On The Tea Parties
Not Russia
Today is April 15th. Just like previous 4/15s, today is tax day. This one is unique because of the Tea Party Protests. There are varied opinions as to why folks are protesting, but most revolve around the massive spending that has occurred under the Obama administration. It would seem, however, that many protesters seem somewhat uneducated. Cries of socialism and reflections on the cold war abound.
Without Representation
What we’re seeing in the government now is not akin to what the original Boston Tea Party was about – both in fact and in myth. In 1773, the protests were related to Britain’s ability to tax the Americans without the Americans having any elected officials involved in the discussion. The spending that we’re seeing today is being done entirely by our own elected officials.
Socialists
While the Tea Parties have been described as grass roots movements, it’s become clear that large right wing political organizations such as Fox News and FreedomWorks are heavily promoting them. The powerful negativity towards socialism strikes me as particularly ironic. We have one of the least effective health care systems of any developed nation. While many fear that a government supported health care system would take us one step closer to being communist scum, folks seem to forget that we already have a lot of social services in place. What would our country look like if fire departments were entirely commercial? I suspect it might look a bit more burnt.
Pay For My House
There’s no doubt, a lot of people are angry right now. Unfortunately, I think many of these angry people are looking to their televisions and political parties for direction. Meanwhile, the politicians and the media networks they own are working an agenda to regain control of the system. I don’t expect that these angry people are going to realize that it is the system itself that is the problem.
I love the energy of people becoming motivated. I love the idea that folks went outside to speak their minds. I loath the notion that so much of what they’re speaking was programmed into their psychie while sitting in front of the idiot box we like to call a television.
When I first heard about the bailout of the financial industry, I was disappointed. When we started bailing out the auto industry, I felt even worse. However, I am fully aware and prepared for what would have happened had we not bailed them out. Our economy would be in far worse shape than it is today. We would have had hysteria across the country. I wonder how many of the Tea Party protestors are truly prepared for that world of chaos?
Right now is an interesting time to be alive. I invite the motivation to change; but we can not change in anger or hatred and hope for healthy growth. We can not look to those in power for leadership. We have to self-educate. We have to think for ourselves. We have to become realized, aware, and conscious of the world around us – all of it. We have to communicate and we have to share everything we know as fairly as we possibly can. We have to listen. We have to break cycles. We have to evolve.
Well, we don’t have to. I suppose we can choose to keep doing the same things over and over. We’re so stuck in the cycle, we couldn’t even come up with an original name for the protests. Meh…
Hi son. . . just took the time to look at your site and read some of your information and posts. . I admire your intellect, and must admit that a lot of your conversations and use of words is a bit difficult for me (in my aging mind and dated thinking) to fully comprehend. . Still I try. . I chose to comment on your post on the tea parties, as I do think that there are two sides to every story. . .
There has been a lot of ‘networking and news commentaries’ to the effect that the parties were organized by the right wing political organizations. . Yet, one has to take a look at just ‘where’ this information is coming from. . And, even if it was started from these sources, the people who involved themselves in this stance against over-taxation and wasteful spending did so as an opportunity to speak out against government policies that have become increasingly unpopular over the years. .more so this administration than any. . These people should be applauded for standing out and trying to make a statement. . .
TEA party was picked (I think) simply because as it referred back to the other tea party in time, the name made it simple for one to know what it was all about. . .whether or not they were of the same circumstances, they both stood for the same ‘abuse’ of people’s rights. .
The elected officials no longer seem to care (and have not for a long time) about “Of the people, by the people, and for the people”
When the system makes if impossible for an ordinary individual of limited means – who can truly know what the common folk living standards are like, and what the common folk need and want – cannot run for office, mainly due to ‘lack of funds’ to do so. . (it’s all about the money here too). . the voter simply attempts to make the best choice that one can out of a big bunch of rotten apples. . . Frankly, we need a total overhaul of the government system, or a better solution – go back to the very first constitution and bill of rights, and start over. . .
Impossible. . . But I do think that the majority of what our fore-fathers intended for this country has been flushed into the sewers. .
The tea parties gave people a chance to ‘show their growing frustration and anger’ at wasteful government spending, PORK!! , totally unfair ‘bail-out’ funds. .(hey! where is mine??). . and increasing taxation. . .taxation that will only further hinder the ability of the common people to exist. . (every politician should be forced to live on the current social security benefits received by many citizens – for a year at least. .and see how they like it!!). .
It’s all about the money. . .It’s all about lining their own pockets. .
HURRAY FOR THE PEOPLE WHO TOOK PART IN THE TEA PARTIES AND TRIED TO TELL OUR GOVERNMENT HOW THEY FELT. . . .
Oh Hai,
You know, you’re responsible for teaching me to think for myself. ;)
There’s no doubt that the Tea Parties were almost exclusively rallied by conservative organizations. It wasn’t grass roots in the least. It’s part of an agenda. Fox news claims they’re simply covering the event like they did the million man march. Meanwhile, Fox news didn’t even exist during the million man march.
The protests were beautiful. Angry protesters were allowed to go out, gather, speak their minds all without incident. This is one of the good things about our country. Good stuff! =)
The spending we’re seeing right now is an attempt (very possibly misguided) to salvage our economy and avoid another great depression. Where were these angry tea baggers while we were spending $800+ billion killing people in Iraq and Afghan?
I disagree strongly with the auto and bank bailouts. I think they are huge mistakes. However, the Obama administration is cranking up taxes on the rich and just gave the biggest tax cut in history to the middle class. These “tea parties” are protesting taxing the rich?! That is nuts.
People are angry because, for the first time in a long time, their quality of life is being directly affected by the economic failures. That is why people are angry. They’re looking to blame and they are hitting the streets in anger… but they’re attacking Obama. How does this make sense?
In 1792, we had a credit freeze. From there, every 10 to 15 years we had a financial panic. Then the great depression. After the depression, we added regulations including the FCC & FDIC. We went 50 years with no panic.
Then we started removing regulations. First we got the S&L crisis where 700 financial institutions failed. We had another crisis 10 years later. Then another in 2000. Then this one. All the while, we were pulling out regulations. (from Elizabeth Warren on The Daily Show).
This collapse was a long time coming. The politicians are just as clueless as the teabaggers. Too many people are entirely concerned with the “me” and not the “us”. It took being directly affected for these thousands of teabaggers to wake up and look around. Instead of figuring out what happened, they went straight to action. This will not work.
I agree that our system is broken. I agree that spending is out of control. I agree that the bank bailout and auto bailout is a huge mess. But the tea parties were largely huge angry confused mobs. I don’t want to discourage any of them from being politically motivated, but rather I’d like to encourage them to start consuming more information and educating themselves to the fullest extent possible. Watching the television news for 30 minutes a day is not going to help them understand why the economic system is in the crapper.
Just my opinion.