Tea Party's Cold War Roots

[flintlock]

Re: Tea Party's Cold War Roots

Indulge me for a second. I'm watching all this from Canada. We have our problems and we've had our share of luck, especially with regard to the timing of our fiscal crises (a Liberal government paid down debt aggressively during a relatively prosperous period of growth worldwide.) Much of our apparent virtue is dumb luck.

But I really think there is one thing we've sidestepped that has been disastrous to America and it is this: the wholesale repudiation of the existence of a common interest among citizens expressed, imperfectly of course, in public services.

I'm sitting here with decent if not exceptional schools; banks that have needed only marginal support (bailing out ABS market as an example) through a world-wide banking crisis; and universal health care. All this with a pretty tolerable tax regime and the best performance of I believe the G20 through the crisis.

This can be put down to the fact that there is enough belief in state power as an expression of common interests that bank regulators - as a key example - can regulate. There is a public utility aspect to banking. It is not like any other business. The creation of credit can be privatised and made more efficient in the process (as in Canada) but only if supervision is correspondingly vigilant. It can't be if the regulatory plumbing has been gutted and it can only be gutted if the whole project of protecting the common interest has been de-legitimised.

Much of what I've seen of American political trends in my lifetime looks to me like a wholesale de-legitimising of any expression of common interest. My favourite example is that of the bankruptcy judge. That is simply an essential service in a capitalist economy and it is completely reliant on state power for legitimacy. And yet somehow the media were able to spin the idea of resolving insolvent banks through bankruptcy proceedings was somehow deemed nationalisation and creeping socialism. (As if the entire mortgage market and banking system had not already been absorbed into the state and essentially nationalised already and was being gamed wholesale by private interests.)

I really think the "big government" meme, especially if it is allowed to be shrunk-fit around essential state functions like regulation, is a political poison pill that is killing the "post-industrial" west.

If this sounds like "big government" to anyone here, fine.

The US has a government QUALITY problem, not a QUANTITY one.

I don't think shrinking the role of government and finding a role for government concerning common interests mutually exclusive. I'm not saying we should eliminate regulation. Not at all. Rather government should focus more on its PROPER role of enforcing laws.

When I say "big government" I am talking about top-down, central authoritarian rule where they dictate every single aspect of our daily lives. Not just at the federal level, but at all levels of government. You should have seen the face of my customer when I informed him that legally he is required to pull a permit to have a 40 foot trench dug for a post light in his yard. Not only that, but anyone doing this for hire must take a class and obtain a land disturbance certification to do so, in addition to having the electrical license required. He will have to miss two days of work to meet the inspector, who will require at least TWO visits to inspect this work. In some cases further "land disturbance" studies will be required if it is near any water. If he's in a historical district, that would be subject to more approval of course! So that's how a simple light in his front yard turns into a $1200 job

In my experience, that is where the owner throws up his hands and calls a "handyman" who'll bury an extension cord under 3" of mulch and call it a day. Can't say I'd blame him either.

[flintlock]

Re: Tea Party's Cold War Roots

I posted this because I thought it was interesting that so many of the views that the John Birch Society espoused have become commonplace.

You speak as if the John Birch society = Nazi party.



This may interest you

2009–2010
The Society has been active in supporting the auditing of, and aims to eventually dismantle, the Federal Reserve System. The JBS believes that the U.S. Constitution gave only Congress the ability to coin money, and did not intend for it to delegate this power to a banking monopoly, or to transform it into a fiat currency not backed by gold or silver.

I read some of the same here on Itulip. Does that make Itulip a pawn of the JBS?

[Jay]

Re: Tea Party's Cold War Roots

we've got to keep our $700B bailouts straight. there was tarp for the bankers. there was the stimulus for the shovel-ready. and there's the continued lowered tax rates for the upper 2% of earners [currently in play]. about $700B each. it appears that $700B is our new standard, average sized expenditure for anything that counts. you know what they say: $700B here, $700B there; pretty soon you're talking about real money.

Can't have anything starting with a T. A B is so much more friendly.

[BK]

Re: Tea Party's Cold War Roots

The parable is missing a few players. What about the King of the Island (President Obama) where the Village is located - made is Money through the Monkey Business Financing for Villagers who were really-really poor. Lets Not forget the Courtier (Barney Frank) who heads up a Committee to provide Financing of Monkeys for many Villagers. The Courtier as a intimate relationship with a colleague of the Assistant.

How about the Kings Tax system that encourages Villagers to take risks buying Monkeys - and every King for the last 30-35 years has had similar policies.

Have some empathy for people that were hoodwinked by Politicians and Bankers. Especially Politicians......

[Jay]

Re: Tea Party's Cold War Roots

that's the only exit that leads someplace nice. i think things are going to get worse before they get better, if they get better at all. [in my lifetime, anyway]

Ironically this would probably be good outcome:

[Jay]

Re: Tea Party's Cold War Roots

I grew up watching William F. Buckley's with my dad and then arguing about it over dinner.

Your dad was cool, mine would never have a stimulating conversation like that, whatever the viewpoint. He was too pissed at the world being full of fakes and manipulators. Can't say I blame him.