The most ridiculous comment of the week

A "coup d'etat" is a "sudden extrajudicial overthrow of a government" typically by a military; so says Wikipedia.

So when Robert Reich describes what the legitimately elected representatives did this week in Wisconsin in passing legislation taking away the collective bargaining rights of unions as a "coup d'etat", Mr Reich definitely wins the prize for the most ridiculous comment of the week. If there was any coup at all in Wisconsin ( and there was none by the way ) it was by Democratic senators who fled the state and hid from law enforcement officials so that the government could not function, or by the protesters who tried physically to block the proceedings.

Why the legislation was passed and whether it is good or bad for Wisconsin residents and workers is a legitimate question. But to describe the process as a "coup d'etat" shows the reluctance of many opponents to engage in a serious conversation about this and thereby to try to tone down what has become an angry and potentially violent situation.