As we move into the second week of protests, we have all surely heard of the huge crowds at the Capitol, the Democrats fleeing the state and the teachers calling in sick. The protests have brought tens of thousands of people rallying downtown to voice their discontent with Gov. Scott’s Walker plans to significantly weaken the collective powers of public unions.

With this came disruptions to the routines of everyday life. Bus routes were forced to detour, public schools closed down as teachers abandoned classes to hit the drums and scream together as one and students celebrated as they get their extra days to put off the mounting piles of homework. By now, a week has passed, and the protests show no sign of dying down.

It is quite a spectacle to watch what many have called “democracy in action”, and enjoyable to entertain oneself with the posters (my personal favorites are “Screw us, we’ll multiply”, “Tea Party go back to Wonderland” and “Anyone can make a sign”).

Yet as days pass and many teaching assistants continue to cancel their sections for the protests, a question starts to surface: Is this all worth it? Are these protests ultimately going to make any difference?

Protesters have spent nights on the cold, hard floors of the Capitol. They have missed work and classes and brought international media attention to Madison. However, in the end, I do not see this developing into a happy ending for the protesters, with the working class ultimately coming out victorious and Republican politicians and their corporate cronies capitulating, giving back power to the rightful hands of “We, the people.”

At first, it might seem that the Republicans will eventually have to give up on the bill; after all, one needs only to look at the huge crowds around the Capitol to see that the people do not want it to pass. On campus especially, it seems only logical to support the unions – showing support for Scott Walker or the Republican senators would probably be as effective in obtaining cold shoulders from peers as not taking a shower for a week.

Nevertheless, the campus really does not give an accurate view of the state; Madison, after all, is a lair of liberals; a stronghold for Democrats. Even protesters from other cities come from places like Milwaukee, another sanctuary of the left. With such a self-selecting crowd, it might make it feel as if the whole state is set to oppose Walker’s iron-fisted rule. The truth, however, is that most of the state probably does not feel the same – after all, it was the citizens of Wisconsin who voted Scott Walker into office last year.

Now, I fully support the unions, teachers and all the working class heroes whose rights will be taken away and whose lives be made more difficult, because of the ‘budget repair’. I, too, am appalled by the attack on the middle class and the blatant attempt to worsen the inequality that infests America.

However, I cannot bring myself to think that anything, or anyone, will be able to do anything to stop Walker from trampling over the rights of the working class. While passing the bill might lose them votes today, come the next election, will the people remember? Americans’ voting patterns, after all, closely follow whatever is occurring during the election season; with the elections so far away, I am confident the GOP can get away with enacting their cunning plan, if it can be called that.

Scott Walker, I presume, would also feel the same. And that, kids, is how democracy works.

I might be accused of nay-saying because this bill does not affect me. It is true – I do not share the plight of teachers who would lose thousands of dollars a year, nor do I share the fear of the workers whose livelihoods depend on their bargaining rights. But looking at how democracy works and seeing that Republicans can absolutely get away with not backing down, I feel these disruptions will ultimately fail to bring anything except hours of classes being lost and hospital employees getting into trouble for faking sick notes.

Albert Budhipramono ([email protected]) is a freshman majoring in biology.