Mega TEA Party

[BuckarooBanzai]

Re: Mega TEA Party

i'm sorry, but you apparently do not watch American television or ever attended an American university.

Communist indoctrination is nearly sole purpose of all major propaganda enterprises of the nation.

The public rejection of government run healthcare is simply due to the obvious ineptitude of nearly all government enterprises. Perhaps, if we had a greater sense of civic duty in this nation, things would be different. But they are not.

I have a number of Russian friends who grew up in the Soviet Union and emigrated to the US in the early 1990s. They are all horrified at how much like the Soviet Union this country has become in the last 15 years-- the media propaganda, the overwhelming size and scope of the Federal government, the "political correctness" that has infiltrated our educational system at all levels, the Patriot Act, etc. etc.

[cjppjc]

Re: Mega TEA Party

yep same as came from it since 1980... more gov't...



professing a disdain for big government... very effective cover for growing the gov't for more than 20 yrs.

I take back my idea for your appelation, Chief Cynic is fine.

[BuckarooBanzai]

Re: Mega TEA Party

Playing devil's advocate to my own ranting...

This struck me as a reasonably even-handed eye-witness account of the protest today from someone who was generally sympathetic.

I have been to a few "tea parties" myself in the last few months and I generally agree with Monty's assessment. I went to a tax day tea party that was more concerned with overtaxation and government spending; the more recent tea party I attended was more anti-Obamacare and anti-big-government. I do think that more mainstream republicans are starting to get more represented in the movement, for better or worse; the April 15 tea party was a little more non-partisan in nature. Obama is polarizing the country even worse than Bush did-- never thought that that was even possible, but there you go.

Anybody who thinks that the tea party movement is populated by "right wing nutjobs" is delusional and has been duped by the liberal media... The vast majority of these people are middle-aged and middle-of-the-road people who have snapped out of their trance and are trying to unplug themselves from the Matrix.

Background: I am a former Clinton Democrat, and former regular NPR listener/NYTimes reader. I now consider myself a Ron Paul republican, or maybe more precisely, a conservative libertarian. I firmly believe that we are ruled by a one-party system (RepubliCrats or DemoPublicans, call them what you will) that happens to have two distinct wings. In the last 5 years I have also have come to realize how monumentally biased and laughably unprofessional the mainstream media is. Anything beyond basic human interest stories is largely propaganda.

[Starving Steve]

Re: Mega TEA Party

I'd be shocked if the group in D.C. was accurately polled and found to be against wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Doesn't it seem like a logical strategy that when you go to war, you go to war to win, and win big? So, how did NATO including America get side-tracked into schemes of nation-building---- schemes which might make sense in Europe but make little or no sense at all in the Middle East?

The Middle East is a rough neighbourhood. Tough bastards are respected in a rough neighbourhood---- certainly not neighbourhood-builders, not compromisers, not appeasers, and not humanitarians. So, NATO has to win by cutting-out cancers from the Middle East, and this can be done.

So why hasn't the cancer in Tehran been cut-out? That surgery would take is one day of missiles launched from ships, or maybe two days, at most. Hit the government hard and effectively. Give them a message they will never forget. If the govn't moves into mosques, then hit the mosques too. SIMPLE!

Similarly, why hasn't the cancer of the Taliban and Al Qaide in Afganistan been cut-out? Why not raid Taliban and Al Qaide strongholds and trails from the safety of ships at sea? Why not take-out the opium poppy fields that the Taliban uses to finance their war?

The winner in the Middle East doesn't have to be popular or liked. But the winner must be feared and definitely respected. The winner determines the peace, and that is the peace. The winner also writes the history of the war, not the enemy. Questions about the morality of the war will be answered by the victor.

[ThePythonicCow]

Re: Mega TEA Party

Playing devil's advocate to my own ranting...

This struck me as a reasonably even-handed eye-witness account of the protest today from someone who was generally sympathetic.

That strikes me as a good report, yes. Thanks.

[metalman]

Re: Mega TEA Party

Maybe something will come from all this disdain for big government.

yep same as came from it since 1980... more gov't...



professing a disdain for big government... very effective cover for growing the gov't for more than 20 yrs.

[cjppjc]

Re: Mega TEA Party

The success Fox News has enjoyed should not be downplayed. There is no doubt they reach and speak for a large percentage of the American population. Like them or not, many people do believe their slogan "Fair and Balanced." I know at least one person who thinks what he watches on Fox is just that.

As to the people in Washington today, good for them. Maybe something will come from all this disdain for big government.

[metalman]

Re: Mega TEA Party

not sure what media matters is, but if it the left equivalent of Beck then no. For my part I am apoliticial or more accurately my politics are, I refuse to part take in so called "democratic" politics by exercising a vote which is meaningless and hence give credence and legitimacy to system which has none, I see no substantive difference between the policies of Obama or Bush, the same can be said in the UK between the centre right and centre left and many other countries beside, Westerrn democracies now seem to be a fusion of political, media and corporate interests with a marginal place for the interests of the population in general, if I were to to offer support or a vote it would be for a candidate whom I believe has integrity, rather then necessiarly agreeing with their political positions, in US terms I would vote for Paul or Kucinich, while not necessarily agreeing with their political points of view, they have a voting record with consistency and hence I deduce integrity, but in a system which marginalises, or only uses those parties of integrity when convenient and to further monied interests, only to discard them later , whats the point, that was the question I posed how do we get past the proganda to allow us see the game for what it is when it is being played either by the right or the left, and usually at our expense. That was also why I mentioned Beck earlier, he is a symptom of the systems bankruptcy, as is O'Reilly, Media Matters (I suppose), Washington Post, ad nausem.

one of my favorite itulip posts of all time... from sept 2007 ...

During the first six months of 2007 presidential candidates raised more than $277 million. The left and right wing Anti-FIRE Economy
candidates have raised a total of $4 million, with Ron Paul raising $3 million to Kucinich's $1 million. The Anti-FIRE Economy
candidates have together raised 1.5% of the total for all bought and paid for FIRE Economy candidates.

[Diarmuid]

Re: Mega TEA Party

yeah, gotta brain-wash them ALL with lefty spin from Media Matters, right?
why should we expect any kind of sound governance -- let's just spend our
way into oblivian.

not sure what media matters is, but if it the left equivalent of Beck then no. For my part I am apoliticial or more accurately my politics are, I refuse to part take in so called "democratic" politics by exercising a vote which is meaningless and hence give credence and legitimacy to system which has none, I see no substantive difference between the policies of Obama or Bush, the same can be said in the UK between the centre right and centre left and many other countries beside, Westerrn democracies now seem to be a fusion of political, media and corporate interests with a marginal place for the interests of the population in general, if I were to to offer support or a vote it would be for a candidate whom I believe has integrity, rather then necessiarly agreeing with their political positions, in US terms I would vote for Paul or Kucinich, while not necessarily agreeing with their political points of view, they have a voting record with consistency and hence I deduce integrity, but in a system which marginalises, or only uses those parties of integrity when convenient and to further monied interests, only to discard them later , whats the point, that was the question I posed how do we get past the proganda to allow us see the game for what it is when it is being played either by the right or the left, and usually at our expense. That was also why I mentioned Beck earlier, he is a symptom of the systems bankruptcy, as is O'Reilly, Media Matters (I suppose), Washington Post, ad nausem.

[WDCRob]

Re: Mega TEA Party

Playing devil's advocate to my own ranting...

This struck me as a reasonably even-handed eye-witness account of the protest today from someone who was generally sympathetic.

[Slimprofits]

Re: Mega TEA Party

Your WRONG

Its not about the Healthcare, its about never ending war, MEGA Taxes, TOO Big to fail.....this is an uprising!
Mike

I'd be shocked if the group in D.C. was accurately polled and found to be against wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

[WDCRob]

Re: Mega TEA Party

Exactly B Cass.

If this was anything other than some combination of partisan hackery, racism and a general desire to continue the make-believe they've lived for the past decade these same ass-clowns running around DC with their Glen Beck blow up dolls would have found plenty of reason to object before January 2009.

They didn't. They don't deserve to be taken seriously now.

[bcassill]

Re: Mega TEA Party

Oh, my God...

Where were these morons when "W" was doubling the national debt? Oh, yeah. That was different. He was "protecting" America by invading a country halfway around the world. Now that tax revenues have collapsed and we're borrowing and printing like crazy...well, finally they take notice. How far behind the curve can you get?

If they want true pay-as-you-go government, maybe we need to cut out some of the entitlements and programs we've become accustomed to:

1. Eliminate Social Security and Medicare except for the most economically needy.
2. Eliminate WIC, unemployment insurance, and the like
3. Cut the size of the military in half: since when was it our job to be the world's policeman?

At the same time raise taxes back up to the rates we had during the Reagan years. The bottom end of the income spectrum have received much of the benefit of the tax cuts. The top end can probably afford to kick a little extra in too.

Does this sound cold? Maybe it is, but it will never happen. All I know is that when some of these people eventually lose their health insurance through job loss or go bankrupt because of a major illness, they'll likely understand the other side of the argument.

Instead, they protest and draw little mustaches on the president's picture. He's been in office for less than a year. Whether you like or dislike the guy, he doesn't deserve that. What everyone should be thankful for is that we at least got a conversation started about a very difficult topic that will require some hard choices one way or the other. No, forget that. It's easier to draw mustaches than to come to the table with an original idea.

Glenn Beck for president? Give me a break.

[LargoWinch]

Re: Mega TEA Party

Are you suggesting the usa left wing is any less of a problem? If so, I respectfully disagree.

TPC, I think MM is referring to the big "O", or bloodsuckers as Medved would have it.

[ThePythonicCow]

Re: Mega TEA Party

mega,

the usa right wing ... that is why we're f*cked.

Are you suggesting the usa left wing is any less of a problem? If so, I respectfully disagree.