The Tea Party

[ginnyfizz]

Yes, middle aged ladies get involved in political activism, Surenas (shock, horror)and not just these Tea Party grannies. I have a bump on my head to remind me of the time when I was in Parliament Square peacefully demonstrating against the hunting ban and a Metropolitan police goon beat me and quite a few other middle aged ladies senseless. And not all of them (including these Tea Party grannies) can be termed extremist. I deplore the use of the term extremist to mean someone who you disagree with, as is happening to the Tea Party. Obama's people labelling them as nutters. Sure there are hotheads in every movement. There are some political movements that are really extremist - we have in Britain, for example, some pretty disgusting neo-Nazi groups and some equally obnoxious and violent lefties and animal rights fanatics. As I know that they do in the USA. The Tea Party has a selection of oddballs associated with it, but their contract and their core membership appears to me to be focussed on fiscal responsibility and the upholding of the US Constitution.

 

No wonder Obama feels the need to do a hatchet job on them, they are saying what a lot of others would love to.

[DeadMansFist849]

Well, I don't agree with what they have to say, and I don't agree with the way they go about it. However, they have the right to speak. Everyone who disagrees with them has the right to debunk and/or ridicule them, by the same token.

 

What I think of them is, well....I just don't agree with them. That's all. I think their tactics are juvenile (giving opponents cutesy nicknames to try to intimidate them, for example) and that the people who speak for them are crazy (for example, Glenn Beck, who has all but admitted to believing in the Reptilians.)

[Surenas]

Yes, middle aged ladies get involved in political activism, Surenas (shock, horror)and not just these Tea Party grannies.

...

 

Oh well, I’m not to be shocked by drooling old gals wearing the burqa in the desert heat or being equipped with a terrifying umbrella for it rains pitchforks in certain countries almost every day. What shocks is the permanent inability of the people to learn that populism, the die-hard idea to realize (often by force) what people would like to see that should happen, especially to others that are different in one way or the other, directly calls for a tribune of the plebs, the acclaimed Pied Piper of imbalance that inescapably leads his chosen people into the abyss. Remarkably enough, exactly these folks always anxiously pretend to have known nothing after the logical collapse of their marginal fantasies.

Edited November 22, 2010 by Surenas

[ginnyfizz]

What the hell...those Tea Party gals were not wearing burqas, your post is not only ageist and phrased extremely unfortunately, but your premise falls flat on its face.

 

Popular agitation and ultimately revolution never works, eh? Well that's odd because, back in the mist of time, when I was but a lass rather than an arthritic old bag, I attended a vast number of history lessons and am still an avid history buff (this may come as a surprise, but I am actually a yokel with a first class degree). During these lessons I learned that the great nation of the USA and its Constitution came into being because the arrogance and high handed behaviour of the British Government so pissed off the Americans, that first they lobbed crate loads of tea into Boston harbour, and next they went to war, and they gave us Brits a real bloody nose. Hence the Tea Party alluding to this.

 

I seem to recall that the French had a rather successful series of riots leading to a seriously successful if extremely bloodthirsty revolution, with tumbrels trundling many to the embrace of Madame Guillotine. Why even we British shortened a King by a head, following this by successfully rebelling against his twerp of a son some years after. The Russians too had a successful uprising, albeit that what they ended up with was a lot worse than what they deposed.

 

Come to think of it, my Grandmama was seriously scary when wielding an umbrella, especially when she was catching lads thieving apples from her orchard...

 

The point is, it is entirely possible for a movement like the Tea Party to gain credence and even power, judging by these examples.

[grannywils]

I am sticking to my guns about not getting involved in this thread anymore. However, since I happen to be fond of both Surenas and Ginnyfizz and also know that the two of you do not see eye to eye on much of anything; I just wanted to give you both kudos for sticking to your guns in this thread. As you both probably realize, I side with Surenas on this one. But Ginny I must give you credit for keeping me smiling in most of your last post. You are extremely witty, and you do always have your facts at hand.

[marharth]

My views are the following.

 

They don't realize the real issue, its not the fed being to strong, its corporations (insurance/bankers included) ripping us off and buying politicians.

 

The health care act doesn't hurt a thing but the insurance companies that rob you.

 

If you want to cut the budget then get rid of the FCC, and merge the FBI and CIA. make taxes based on income, if you have low income tax less, if you have high income tax more, it needs to be based on exact numbers not a certain range. Social Security needs to only be for those who need it, rich people have no need for it so they shouldn't get it. Cut military spending since we don't need 40 nuclear submarines being made without ever being used. Fire some federal workers (only ones that are unneeded). Change the schooling system. Get rid of earmarks and government subsidies for people who can afford it. Get rid of the federal reserve. Get rid of the bush tax cuts, we are wasting a TON of money giving the tax cuts. It is not creating jobs (unless you want to count getting them moved over seas) and its not doing any "trickle down" effect.

 

Make lobbing illegal, so corporations can't buy politicians and other countries can't get so much power in our country.

 

The tea party politicians claim to hate a lot of government things, but a lot of them get government things for themselves. They claim to appose corruption, but they support things that people do in back room deals. They support a war that is making more then 20 times as many people die then in 9/11. Who is the real terrorist when US troops kill innocent civilians? We have killed two times as many innocent people then Al Qaeda killed in the 9/11 attacks, if not more. Why are will still trying to catch these terrorists? Why don't we send the troops home and improve our national security? Money is the root of greed, and greed is the root of a lot of evil. What is the purpose of insurance companies and banks? To make money. Why do you think that helping them will help us? They are not people and should not be treated as such, corporations SOLE PURPOSE are to make money...

 

What is the purpose of government? People within the tea party ask that sometimes. The purpose of government is not to make money, that's for sure...

 

Let me ask this, if the federal government takes away all regulation, and gets weaker, whats to stop mega corporations from taking over the country to create a fascist system?

 

That's my issue with the tea party...

[Deleted472477User]

My views are the following.

 

They don't realize the real issue, its not the fed being to strong, its corporations (insurance/bankers included) ripping us off and buying politicians.

 

The health care act doesn't hurt a thing but the insurance companies that rob you.

 

If you want to cut the budget then get rid of the FCC, and merge the FBI and CIA. make taxes based on income, if you have low income tax less, if you have high income tax more, it needs to be based on exact numbers not a certain range. Social Security needs to only be for those who need it, rich people have no need for it so they shouldn't get it. Cut military spending since we don't need 40 nuclear submarines being made without ever being used. Fire some federal workers (only ones that are unneeded). Change the schooling system. Get rid of earmarks and government subsidies for people who can afford it. Get rid of the federal reserve. Get rid of the bush tax cuts, we are wasting a TON of money giving the tax cuts. It is not creating jobs (unless you want to count getting them moved over seas) and its not doing any "trickle down" effect.

 

Make lobbing illegal, so corporations can't buy politicians and other countries can't get so much power in our country.

 

The tea party politicians claim to hate a lot of government things, but a lot of them get government things for themselves. They claim to appose corruption, but they support things that people do in back room deals. They support a war that is making more then 20 times as many people die then in 9/11. Who is the real terrorist when US troops kill innocent civilians? We have killed two times as many innocent people then Al Qaeda killed in the 9/11 attacks, if not more. Why are will still trying to catch these terrorists? Why don't we send the troops home and improve our national security? Money is the root of greed, and greed is the root of a lot of evil. What is the purpose of insurance companies and banks? To make money. Why do you think that helping them will help us? They are not people and should not be treated as such, corporations SOLE PURPOSE are to make money...

 

What is the purpose of government? People within the tea party ask that sometimes. The purpose of government is not to make money, that's for sure...

 

Let me ask this, if the federal government takes away all regulation, and gets weaker, whats to stop mega corporations from taking over the country to create a fascist system?

 

That's my issue with the tea party...

 

You just spelled out perfectly what I was struggling to find the right words for. Maybe no one else agrees, but I do.

 

Mind, not all the Tea Party folks have 'save the evil corporations! down with the poor!' in mind, so obviously, there are some who genuinely believe that their ways is the best way. the question, really, is why do they feel its the best way, when so many people stand to be harmed?

[marharth]

My views are the following.

 

They don't realize the real issue, its not the fed being to strong, its corporations (insurance/bankers included) ripping us off and buying politicians.

 

The health care act doesn't hurt a thing but the insurance companies that rob you.

 

If you want to cut the budget then get rid of the FCC, and merge the FBI and CIA. make taxes based on income, if you have low income tax less, if you have high income tax more, it needs to be based on exact numbers not a certain range. Social Security needs to only be for those who need it, rich people have no need for it so they shouldn't get it. Cut military spending since we don't need 40 nuclear submarines being made without ever being used. Fire some federal workers (only ones that are unneeded). Change the schooling system. Get rid of earmarks and government subsidies for people who can afford it. Get rid of the federal reserve. Get rid of the bush tax cuts, we are wasting a TON of money giving the tax cuts. It is not creating jobs (unless you want to count getting them moved over seas) and its not doing any "trickle down" effect.

 

Make lobbing illegal, so corporations can't buy politicians and other countries can't get so much power in our country.

 

The tea party politicians claim to hate a lot of government things, but a lot of them get government things for themselves. They claim to appose corruption, but they support things that people do in back room deals. They support a war that is making more then 20 times as many people die then in 9/11. Who is the real terrorist when US troops kill innocent civilians? We have killed two times as many innocent people then Al Qaeda killed in the 9/11 attacks, if not more. Why are will still trying to catch these terrorists? Why don't we send the troops home and improve our national security? Money is the root of greed, and greed is the root of a lot of evil. What is the purpose of insurance companies and banks? To make money. Why do you think that helping them will help us? They are not people and should not be treated as such, corporations SOLE PURPOSE are to make money...

 

What is the purpose of government? People within the tea party ask that sometimes. The purpose of government is not to make money, that's for sure...

 

Let me ask this, if the federal government takes away all regulation, and gets weaker, whats to stop mega corporations from taking over the country to create a fascist system?

 

That's my issue with the tea party...

 

You just spelled out perfectly what I was struggling to find the right words for. Maybe no one else agrees, but I do.

 

Mind, not all the Tea Party folks have 'save the evil corporations! down with the poor!' in mind, so obviously, there are some who genuinely believe that their ways is the best way. the question, really, is why do they feel its the best way, when so many people stand to be harmed?

 

I think they realize things are going bad for them, but they don't really know what it is.

 

They see certain media channels, and they turn to that to get things fixed.

 

I am sure if some of these lying and bought out media channels were to start telling the truth, they would end up changing their ways. Well at least most of them...

 

The thing is they use different words and terms... They turn "give tax cuts to rich!" to "tax cuts! like us!"

 

Other situations, they turn "do not change the medical system since we get paid for the current one!" to "It has death panels, you will die! FEAR IT!"

 

They turn "Don't regulate the banks, since we get paid by them to stay in office!" to "NO MORE FED, HATE THE FED, NO REGULATION!!!"

 

They turn "A group of extremist religious terrorists attacked a tower." into "MUSLIMS DID IT, ALL MUSLIMS ARE EVIL! Also, Sudam Hussian helped so lets invade the middle east!"

 

I can keep going, but you can see how certain news groups can gather a mass of people from lies, and make them truly believe something.