lady said
"It sounds good, but it's not good."
What is the reaction of Sawant and her fellow leftists on the Seattle City Council? Do they wait? Do they study the effects the minimum wage increase has at SeaTac?
I mean, it's practically like having a virtual economic science lab in your backyard to study. No. They plow on through. Blinders on, hands covering their ears, ignoring the evidence, and the voices of those opposed to it.
You know, like all good politburos do.
