Why I’m Attending a Tea Party
Government needs to grasp the idea of affordability. We’ve been led by politicians who believe they are godlike, infinite in their ability to spend money to solve problems. Back in the 1990s, we were told we didn’t need a balanced budget amendment because we had surpluses. We need one now to once and for all put a stop to the overspending.
We also need term limits, because Lord Acton was right. Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely. After about a decade, even the best members of Congress seem to view themselves as a permanent part of government rather than as representatives of the people. Not everyone will agree with me on these specifics. Some might feel term limits will degrade the quality of our government, though I can no longer imagine that to be possible.
Whatever the specific proposals, our times call not for timid half measures, but for bold, innovative leadership. Some will question whether a tea party will bring about those changes. One sage, a morning talk show host, suggested the tea parties wouldn’t do anything. On one level, he’s right. A tea party won’t balance the budget anymore than the 1963 March on Washington passed civil rights legislation.
Many politicians won’t “see the light” until they feel the heat. Large rallies, when properly leveraged, place pressure on recalcitrant politicians to mend their ways to save their jobs. One splash of tea parties isn’t enough. They must be the beginning of something, rather than a one-time, nationwide event. This is where things become dicey. Too often in grass roots movements today, there’s a large surge of interest that slowly flames out over time; citizens of our ADD nation wander off when the fight gets too difficult.
People will pledge solemnly to fight big government and preserve American liberty and then lose interest. That will happen as it has at every moment of American history as far back as the Revolutionary War. We forget that, in the winter of 1776, the ravages of war led a lot of people to decide this whole revolution thing wasn’t worth it. In fact, it was probably going to be lost, so many soldiers deserted.
My hope is that there will be Valley Forge people for whom the tea party is not an end but a beginning. These are people that will be at the core of efforts to reverse the policies that imperil our Republic. These will be the leaders, writers, and activists who carry the movement forward. This is the way vital changes are achieved.
The great movements of American history have had at their core thousands rather than millions. To go to the tea party is an act of hope, as opposed to the despair sold by the “why bother” crowd. Because America is too great not to make an effort, I’m going to the tea party. I hope to see you there.
We are with you. This will be the beginning of a real protest movement
If nothing else, I can at least tell my grandchildren that I took a stand for them!
I expect that Pajamas visitors are this morning reading he DHS report issued recently to local law enforcment about the rise of right wing extremism in the US after the election. The report paints with an entirely too broad brush lumping people like me who believe in the Constitution, capitalism and free enterprise, tax cuts, freedom and liberty in with racists and other radical malcontents. These people are not right wing, they are extremists. The director of Homeland Security ought to be ashamed of herself for publishing this blatantly political hatchet piece. For more information on this outrage go to Michele Malkin’s blog and you can read the report and her analysis.
I forgot to add to my previous post that I will be attending the Tea Party in Manchester NH’s Victory Park tommorow at 5:30 pm to exercise my 1st Amendment right to assemble, freely speak, and request that the government redress my grievances. Perhaps Ms Napalitano has forgotten that all Americans, including conservatives like me, have this specific Constitutional right, it is not exclusively reserved for the Code Pinkers, PETArites, ACORNites and other leftwing political misfits who are in constant protest mode. Althogh the MSM will no doubt minimize and attempt to marginalize the events that will take place at over 500 venues tommorow, the current Administration and Congress had better start paying attention to taxpayers who have had it with the profligate spending, waste and policy foolishness that flows unchecked from the sewars of Washington DC. These people have quite forgotten that they are not royalty, and that they are supposed to be serving us. By the way, that goes for the Republican scoundrels as well. Both parties have proven themselves to be equally worthless, as they are each responsible for running our economy off the rails with their foolish “economic” policies. Nice job running FANNIE MAE and FREDDIE MAC Republicans and Democrats, well done with the Community Reinvestment Act. See you in Manchester tommorow. Do you suppose Ms. Napolitano will direct the FBI to start files on all of us? I am sure that she must view this post as a statement of sedition and, judging by her sorry report, view me as some sort of nut that needs to be locked up. You can find me at work Ms. Napolitano. I will be their earning my wage from which your salary is paid.
If you doubt the value of attending a Tea Party, read comments here and on other websites from the liberals about how incensed they are about them. They are out of their minds and have resorted to name calling, etc, in an effort to dissuade people from attending.
Therefore…there’s no place I’d rather be than standing shoulder to shoulder with fellow American patriots tomorrow speaking out for this great country of ours!
Again, watch the liberal reactions to the Tea Parties and that will give you a glimmer of how important they have become!
Tea party ONNNNNN! You patriots make me proud to be an AMERICAN.
WHOOP! WHOOP!
Corrupt Banks, White House, Congress. Throw the Bums Out. “Spirit of ’76″ Lives. The sign I’ll carry tomorrow in the Lawton, OK Tea Party. Along with Old Glory.
Unfortunately, the Tea Parties will do nothing to change the direction of this country. There are too many lemmings running over the cliff with Obozo, and they are dragging all of us with them. I despise this bailout mentality, but I believe we are living in the end of our republic, as deTocqueville predicted:
“America will last until the populace discovers that it can vote for itself largesse out of the public treasury.”
The reason the Tea Parties will fail is three-fold:
1. lack of support from those in power (as stated in the article, even the republican powers-that-be are corrupted beyond redemption, in that they love taking largesse from the public treasury).
2. media demonization: like it or not, the media play a big role in this celebrity-addicted population. They can ignore you, in which case your protest will not exist, or demonize you as right-wing racists and militiamen.
3. lack of money, which influences the politicians. ACORN and lib organizations are funded by Soros and Obama’s stimulus package.
I think the best thing to do is check your life preserver as the lemmings rush this country over the cliff into the water, or brace yourself for the impact as this runaway train to socialism hits the wall.
“Let me tell you
How it will be.
There’s one for you,
Nineteen for me,
‘Cause I’m the taxman.
Yeah, I’m the taxman.”
What is with the Leonard Cohen squads?
I think we have a choice between hope and despair. If you want to get in your bunker and wait for the end or flea to France and surrender the Republic, please do so.
If the country is a lost cause, there is no need for you to be a nuisance about it, to try and discourage those who are willing to stand up. I don’t think you’re a paid operative for the socialists, but you’re doing their work for free by encouraging people to give up.
Tea Parties voice our concerns and stop ACORN that is funded by Obama’s stimulus package
I’m going to my Tea Party make sure that the elitist left-wing scum and their media comrades don’t twist the truth – that all the peaceful responsible demonstrating is being done by conservatives and that any behavior that is bad or violent or stupid is actually left-wing scum trying to make us righteous conservatives look bad.
I got your back ‘baggers! Let’s roll!
It was not “WE THE LEMMINGS”. We know a cliff when we see one.
Transportation notwithstanding, I’d be in Atlanta tomorrow evening.. Will certainly still be there in Spirit as it sounds like it’s going to be a RIP ROCKIN’ GOOD TIME..!
PS.. As to Ms. Napolitano’s file on these Fingertips, she’s certainly most welcome to addend to the pre-existing one on these Fingertips.. Most respectfully: Censor this.. :wink-wink:
13. Professor Guvinoff: . . . “It was not “WE THE LEMMINGS”. We know a cliff when we see one.”
Really? Since when? The “mushroom cloud” speech? The yellow cake in Niger? Colin Powell’s minstrel show at the UN? Rush Limbaugh’s drug bust? When did you se the light?
To put teeth into these tea parties we must collectively refuse to pay taxes. Otherwise, these demonstations mean absolutely nothing. So if hundreds of thousands or better yet millions of us refuse to pay taxes, what is the IRS going to do? Prosecute and arrest us all? This will certainly stop Obama and his minions from destroying this great nation of ours. PAY NO TAXES! That’s the real action to take.
Adam writes:
“To go to the tea party is an act of hope, as opposed to the despair sold by the “why bother” crowd. Because America is too great not to make an effort, I’m going to the tea party. I hope to see you there.”
Very well said, Adam, and thank you. I will attend a tea party that is a one-hour walk from my work..BUT I WILL ATTEND.
I will go becuase I want to be with the likes of Delia, Mark Malone, David Thompson, cfbleachers, little voice, AThinkingPerson, Rachel Peepers, ALL of you who post here, and ALL of my fellow countrymen who are tired of an unresponsive government sapping every cent from us and our children and our grandchildren.
I will also go because, less than 100 days in, I am alrady weary of a vapid, empty, ineffectual affirmative action chief executive who dwells on form over substance and travels abroad to apologize for this country and smooch the ungrateful butts of the socialist Euro-commies and the leaders of those third world havens of America-hating scum.
I’ll be screaming “GET A JOB!!!” to any tea baggers I see on the streets protesting.
Bob,
We can be effective and still pay our taxes. There is another election in 2010 and the “elite” in Washington are going to have alot explaining to do as deficits explode and the government consumes more and more of our nations GDP with predictable results. As recovery occurs, because of the immense expansion of the money supply by the Fed and the printing of unbacked cash by the Treasury inflation will likely replace the deflation we have been experienceing recently. Those events are not going to be helpful to the powers that created them. The Republicans and Democrats that created this mess are going to have to answer for their feckless malfeasance. Americans remember prosperity and are not likely to put up with failed leadership for very long.
I’m going to a Tea Party too, with an 8mm camera and a videocamera.
Because I know that this movement is not grassroots, and has absolutely nothing to do with taxation.
It has to do with the GOP trying to keep up the momentum of hate that was unleashed at Palin rallies across the country last November.
The GOP understands that radical right’s hatred and racism is the only thing uniting the “party”. It’s a dangerous gamble, but the GOP is so weak that it really doesn’t have much of a choice. But of course, they can’t call it a “Dammit Why Do We Have To Tolerate a Black President?!” Rally, so they came up with something innocuous: it’s an anti-taxation Tea Party. What could possibly be wrong with that?
What’s wrong is that the whole movement is steeped in radical right-wing ideology that 70% of Americans totally reject. And the intelligent members of the right wing are having nothing to do with this fake movement, for the same reason they wanted nothing to do with the Sarah Palin rallies: they simply do not want to be assocated with the same group of racist, white-supremacist, immigrant-bashing, reactionary right-wingers that will inevitably dominate the events.
And I’ll be there to capture every swastika, every racist anti-Obama sign, and every soundbyte of some fat idiot yelling “kill him.”
See you at the Tea Party!
Whitey, Our party in Richmond, VA will be late in the afternoon so those of us with jobs (99% of attendees) can attend. Most of the others are taking the day off, as they are not professional rabble rousers like ACORN, ACT UP, PETA and other lefty organizations. We have jobs, responsibilities, and PAY TAXES, unlike you lefties who live off our work.
Come on out, lefties! We would love the opportunity to discuss the issues!
Good article, especially TERM LIMITS. This is a long overdue change we need at the federal level.
Term limits, loser pays, and tax cuts. Stand back and watch the economy take off!
Whitey,
It’s the people like me who have jobs who are the Teabaggers. We’re the ones who are footing the bill for all the unproductive elements of our society. We’re the ones who are funding TARP, the “stimulus” and the gigantic federal budget that Congress just passed. We’re the responsible citizens of this country who live within our means, provide for our families, volunteer in our communities, provide employment and pay taxes. We are the ones that our, so called, “masters” in Washington treat like crap and take for granted. Tommorow your going to hear from us. If things don’t get turned around you will be hearing from us again in November of 2010. We are sick and tired of the abuse. We are sick and tired of our societies misfits and leaches( that includes the screw ups at GM, Chrysler, Citigroup and AIG, by the way) being favored over us and our children. Get it?
Pastor(bator) of Muppets writes:
“The GOP understands that radical right’s hatred and racism is the only thing uniting the “party”. It’s a dangerous gamble, but the GOP is so weak that it really doesn’t have much of a choice. “
..keep on believing that, chanting that mantra with your retarded leftists friend, lulling yourself into a false sense of security. While you’re at it write down thse dates:
April 19th, 1775
November 4th, 1980
April 15th, 2009
..and November 6th, 2012.
But above all, just keep chanting that silly-assed mantra about how the inneffectual GOP is behind this and not a broad, grass-roots assemblage of Amricans who are sick and tired of this sh*t.
Pastor of Muppets,
Our protest will be loud and orderly. Your racism is pathetic and sick. My ancestors fought in the Civil war on the Union side. How does run away government spending help disadvataged people in our country? How does bailing out AIG and GM help them? How does inflation that will hit people on fixed incomes particularly hard help those people? Your consumed by your ideology to the point that you are not thinking the negative consequences of this deficit spending all the way through. A healthy, thriving, private sector creates the revenue that government can spend to fund the precious, failed, social programs you probably covet. We have spent seven trillion dollars on the war on poverty, go to Detroit and tell how that’s working out. If government continues to act as the enemy of capitalism and free enterprise you are not going to have the revenue stream to fund government spending. Your misplaced hatred and resentment is clouding your judgement.
EURO SOCIALIST STATISM DESERVES A TEA PARTY
Tax and spend never fixed a strained economy. Prosperity lies in the opposite direction.
http://greensrealworld.blogspot.com/2009/04/obvious-path-back-to-prosperity.html
I too will attend down here in Chadland. My sign will read; The Fair Tax will give power back to We the People.
Oh and then I’ll go to my second job.
Pastor of Muppets: The only swastikas there will be the ones you bring to try to smear us. If you wave it by me, you will need to visit a proctologist to get it back.
Yes I have a lot of hate. I hate big corrupt governments wasting my kids’ money. I hate taxes and most of all – I hate tyranny.
Join the Long Island movement on Facebook, search “Long Island Tea Party” and join today !!!!
Here are some good charts that show how we got here:
http://www.heritage.org/research/features/BudgetChartBook/Contents.html
Note that both parties are the problem:
http://www.heritage.org/research/features/BudgetChartBook/fed-rev-spend-2008-boc-S1-Federal-Spending-Has-Increased.html
This one sums it up for me:
http://www.heritage.org/research/features/BudgetChartBook/fed-rev-spend-2008-boc-S5-Federal-Spending-Grew-Nine-Times.html
Good points in this piece, mainly that the meetings tomorrow be about the destruction of the Republic (not too hyperbolic, that is the issue) as opposed to all the fringe type issues surrounding the current President. And also that there be follow up, as in, mentioned by another PJM poster, the colonists’ committees of correspondence ! (google that)
The director of Homeland Security ought to be ashamed of herself for publishing this blatantly political hatchet piece.
The current head of DHS is sounding as wacky & paranoid as that other Janet, Janet Reno.
Strange times, as Obama representatives utter some words distancing his administration from…
Its own DHS report
I liked this article because the author places part of the blame for the state we’re currently in on the ineptness of the Republicans. It’s ironic how many of these teabaggers will be protesting Obama’s tax plans yet they’ll be receiving a tax cut!
Pastor of Muppets: The Tea Party movement is not organized in any way by the Republican party. In fact, here in California, the GOP has been instructed not to show up, is not allowed to field any speakers, is not allowed to have a booth or distribute any materials. This is a completely grassroots effort that is completely independent of any political party.
As to your other comments about swastikas and Republican racism, go back to the Daily Kos and peddle that junk. Everyone here see’s you for the complete fool and liar that you are.
Anyone who cares will be there.The rest won’t because they are probably part of the problem.
…protesting Obama’s tax plans yet they’ll be receiving a tax cut!
Didn’t the major Obama tax cut proposal “tax cuts for 95% of Americans,” translate to something like “…$13 a week, achieved not through tax cuts, but by changing the federal withholding tables ?”
Also, hasn’t the administration “…destroyed charitable giving by axing the tax breaks for 26% of all giving (or $81 billion in 2006)” ?
I love the $1.00 per pack federal tax on cigarettes to fund “health care for children”. (I think this must be the Twilight Zone)
It’s tough to keep up with all this garbage. Spend some time with the links in #30 above and then ask yourself whether or not the principle of the Republic and limited federal government is shooting craps to an extent that it is practically unimaginable.
I’ll be at the Boston Tea Party. Hope to see some of you there!
So, what are you protesting? Raising taxes on the wealthiest people in the country while lowering taxes for the vast majority of working people? What a bunch of fools!
32. Pat J,
The tax cuts and welfare 0bama bux to SOME will hardly cover the exorbitant increases for energy that 0bama will impose on EVERYONE [think trucked in groceries, your heating bill, gas bill etc.]. Everything will cost more and for what? The ‘pretend’ global warming flim-flam scam?
The DHS “report” is both frightening and infuriating. The most frightening thing about it is the irresponsibly broad definition of “right-wing extremism,” about which its authors claim to have a heightened concern.
The most infuriating thing about it for me is the dishonest imputation of anti-Semitism to ordinary conservatives.
We have all watched the ugly racism and anti-Semitism that has spread throughout the hysterical ranks of the far left. Leftists would have us believe that anti-Semitism is antithetical to everything they believe, but writers like Phyllis Chesler have been chronicling its metastasis, its virulence and its growing acceptance in polite society for years now. There are no doubt far-right Timothy McVeigh types out there for whom the descriptor “anti-Semitic” is accurate. But it is on the Left that Jew-hatred is a growth industry, and no one in the Obama administration is trying to discredit it, let alone publishing memoranda mobilizing our country’s national-security engine against it.
A big reason for this is that Obama has embraced the anti-Semitic Left in a way that I would have thought impossible up to about two years ago. And he has backed this up with overtures to Hamas and other anti-Semitic terrorist groups. For Islamofascists and left-wing anti-Semites, Obama is the One they’ve been waiting for.
So this report’s dishonesty about the source of anti-Semitism in this country is not only dangerous, because of how it will reinforce outdated stereotypes that many of the uninformed in our society have; it is also a disgusting, intentional provocation: A big middle finger to educated conservatives who have been fighting leftist racism and religious hatred for years.
Art Art Art…
Already, 10% of taxpayers pay over 70% of federal taxes.
The bottom 50% of earners pays around 3% of total federal income taxes. Somewhere around 35% pays no federal income tax at all on their earnings.
What, you think the wealthy should pay an even higher proportion of total federal income taxes and the huge ranks of non-taxpayers should get a check in the mail, funded by Obama’s notion of spending your money to “spread around” wealth ?
The Top 10 Percent of Income Earners Paid 70 Percent of Federal Income Tax
So, what are you protesting? Raising taxes on the wealthiest people in the country while lowering taxes for the vast majority of working people? What a bunch of fools!
Interesting.
In order to make such a statement, surely you must have access to data which breaks down the percentage of income taxes paid by the ‘wealthy’. In that vein, please demonstrate your education and fill in the following blanks:
Income bracket … % of total income taxes paid
Top 1% …
Top 5% …
Top 10% …
Top 20% …
Top 50% …
Bottom 50% …
Bottom 25% …
Bottom 10% …
Also, if any of those brackets do not pay income taxes, please explain how it is possible to provide tax CUTS to them, given that they do not pay any income taxes.
Thank you.
Ninja’d!
Art,
It might help if you got your facts straight. As stated above, withholding has been adjusted and many tax payers will wind up having to pony up in April 2010. Further, it appears that this Congress, in an act of typically blatant stupidity, will let the Bush tax cuts expire which will raise taxes on virtually everyone. This will occur while our economy is attempting to recover from this recession. The economic ignorance of Republicans and Democrats who will let this happen is stunning, but not surprising. Finally, 2 weeks ago President Obama violated a campaign promise by raising the tobacco tax by 100%, a tax that is paid disporportionally by taxpayers who make less than 250,000 per year. He promised that those earning less than 250,000 would pay NO new taxes of any kind, which illustrates just how little you can trust this President.
Class warfare is ineffective & old tool. Y’all ranting liberals need to get a new playbook. It’s all rather predictable & boring. Yes, I call y’all boring.
42. Aureliano:
“Ninja’d!”
~
ROTFL!
You are gooooood, grrrasshoppa! 
Yeah. I’m waitin’ on them thar answers too your query to you-know-who.
“too your query”? ‘TO’. Spellcheck on isle nine! Arghhhh! Blah!
~
17. Войска ПВО,
Aww shucky darn. *Shyly looks down, blushes a bit and kicks at an imaginary pebble*
BTW the tea parties for WA state [my home state] are listed here:
http://taxdayteaparty.com/teaparty/washington/
The Koz Kiddies will be there too trying to debunk the whole thing so if you see someone acting out of line be sure to debunk them right back!
36. Peter the Bubblehead:
I’ll be at the Boston Tea Party. Hope to see some of you there!
———————————–
You have a time machine? What are you? Doctor Whoblehead?
Obama to Rahm:
“Is tomorrow whiteboy day?”
Rahm:
“No man, it ain’t whiteboy day.”
Hell is coming.
From Wikipedia: “the top 0.1% of taxpayers by income pay 17.4% of federal income taxes (earning 9.1% of the income), the top 1% with gross income of $328,049 or more pay 36.9% (earning 19%), the top 5% with gross income of $137,056 or more pay 57.1% (earning 33.4%), and the bottom 50% with gross income of $30,122 or less pay 3.3% (earning 13.4%”; however, “The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities states that three-fourths of U.S. taxpayers pay more in payroll taxes (Social Security And Medicare) than they do in income taxes. The Tax Foundation has stated that the burden of the corporate income tax (a 15-39% tax) falls on customers and workers of the corporations, who are often not rich”.
Note that most of those in the top 5% (those earning under $250,000/year) will have their taxes lowered under the stimulus plan.
How many tea party participants will pass up the opportunity to collect Social Security and use their Medicare benefits when they are eligible?
Art,
For crying out loud, wake up. Post-Obama’s budget, those tax tables are completely useless. Taxes on everyone are going up and the question to answer is whether or not that’s a good idea. I happen to think not.
Pastor,
So, in other words, your mother’s got to fumigate the cellar for roaches again cuz you’ve been leaving your old Cheetos bags around and you need to be out of the house anyway. Whoopdeefriggindoo.
teabaggers of the world unite! may our oppenents be smacked in the collective face by a giant teabag of freedom!
20. Pastor of Muppets:
“I’m going to a Tea Party too, with an 8mm camera and a videocamera.
Because I know that this movement is not grassroots, and has absolutely nothing to do with taxation.”
You really don’t have a clue, do you?
No doubt you will also bring your cast of actors so that you can get the footage you want, as was done during the election at Palin rallies. We realize your ilk will show up with your camera and your actors.
Everybody should bring a camera or camcorder so that the TRUTH can be seen. Photograph these that are there to misrepresent the events.
Never let the facts get in the way of your pre-conceived ideas.
Wait a minute Art.
You started out praising a lowering of “…taxes for the vast majority of working people.”
It was pointed out to you that a very large proportion of working people don’t pay any federal income tax at all.
You can’t go off on a riff about under $250,000 earners having their taxes lowered under the stimulus plan and/or a inquire whether baby boomers will pass up SS or Medicare someday and expect that to credibly pertain to your original statement.
I love the whole spirit of ’76 thing going on here — but wasn’t the Revolution about taxation without representation? Isn’t what we have here taxation WITH representation? So really, your complaint is not that a Tyranny is being established (and a Socialist one at that!) but just that you lost a political argument about the just level of taxation in our Republic. Don’t get me wrong, you absolutely have the right to assemble and protest, and I support your right to do that. But the apocalyptic language and extreme hyperbole doesn’t help you to be taken seriously.
To everyone attending the tea parties –
If you see somebody spewing hate and bigotry, assume this is an Obama infiltrator. As politely as possible let them know that this is not what we’re about. I realize they will come prepared to stage the words and images they want, but no purpose is served in returning hate for hate. Simply photograph those involved in these games so that the truth can be seen.
To: “One of my own”
I saw the “light” when the CRA (look it up if you don’t know what it is) was coerced by Barack Obama and his ACORN thugs intimidating bank managers into making loans to “liar” customers. I saw it when Barney Frank and other Afro-Americans in Congress said in 2006 that there was nothing wrong in the way Freddie and Fannie were being managed. I saw it when Chris Dodd accepted thousands of dollars from GSE officials for his campaigns and then try to obfuscate the truth about it. I saw it when Dodd said he didn’t have anything to do with the cancellation of the bonus contracts to AIG employees.
There are many reasons for the rallies tomorrow and in case you don’t realize it, you along with every other American, will benefit from it. I can’t imagine you just rolling over and letting Obama dip into your pockets and take the fruits of your labor away from your family so willingly as has happened in his first 3 1/2 months in office.
You, sir, are a wimp.
I will be out there too. Protesting old-fart Fox News Republicans who don’t seem to understand that social security and medicare is socialism!!!
Save These Dates!
With the holy season of Easter behind us, it’s time to mark these imminent dates and events on your calendars.
April 15: Be sure your tax returns are postmarked by this date to insure Uncle Sam and Uncle David (in New York) don’t impose a stiff penalty for your audacity in submitting your federal and state tribute late to the state or the feds! Neither looks kindly on such procrastination. As Obama’s vetters for such positions as Secretary of the Treasury know full well, our Democratic leaders are permitted to procrastinate and even ignore the tax mandates with which we groundlings must abide but watch your butt if YOU follow suit! That is, unless you are apt to consciously, or sub-consciously, tend to chant, “Change!” In that case you still have to pay through the nose but you should be content with the change left in your pocket after you pay your dues.
April 15: Yep, this requires some multitasking expertise since you must first cough up to the feds and maybe to your state the cash they need to administer social programs from which you derive no benefit and to reward simple servants whose hearing defects limit their ability to answer phones. Nevertheless, cast aside your tax-anger on Wednesday and get thee to a Tea Party, whether you prefer to indulge in a nice cup’a tea, a nice cup’a coffee, or a few slugs of high test Coke to get you moving in the morning. “Tea Parties” are being held throughout the nation on April 15 to protest the efforts of Obama and his tax cheats to impose on us, our children, and our grandchildren the burden of paying for their profligacy. For background on America’s first tea party, click here: http://www.genelalor.com/blog1/?p=949. For local tea times, consult your local rebels and remember to BYOT, Bring Your Own Tea.
April 17: This is another day that may soon live in infamy, if we allow it. America’s resident gay blades and their fellow travellers are intent on conducting a widespread Day of Silence in Massachusetts and other public schools on April 17th. The plan is that straight, normal, heterosexual kids will keep their mouths shut, so they cannot object, and their ears wide open, so that they will be receptive to the “gay” message. That message has two components, one, that straight kids accept them as normal and, two, that confused straight kids sign up for more information on the glories of homosexual life. See “Day of Silence–Day of Seduction,” http://www.genelalor.com/blog1/?p=931 and call or picket your school to register your objections.
If I had a choice among not paying my taxes by April 15th or not attending a tax rebellion on that date or not protesting that effort to seduce our kids on April 17th, I’d skip my taxes, pay the penalties, skip the tea party and protest the Day Of Silence. That day and its many ramifications could affect America, and our kids, far more grievously than unfair and outrageous taxes.
(http://genelalor.com/)
A tea party is about right for this group. Reminds me of Alice in Wonderland!
Just as I thought… the libs jumped on the Tea Party idea with all 2 brain cells firing! Funny how they didn’t see anything wrong with ACORN rounding up loads of “voters” come election time. Why they’re so threatened by Republicans gathering to fight for our Constitution is beyond me. (Explains a lot about their mindset though.)
Pastor of Muppets… All I can say is that I’m honored you’ll be at a tea party! I couldn’t care less if you’re carrying a video camera or your Hitler Fan Club member card. The point is that you’ll be counted in the numbers! Thanks pal! Bring your friends too!
The U.S. is only ahead of Turkey and Mexico when it comes to income disparity. The tea parties are an attempt to subvert an honest debate over regressive vs. progressive tax policy. The stimulus bill included the largest tax cut ever. That same tax cut was also the quickest to take effect ever. Cap and trade tax is already presumed to be out of the budget, so I guess I just don’t understand all the fuss over higher taxes. So far, there has been a net tax cut.
Art,
Good for you on the response, but you don’t understand what has us Tea Partyers angry enough to protest. The overarching concern is the profligate spending and the increasingly pernicious actions of the government aginst private citizens, capitalists, and free enterprisers. Taxes are part of the equation, for sure, and you are right on when you say corporate taxes are too high, but we are printing money and spending it at a rate that is simply unsustainable for things we can not afford to be wasting money on. Meanwhile the government sees fit to work against the productive and provide shelter to screwups like GM, AIG, and millions of people who purchased real properties that they couldn’t afford. Congress and this President have promoted legislation that screws those of us who have lived within our means, and are the pillars of our respective communities. They have placed politics over economics. They want my kids to pay for FANNIE MAE’s malfeasance and Chryslers stupidity. Well, enoughs enough. Tomorrow they are going to come to understand that a signifigant portion of their constituency, ones that NEVER take to the streets in protest, are finished with the way Washington does business. I don’t know exactly where it will all lead, but Franklin, Washington, Madison and Hancock didn’t know either when they rose in protest 233 years ago. Even the most ignorant and foolish Republicans and Democrats should be able to hear our displeasure tomorrow. Know this as well, the independents who elected alot of these fools are starting to withdraw support. They see the economic folly of this spending orgy. They voted for change, not bankruptcy. 2010 will soon be here and it better be prosperous or alot of fat, dumb, and happy congress people are going to be looking for a new line of work.
#20, Pastor of Muppets, calls those objecting to the taxes President Obama and Co. want to raise, members of the Republican Party who are ‘racist, white-supremacist, immigrant-bashing, reactionary right-wingers “.
Pastor of the Muppets should study American history. It was the GOP which abolished slavery and always supported equality under the law. It was the Southern Democrats who passed and supported racial segregation laws.
rocketeer writes: “The Tea Party movement is not organized in any way by the Republican party. In fact, here in California, the GOP has been instructed not to show up, is not allowed to field any speakers, is not allowed to have a booth or distribute any materials. This is a completely grassroots effort that is completely independent of any political party.”
Nice bold-faced lie you got there. A key role in in the organization and funding of this fake grassroots “movement” is being played by FreedomWorks, an organization run by Richard Armey, the former Republican House majority leader. On the board of directors at FreedomWorks are none other than former Speaker of the House Dick Armey, former Secretary of Transportation James H. Burnley and billionaire Steve Forbes, among others.
Again, there’s absolutely nothing grassroots or spontaneous about this “movement”. It was created wholly by wealthy Republicans to exploit reactionary right-wing hate to put pressure on the government not to raise taxes on the wealthy. But now that it’s obvious that the Tea Parties are going to attract racists and Nazis, I wonder how quickly the real leaders of the movement are going to distance themselves from it. Notice how Fox News has stopped calling these events “FNC Tax Day Tea Parties”. When even Fox News starts getting cautious about associating their name with your right-wing event, you know you have a problem.
This is too funny. You people are protesting because you lost. In fact, you lost so bad that the Republican party only has the power to encite right wingers to protest becasue they hold absolutely zero power in DC. Why is that? That would be because sane Americans booted all the folks in government who hate government. You would never ask a child molester to baby sit your kid but you go all out to elect someone who hates the place he is going to work. That makes no sense. But I am sure it makes perfect sense to folks who think they can change policies at a protest event. We have elections to change policies and your side got their arses handed to them in the last two. Have fun though protesting the high taxes you are paying. By the way, those are taxes W levied on you, not Obama.
I will be under the Gold Dome tomorrow evening in Atlanta,GA. This fight for freedom from oppressive government in our lives is going to get interesting. Are you happy with your prospects for moving up in the world? Why do you feel in America… there are not too many opportunities left for you? When you allow the government to take YOUR earnings and GIVE it away to whom they decide… Are you any better off than a slave? Wake up fools… Is someone reading my email in the NSA and wondering if I am some sort of right wing nut? How could you think this could be happening in the USA?
It’s the Second American Revolution and the municipal workers sucking us dry are going down!
Seeryer:
This is too funny. You people are protesting because you lost.
Thanks for telling me why I do what I do. You elected Obama because you’re a loser and you think you can get something for nothing out of it. There, now I told you why you did what you did. I wish I could find something funny in having to share a country with your sorry self, but I can’t.
That would be because sane Americans booted all the folks in government who hate government. You would never ask a child molester to baby sit your kid but you go all out to elect someone who hates the place he is going to work. That makes no sense.
I agree it makes no sense. It also makes no sense to elect someone who believes in unlimited government to head a government that is, by its nature and the Constitution, limited. Yet, again, that’s what you did.
But I am sure it makes perfect sense to folks who think they can change policies at a protest event. We have elections to change policies and your side got their arses handed to them in the last two. Have fun though protesting the high taxes you are paying. By the way, those are taxes W levied on you, not Obama.
There’s this little thing called “the future” (well, it’s actually not so little, it “lasts a long time”, as the saying goes) and, unlike yourself, I’m looking straight at it and don’t like what I see in terms of the taxes Obama is GOING TO HAVE TO RAISE because of his spending plans, so I’m pushing for an alternative.
Got a problem with that? Tough.
Some simple questions:
1. If you are getting a tax cut why are you protesting increased taxes?
2. What are YOUR constructive ideas for ending the economic crisis?
3. Do you understand that the tax rate for for the top two per cent is being reverted to the rate under Bill Clinton and less than under Reagan?
4. Do you undersatnd that 1.6 trillion of the current spending is because of the economic crisis?
5. Do you understand what the word “crisis” means – and the phrase “teabagging” for that matter.
Please answer these questions in a simple and direct way. Try not to use platitudes, cliches and non sequiturs. It will go a long way in helping others understand where you are coming from you.
Nice bold-faced lie you got there. A key role in in the organization and funding of this fake grassroots “movement” is being played by FreedomWorks, an organization run by Richard Armey, the former Republican House majority leader. On the board of directors at FreedomWorks are none other than former Speaker of the House Dick Armey, former Secretary of Transportation James H. Burnley and billionaire Steve Forbes, among others.
Joe McCarthy, is that you? Geez, you did everything but wave a sheaf of papers in the air proclaiming you want us to “name names”.
Get a grip, loser.
John:
I will be out there too. Protesting old-fart Fox News Republicans who don’t seem to understand that social security and medicare is socialism!!!
So, in essence, tomorrow will be the greatest day of your pathetic life, right? Congratulations, loser.
@#50
This is where you get called a hatefilled idealogue.
“Post-Obama’s budget, those tax tables are completely useless. Taxes on everyone are going up”
Where is your evidence of this? It sounds as if you’ve already made up your mind – facts notwithstanding – and are now thrashing about for little justifications.
Sounds as if the problems here are a little deeper than just taxes. If Obama had cut taxes on the top percentile earners (like Bush did when the like of you were silent despite growing evidence of deficit and recession) then you would have been attending some “vote of no confidence” impeachment party yelling: “look look america’s economy is crashing and the useless president is doing anything to help it.”
But man – the world has changed.
Don’t forget to practice safe teabagging.
Very well said! We can’t afford for this to be a one time event. Our politicians need to take notice that, Republican or Democrat, they are now being watched and we will remember on election day.
The Shadow:
A tea party is about right for this group. Reminds me of Alice in Wonderland!
As long as we’re referencing classic works of literature, let me tell you that having to be around leftists and endure your inanities has me paraphrasing the line from Sartre’s “Huis Clos”, “l’enfer, c’est les leftists”.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No_Exit
Saw a bunch of the Tea Baggers up in Washington over the weekend. Exactly what I expected: a bunch of Bush-supporting signs, old beat-up cars festooned with American flags, anti-Obama signs, and militaristic garb/symbols.
I really do feel the pain of the folks who lost in the last election. I know very well the feeling of watching your country be undermined, degraded, stupified, and made into a laughingstock. I’ve lived it for the last 30 years of reaganomics, and especially so under the last idiotic 8 years.
But it just seems too soon for the type of vitriol coming from the right for it to be anything other than a case of sour grapes/racism/Faux News hypnotism/theist fundamentalist knee-jerk whining. At least with Boosh we had a long list of legitimate grievances to bolster our case against that moron.
Have fun at your little parties. Protest is good. Having a good reason for your protest is better.
malcium:
The stimulus bill included the largest tax cut ever. That same tax cut was also the quickest to take effect ever. So far, there has been a net tax cut.
You forgot to add “Eastasia has always been at war with Eurasia”.
What a pathetic bunch of lefties on this thread. “Talking points finishing school” obviously didn’t take the rough edges off those community college educations.
Poor Veni seems to have a large inferiority complex
These people left of Karl Marx certainly do not like our right to assemble and speak our mind do they?
What else could we expect from the most intolerant, uninformed electorate in American history?
Call me anything you want. We will be heard!
“I’m not going as a Republican…”
Good idea, seeing as most people equate Republicans with incompetence, ideological extremism, and cult-like political rallies.
I know very well the feeling of watching your country be undermined, degraded, stupified, and made into a laughingstock.
Oh dear, you must be referring to Obama’s recent Apology Tour. The Europeans clapped loudly at Obama’s denigration of America. The European leaders gave him nothing.
The “we won, deal with it” thing, with a slim majority of voters (some goldfish voted, maybe even ginned up by the likes of ACORN
in urban areas in blue states, those of you waiting in the mail for a check to cover the house & car payments, is further evidence of your amazing stupidity.
Having never read or studied the Constitution, you understand nothing of its principles and how The One™ would pervert those in an unheard of expansion of the federal government into remaining nooks & crannies of American life.
TheMan:
@#50
This is where you get called a hatefilled idealogue.
Call me whatever you want. Your opinion means nothing to me. Zero. Zilch. Nada. Please, if you take nothing away from this post you’re currently reading, take that away.
“Post-Obama’s budget, those tax tables are completely useless. Taxes on everyone are going up”
Where is your evidence of this? It sounds as if you’ve already made up your mind – facts notwithstanding – and are now thrashing about for little justifications.
First off, I don’t “thrash” for anything. That understood, the evidence is simple common sense. There’s no way that Obama can pay for all his spending merely by taxing people making over $250K, unless he’s talking 50%+ federal income tax rates. There’s also the statements from the Obama camp itself:
http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/Economy/story?id=7166810&page=1
Sounds as if the problems here are a little deeper than just taxes. If Obama had cut taxes on the top percentile earners (like Bush did when the like of you were silent despite growing evidence of deficit and recession) then you would have been attending some “vote of no confidence” impeachment party yelling: “look look america’s economy is crashing and the useless president is doing anything to help it.”
If I can pull anything coherent out of that mess, which certainly doesn’t resemble anything I’ve ever said in my life and there have been times when I was pretty drunk, it’s that I’d somehow be angry at Obama for cutting taxes? Not really. The problems are deeper than taxes and the other side of that coin is called “spending”. One look at the “stimulus” bill made that pretty obvious.
But man – the world has changed.
Man, this is the oldest rhetorical trick in the book. What’s “changed”? Has human nature changed? How so? Have people suddenly become more willing to work without getting rewarded for it or have people on the other side of that divide suddenly become less willing to take what politicians offer them “for free”?
Let me tell you a little something. I’ve studied history all of my life, since I was a little kid. I have a Master’s degree in it and even nearly completed a Ph.D. before moving on to other areas. The one key thing I took away from all that is that change is actually very, very superficial and hardly anything really ever changes. Human nature is a constant, my man. Put down the Kool-aid and wake up to that reality. Thanks for the laugh, though, thinking you could get me to sign over more of my money by telling me “The world’s changed, man”. That’s a keeper.
Seeryer,
There is a Constitutional Amendment that permits US Citizens to assemble, speak freely and petition our government. It is the one all the CodePinker’s, ACORNites, PETAites and other assorted minority malcontents who make up your constituency resort to employing so that they can spew their percieved greivances. Well tomorrow the productive are going to exercise their rights under that Amendment.One of the primary greivances we have is the government you profess to love so much is run by a bunch of Republican and Democrat spendthrifts who are bankrupting the country and leaving a mess that my children will have to clean up. Maybe you just don’t know enough about economics to see the danger. That’s unfortunate.
where were all you teabaggers when Bush destroyed our economy?? where were you when Tom Delay passed the Medicare Prescription Drug bill? where were you when Bush didn’t veto a SINGLE budget bill. where were you when the conservatives tried to politicized the Terry Schivo case?
you people are the pawns of the conservative media machine. we are making fun of you because you don’t realize that this issue is for their good and not yours. so please tell me what you are protesting? Bush’s tax policies? Have fun! why do you think that only 33% of this country is behind you??
“This is too funny. You people are protesting because you lost.”
We are protesting what we are in danger of losing. Every expansion of government means a loss of individual rights.
It’s not just about the power grab by the US Congress, but what we see at every level of government. Our cities. Our states. Our federal government. It’s not even about political party because this power grab transcends party.
This may not bother some of you because you probably think government is better qualified to make decisions about your life. Reading some of your comments, some of you may even be right.
For the rest of us, we will exercise our First Amendment rights.
I know very well the feeling of watching your country be undermined, degraded, stupified, and made into a laughingstock. I’ve lived it for the last 30 years of reaganomics, and especially so under the last idiotic 8 years.
Funny, the last 30 years have been years of increasing prosperity for me. Could it be that I’ve actually got something to offer the world and you don’t?
Maybe if reincarnation is real, you’ll come back as someone competent at something in your next life.
one more thing, we on the left encourage protests, but the things you are protesting don’t ad up. It’s just that you don’t like Obama, face it that is a fact. once you own that, we will take you seriously.
Do you guys understand that you are almost exclusively talking to yourselves? At some point, you need to realize that you already have the conservative vote locked up, and that to progress beyond where you are you need moderates. Do you really think this works? Do you really see this as a strategy designed to woo moderates?
It is really very, very simple: consservatives by themselves are a permanent and impotent minority, reduced to stupid media stunts like tea parties. Conservatives plus moderates means you are in the game. Which sounds better to you?
So I ask you: is this tactic well-designed to engage the moderate middle? Or does it feed the “you guys are as nuts as Hannity and Beck” theme?
Wasn’t the point of the tea party something about taxation without representation? Like it or not, you are being represented. The founders would have found this “bandwagony” activity foolish indeed. The reason for having representatives was to stave off the mob mentality!
Adam:
I’m really glad to see that you were critical of both parties and more specifically critical of Republicans. As Rep. Jim Cooper Blue Dog D-TN points out, the current budget is ugly, but at least it’s honest, unlike the last seven years or so.
I’m not so glad you’re supporting this little tempest in a tea party trend that’s going on. It’s more than a little stupid. The massive groundswell of concern about affordability conveniently began only with Democrats in office; never mind that Republican budgets with fantasy defense programs and corporate welfare for outsourcers were far less affordable, and never mind that the vaunted tax breaks to stimulate growth haven’t been a rousing success in the last few years, and never mind that proposals to raise taxes now are far more modest than the rates under Reagan and way far more modest than other countries with respectable records of economic growth. While I won’t criticize a protest against fiscal irresponsibility that’s better late than never, I must be cynical about its timing.
I’m too suspicious of Big Business as well as Big Government to be a Libertarian, but I am suspicious of Big Government. One thing that prevents me from being a Republican is that the Big Government Republicans don’t mind is government that supports outsourcers, supports interference in private matters, and lately has no clue what’s in half of the Bill of Rights. On one hand, I don’t want nationalized health care; on the other, I sure don’t want massively expensive defense systems that don’t bloody work or expensive Big Brother systems that deprive us of liberty without frankly providing us any safety.
To repeat, I’m glad to see you criticize both parties for spending and especially glad that you single out Republicans. I just wish your audience here and the greater mass of people enthusiastically holding tea parties weren’t blind in the right eye about who’s to hold accountable.
The Man,
1. There are no tax rate cuts.
2. Cut corporate taxes, individual tax rates and capital gains tax rates; any asset purchased from the troubled assets owned by banks is subject to no capital gains tax; accelerate depreciation write offs for business purchases of equipment and infrastructure, scrap the ” stimulus ” plan and substitute in the tax cuts outlined above combined with carefully targeted government spending on infrastructure NOW not three or four years down the road. I would also open the coast line to offshore drilling for oil and natural gas leases, substantially amend EPA related statutes regarding EIS and open closed government lands to mining. As the economy expands tax revenues would increase and the favorable business climate would promote economic expansion and reemployment. The free economies of the far east like Hong Kong, and even mainland China have far more favorable tax policies than the US and historically have enjoyed better growth than us until the recent downturn. That is a start to turning our economy around.3. A 39% tax rate, when coupled with the ever increasing rate of local taxes chokes off incentive and causes the productive to park capital rather than take risk and invest.If raising taxes is such a great idea, why didn’t Congress do it right away? 4. Congress spending on the economic crisis is completely inefficient. The tax cuts I outlined above would be far less expensive and would have a logarythmic effect on growth. Some targeted, temporary and timely stimulus would be ok, and wouldn’t baloon the deficits.5 Crisis: a turning point, a time of great danger or trouble whose outcome decides whether possible bad consequences will follow (Websters). Teabaging: A symble for protest invoking an event in American history.(My interpretaion)
I really hope those going to tea partie on April 15 aren’t planning on using any public goods–you know: roads, police, garbage and toilets, public transportation. I hope they aren’t using any products developed using gov’t funding. I hope they aren’t using social security or medicare. I hope they don’t use the internet (so I don’t need to worry about a response), or libraries, or schools. And if they aren’t in support of these things, then really I hope they go back to a place where those things only existed for the few. It was called the Middle Ages and, I hear tell, it wasn’t a pleasant time. On the other hands, the rabid posts from the anti-tax zealots make me believe they’d fit right in.
I am going to my local tea party (Sacramento, CA) to support this very important grass roots effort. This is a turning point – the moment when intelligent, patriotic Americans begin to take back our beloved USA from the radicals.
I have seen the left’s ridiculous charges about this being funded by corporate America, and that we’re a bunch of fringe kooks. Well I don’t care what they say. They elected this horror show of a President and these congressional jokers. Now we have to clean up the mess.
Obama wants to dismantle the constitution and change our nation and we’re mad as hell and not going to take it anymore.
Let’s show them who we are.
When I read the report from our so called, homeland security, which is trying to label anyone who disagree with the powers that be, “right-wing extremists”. I worried that it might cause some people not to attend local tea parties.
I also thought about how German Jews thought that Hitler wouldn’t come after them because they had fought in WW1 and had medals to show their loyalty… we all know how that turned out. We need to speak out loudly against anyone trying to label us extremists for exercising our rights as Americans.
I WILL BE AT MY TEA PARTY, and I will not allow anyone to silence me!!!
God Bless America and all our brave men and women who have served this nation, we know you are not extremists!!! You are patriots!!!
Funny, the last 30 years have been years of increasing prosperity for me
Me too. And the economy began to head south in November 2006. My, what happened that month, I wonder?
Liberals never learn – and they never remember either. Conservativism was proclaimed dead and finished in 1964 and 1974 – and it came roaring back in ’80, when Americans had had enough of Mr. Peanut. Liberals gloated in ’92, laughed their heads off at the Contract with America – and got the shock of their lives in ’94. I lived in DC then and it was sweet looking at the shell-shocked liberals wandering the streets the day after elections. They always underestimate us and they always get blindsided. So let the fools laugh and jeer now.
But this time we’re not just sending a message to the Obamabots, but to the bloated fatcats of the GOP, who should have learned their lesson in ’06, but didn’t. As another poster said, the message is “Hey you nitwits – you are OUR servants – not vice versa.”
gerald:
one more thing, we on the left encourage protests, but the things you are protesting don’t ad up. It’s just that you don’t like Obama, face it that is a fact. once you own that, we will take you seriously.
Ooooh, gerald, please take me seriously!!! Pretty please!!! It’d mean oh so much to me!!
I’d say you’ve got a problem with taking yourself too seriously.
All you “we won, deal with it” parrots should have a look at the 2008 electoral map, county by county.
It might help you get a better feel for the tea party enthusiasm throughout America.
2008 election, county by county
It’s just that you don’t like Obama,
Oh, sure, doofus. Runaway government spending, corruption (in both parties) and a stimulus package that our children and grandchildren will be footing the bill for has nothing to do with it. We’re just turning out, because, gee, we don’t like Obama personally. Why, who could possibly object to The One’s wonderful policies?
I know that for the left “the personal is political/” I know how much you hated Bush. Don’t project your own infantile thought processes onto us.
I don’t think that it is wise to allow such horrendous debt in the outlying years. Therefore, I propose that upper-income earners pay a 25 percent surtax NOW so as to avoid pushing so much debt onto future generations.
Raise My Taxes:
I really hope those going to tea partie on April 15 aren’t planning on using any public goods–you know: roads, police, garbage and toilets, public transportation. I hope they aren’t using any products developed using gov’t funding. I hope they aren’t using social security or medicare. I hope they don’t use the internet (so I don’t need to worry about a response), or libraries, or schools. And if they aren’t in support of these things, then really I hope they go back to a place where those things only existed for the few. It was called the Middle Ages and, I hear tell, it wasn’t a pleasant time. On the other hands, the rabid posts from the anti-tax zealots make me believe they’d fit right in.
Wow, it takes nearly 40% of my income to build roads, libraries and schools! That’s some damn inefficient building you got going on there. I’m even more geared up to Tea Party now than I was before I read that.
For, hopefully, the last time: No one is protesting the government doing things that are actual “public goods”. It’s the expansion of “public good” to include things like paying for Octomom’s kids or paying for the health insurance of kids whose parents make far above the median national salary or building dog parks in California or any of the myriad other things that government does that aren’t true “public goods”.
If you get that through your head you’ll go a long way to understanding what limited, constitutional government is.
And for you information, historically illiterate leftard, the class that got Europe out of the Middle Ages was the capitalist class. Government was all-powerful back then, it just didn’t have the capitalist-developed tools an all-powerful government would have today, so it came off as incompetent. Google it, as your fat cheerleader Rosie would say.
88. gerald:
one more thing, we on the left encourage protests, but the things you are protesting don’t ad up. It’s just that you don’t like Obama, face it that is a fact. once you own that, we will take you seriously.
Apr 14, 2009 – 3:04 pm
—————————
Ok, I don’t like Obama! Do you take me seriously now?
This is a joke. It’s essentially being ginned up by a bunch of GOP and lobbyist front groups and the shrinking group of core far right conservative are the people signing on. The hyperbole about taking back our country is symptomatic of what is making this whole exercise mildly silly. I doubt it will produce six figures across the entire country and most of the rest of the country is going to be looking on wondering what on earth are these people doing. Just hope it’s a slow news day and you might get three minutes on the evening news. Also hope that no complete loonies get mikes and are recorded sounding off because it will be playing on youtube for weeks.Overall it’s impact will be zilch against a president who according to a poll out today has 71% of the country trusting him to manage the economy…that’s 20 points ahead of the apolitical Bernanke. It’s a waste of time that will benefit no one other than some talk radio people and Fox news.
The Shadow:
Poor Veni seems to have a large inferiority complex
Is that the consensus at “astroturf troll central”, aka the high school libary’s free wi-fi kiosks?
When I’m trying to match wits with a titan of psychological insight like yourself, how could I not feel inferior?
Great post! You articulated my thoughts beautifully. It has been hard to face but the GOP is basically a big government party. The Dems are the tax and spend party while the GOP turned out to be the borrow and spend party. I am really hoping that the tea parties will lead to a new political dedicated to reining in the federal government back to the boundaries established by the Constitution.
Donna V.:
But this time we’re not just sending a message to the Obamabots, but to the bloated fatcats of the GOP, who should have learned their lesson in ‘06, but didn’t. As another poster said, the message is “Hey you nitwits – you are OUR servants – not vice versa.”
Agreed. The Obamabots are clearly beyond assistance, anyway, including the head bot himself (although, if we could get to the teleprompter…). They’re in the grips of the last gasp of an ideological fever that began with the French Revolution and has now been (hopefully, these things are hardly ever cut and dried) pushed aside by the decentralizing tendencies of the network age. I no more engage with Obamabots than I’d engage with one of those “Dawn of the Dead” zombies. The GOP needs to recognize that free markets, individual liberty and limited government aren’t just electoral slogans, they’re a way of life in which you give people the opportunity to pursue their goals with minimal interference.
It’s funny, but I don’t remember right-wing tea-party protests when Bush and the Republican Congress doubled our national debt from $5 trillion to $11 trillion by borrowing money to pay for the Iraq war. Why no tea-parties then?
Tomorrow’s across-the-nation gatherings will serve as an enormous encouragement to millions upon millions of Americans. The events will:
* Serve to lift the spirits and galvanize the courage of the relative handful of folks who will be able to attend them, along with the exponentially greater crowd of citizens who (due to work/home duties, transportation difficulties, physical disabilities, etc.) will not be able to do so.
* Undoubtedly establish an all-time record for being the largest and most widely-spread (hundreds of coast-to-coast parties held simultaneously) such gathering ever to be held on United States soil.
* Be reported (however eagerly or reluctantly) by the conservative and liberal media of this nation and the world, an effect that will serve to instantly multiply the power of its impact.
* Be seen, heard, and felt by the President, every member of Congress, and every segment of the media and academia.
This is a watershed moment in American history, much more wide in its scope than the original Tea Party, the abolitionist movement of the 1800s, and the Civil Rights and anti-war movements of the 1960s.
Judging by all of the latest polling data, the President’s approval rating has been steadily declining since Inauguration Day. Objectively speaking, the Obama phenomenon seems to have passed its expiration date and begun to grow stale. On the other hand, the amazing grassroots spirit that will animate tomorrow’s celebrations/protests represents what can genuinely be described as a new, fresh wind that is stirring the citizens of our land.
What a thrilling — and fascinating — time in which to be alive!
What we really need is a constitutional amendment to limit federal spending Iincl. interest payments) to 20% of the GDP. This was the average in the 80′s and 90′s. In a recession, the government could inject stimulus by cutting taxes while maintaining the ceiling. Later, the deficit interest would be paid out of the 20% allocation. In wartime, if Congress declared war, the ceiling could be lifted as long ad non-defense spending stayed under 16%, the average for those two decades.
I’m not an American so there won’t be any tea parties in my town.
But I thought I’d throw some numbers into the mix.
Last weekend in Ottawa there was a protest supporting the Tamil Tigers. 1000 Tamils showed up
Last summer down the street from where I live 50 PETA members picketed my local Kentucky Fried Chicken
In 2006 Toronto had a rally in favour of legalising marijuana and 4000 people showed up.
In 1997 Toronto had a rally against the cutbacks out local right-wing government had enacted and 15,000 people marched.
From the numbers I have seen on previous tea parties the movement can get out more people than the chicken protesters, about the same number as Tamils who support the Tamil Tigers, not quite as many people as the potheads can muster, and nowhere near as many as the Toronto leftys.
As a rule of thumb I will take CNNs numbers (probably too low) and the numbers the organizers claim (probably too high) and come up with a mean average. Because there will be a lot of cities having these protests I’ll take into consideration that a failed protest in one city doesn’t mean the whole thing was a failure.
I’ll assume that what I’ve read on Stormfront is true and that most of the Nazis there are not liberals in disguise. I’ll also make note of counter-protests (there are sure to be some) and I figure these will be stocked by liberals and not Republicans in disguise.
I’m really curious to see what the right can bring out. Conservatives have little experience with things like this and I’ll make allowances for people who can’t get the day off while assuming that at least some of those who say they’ll be there will end up staying home (pray for good weather).
At this point I consider myself no more than an interested observer, but I’m going to say something I’ve said before because I think it’s important for those who are organizers or supporters.
Some of you have decided that you are not going to have anything to do with the MSM. This is a mistake. Have people ready to speak clearly and sanely to the TV, Radio, and Press. If you decide not to talk to the press because you don’t like them they will have nothing better to do than seek out crazies that will give them nice juicy quotes that won’t help your cause. I’ve seen other protests where the honest people didn’t talk to the press and the nutbars did. It’s funnny, but not helpful.
Good luck on the 15th. I’ll be taking count (don’t worry I’m not taking names)
100. Roberto:
I don’t think that it is wise to allow such horrendous debt in the outlying years. Therefore, I propose that upper-income earners pay a 25 percent surtax NOW so as to avoid pushing so much debt onto future generations.
We’ve all seen the movies where the American Indian takes aside a guy of European descent and looks deeply into his soul and gives him an Indian name.
Roberto, your Indian name is “Man with Brain of Gnat”. Wear it proudly, my friend.
Hey, if I’m going to pay a surtax, you can be sure that surtax is coming with some insults directed at the recipients. That’s just how I roll.
100. Roberto:
I don’t think that it is wise to allow such horrendous debt in the outlying years. Therefore, I propose that upper-income earners pay a 25 percent surtax NOW so as to avoid pushing so much debt onto future generations.
Take it all! Every last penny! Just imagine how much more sand you could purchase to replenish beaches and how many more studies you could conduct to determine the usefulness of conducting studies. Not to mention a brand new fleet of planes for the Speaker of the House. And while we’re at it, why not spend a few billion on a new office complex to house the Department Of Silly Walks?
100. I think since Roberto thinks people should be taxed even more, he and his ilk should pay half of their monthly income NOW so as to avoid pushing so much debt onto future generations.
I’m going to show up at the nearest tea party. I don’t give a rat’s behind what liberals think or say about it. I am not doing it to gain their approval. My reasons for going are thought out, and spiteful insults and left-wing talking points are beside the point. Social pressure may work on people with shaky reasoning skills, but is a very immature tactic.
Veinvidvici,Tanstaafl,Donna V,Eagle, Jeff Lapin, FLmom,A Thinking Person, Sonny, Delia, and all other protesters;
Thank you for your posts and your defenses of individualism, liberty, freedom, capitalism, free enterprise and our Constitution. Tomorrow we take the stage armed with the knowledge of our nations DNA and what made us who we are. We will be together and united even though in seperate physical locales. I close with this:
“Say what I mean and I don’t give a damn, I do believe and I am who I am, Hey now momma come and take my hand, Whole lotta shakin all over this land, Ooo, Freedom! Ooo, Liberty! Ooo, Leave me alone, To Find my own way home, To Find my own way home!”
Robert Hunter, 1988; Grateful Dead, 1993.
85. gerald: said
“where were all you teabaggers when Bush destroyed our economy??…”
This comment typifies all the talking point clowns visiting the thread. I haven’t yet seen one of them able to get it through there heads that the protests are not a republican thing and that it is about out of control spending by whichever party. I don’t see anyone letting Bush or the republicans when they held the majority off the hook, yet the talking point clowns simply can’t get their heads around it.
The only one who might possibly have taken anything useful away was Art. He tried to sping his original question a bit, but at least he visited wilkpedia and perhaps realized that his original talking point was unsupported.
88. gerald: also said:
“one more thing, we on the left encourage protests, but the things you are protesting don’t ad up. It’s just that you don’t like Obama, face it that is a fact. once you own that, we will take you seriously.”
I watched almost 8 years of left nonsense demonizing Bush and the republicans to the great detriment of the country. I don’t buy into demonizing Obama, but neither will I never buy into any hurt feelings or outrage from the left after witnessing their comportment during the last administration.
So you needn’t take the Tea Party protests seriously. It’s not expected. You don’t need to. The Tea Party protests are not a left/right thing. But at it’s core, is the fundamental and collective opinion that folks that think like you, left or right, democrat or republican, are no longer going to be empowered.
Will it work? Dunno. Too soon to tell. It is growing, but may not continue. However, you and your talking points won’t affect that in the slightest. Those people are thinking for themselves.
77. xuthal: said
“Saw a bunch of the Tea Baggers up in Washington over the weekend. Exactly what I expected:..”
You are a liar.
65. Pastor of Muppets: said
“A key role in in the organization and funding of this fake grassroots “movement” is being played by FreedomWorks…”
Get with the program. That nonsense has already been debunked. You need to keep up with your eers, KosKiddie.
peers
You people are friggin’ peasant nutcakes. Where was your outrage when we transfered wealth to a country called Iraq? You wanted a dumb, insane and un-necessary war, now pay the taxes for it! They’re only going up to Bush I/Clinton levels. Nutcakes! The world is going to be laughing at you.
Woo Hoo…#100!!
Bunch of teabaggers!
I don’t understand why the leftist are so concerned about a pitiful little “tea party.” We are all losers remember? No one takes us seriously right? As a matter of fact, hardly anyone in the entire country even knows about our little pathetic parties. How could it possibly matter to any of you if a few dozen people in different states get together to protest run away spending by the federal government? Why do you insist on trying to belittle something that no one will be attending any way? Are you so insecure in your “victory” that you have to squash any little resistance? Shame on you all.
William in Wisconsin.
115. John Daniel:
You people are friggin’ peasant nutcakes. Where was your outrage when we transfered wealth to a country called Iraq? You wanted a dumb, insane and un-necessary war, now pay the taxes for it! They’re only going up to Bush I/Clinton levels. Nutcakes! The world is going to be laughing at you.
I know it’s going to sound weird to you, but there’s this word “strategic”. I want you to find it in the dictionary. Look at the placement of Iraq within the Middle East and compare its location to the definition of “strategic”. Have you done that yet? Good. Now, you can see why Iraq was an important place to have a state that was at least moderately friendly to US interests.
Thus endeth your lesson for today. Tomorrow, why profits are good. I’ll send ya a bill.
Its interesting that the same people who adore Ronald Reagan lambast President Obama for high taxes when his highest tax rate is 10% lower than it was during Reagan’s time. Where were the tea parties in the 80s? Or were we all just socialists then, with that damn crazy communist progressive tax code we’ve always had.
I’d love to hear your definition of socialist here at this website, because if Obama was a socialist, so was Reagan, Nixon, and Jesus Christ.
Mr. Graham,
While I agree with most of what you say, I will be going to a Tea Party both for the country I love, and as a protest to the nobody pretending to lead it. It is all very bipartisan to blame Republicans for pork barrel spending, and for sure many of both parties have violated the public trust, but the new president and congress have taken reckless spending, bailouts, and political payoffs to a new level of irresponsibility that threatens the economic foundation of the country. And they are all Democrats. They won the election, as they are so fond of reminding us. So it is they who are driving us off the cliff not Republicans.
The Obama supporters on this thread accuse everyone who disagrees with them of being `racists’ or ‘haters’ but no one I know fits this description. Yet it is their insane hatred of George W. Bush that has been on display for several years now, which continues even after the man has left office. I have come to the conclusion that like the British monarch of two centuries ago, these people cannot be reasoned with. They must be defeated, if our country is to survive free and prosperous, to be handed to our children as we ourselves found it.
I hope the “sane center” is reading the posts here and sees the true anger AT BOTH PARTIES. I will be attending my first protest since 1973 against Nixon, and I’ll be attending the Sacramento Tea Party with my wife and children. My 14 year old son will be making a video of our experience that we will post on youtube after. Our signs will say quit spending my future (kids) and Give me liberty not debt.
This is not a left or right thing. both sides have squandered our trust. I hope this is just the beginning of ALL Americans standing up to our leaders and saying QUIT FREAKING SPENDING NOW!!!
I’m curious to see how many show up tomorrow. I’ll bet this is the start of something REAL BIG!!!
I’ll be at the Tea Party in Atlanta! I am sick and tired of both parties lying, cheating and stealing. I am also tired of a Judical sysyem that looks to foreign law to settle US Law – Ruth Bader Ginsburg. I want the everyone in Congress to read the Bill of Rights. The IRS should audit ALL members of Congress. How does some one become filthy rich working for the Government unless they are selling us all out.
John Daniel: feel free to laugh away, boot-licking slave. In fact, please continue to underestimate us. Like I said, I remember how liberals reeled in 1980 and 1994 very well,…
According to Rasmussen Tracking Polls, as of today, 35% of Americans strongly approve of Obama’s policies and 32% strongly disapprove – just a 3 point difference. His overall approval rating is 55% – it has been steadily dropping since Jan. 20.
And then there’s this news:
The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey shows U.S. voters trust the Democratic Party over Republicans on the top issue of the economy by just a three-point margin this month, 45% to 42%.
It is still too early to determine whether voters are trending away from the economic initiatives of President Obama and congressional Democrats, but this is the closest the two parties have been on the issue of the economy since the first week of last September. In March, voters trusted the Democrats more by a 47% to 40% margin.
For the third straight month, investors trust the GOP more to handle the economy, 48% to 42%, but non-investors still trust Democrats more by 16 points.
Republicans now have moved further ahead of Democrats on the issues of national security and taxes. The GOP also has come on strong on several other issues, including immigration and Social Security.
Hey, donks, you’re doing a great job there! If the GOP wasn’t so full of it themselves, you’d really be screwed!
So, little Obamabots, you can quit your bleating about how everyone except a few wingnuts in Alabama just luvvvvv the Messiah in the White House. Maybe you and the other kids in the dorm do, but clearly other people are waking up.
Venividvici,
Sorry I misspelled your name in what was to be my closing post. I read your response to Roberto at #111 and I still haven’t stopped laughing. My Indian name is “Ten Beers”, what’s yours? Have fun tomorrow and as the Irish say,”Safe Home”.
amen
I’m with you too. I’m taking off work and riding the train into DC with posters to pass around. But don’t confuse Rebublican deficit spending of 3% of GDP, with this monstrosity of overspending that the Dems are engaged in at the federal and state levels. They’re entirely different categories of sizes.
124. danceswithtrees:
I hope the “sane center” is reading the posts here and sees the true anger AT BOTH PARTIES.
Exactly! The comments on this post should make it clear to anybody with half a brain that the reason the government-worshiping fringe left is freaking out is that they know perfectly well that Democrats and Republicans are fed up with BOTH parties.
Samizdat,
Yeah, that was the first time I ever thought to do that in a response. I cracked myself up with that one, too.
I found an Indian name generator and “Cold Hawk” came up. I like that.
Same back at you, have some fun tomorrow and back home safe and sound.
veni:
You prove my point
Hey, Ms. Napolitano,
Come and get me. Or try. I’m one of those people that Billy Ayers thinks should be put in a re-education camp to be indoctrinated into Marxist ideology. Failing that, I guess I should be shot.
But I already know how Marxists think. I used to be one myself, which probably means that they’d have a real hard on for me in the re-education camp. I sure could play mind games with them!
I’ll be showing up with my tea bag in Dover, NH tomorrow at noon. Make sure to take lots of pictures of us, and have your goons check us out. We’re the “terrorists” who believe in the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution of the United States of America. Like me, many are veterans (Ooooh, you really are afraid of us, eh?). I’ll not comment on guns and weapons at this point, since we already know what you think of them and would like to do with them.
But we’re going to the Tea Parties to kick off a long campaign to take our country back for our kids and grandkids. It’s time to expose the Commie swine for what they are: dangerous dogs who have made alliances with the true terrorists – the jihadis of Allah.
Enjoy your time as Secretary of Homeland Security. You’ll be out of a job in 2013, if not sooner (if Obonga decides to make you slit your belly).
TheMan:
Some simple questions:
1. If you are getting a tax cut why are you protesting increased taxes?
2. What are YOUR constructive ideas for ending the economic crisis?
3. Do you understand that the tax rate for for the top two per cent is being reverted to the rate under Bill Clinton and less than under Reagan?
4. Do you undersatnd that 1.6 trillion of the current spending is because of the economic crisis?
5. Do you understand what the word “crisis” means – and the phrase “teabagging” for that matter.
—————————————-
1. I have not gotten a tax cut. If I get one, I’ll be happy. My view is, the more people who get tax cuts, the better for the economy. My own concern is more towards spending, which is spiraling out of control and will have to be paid for at some point, by tax money. Others have other concerns, of course.
2. Do a program similar to what was done, successfully, in the S&L Crisis. Get the toxic assets off the books of financal institutions, gree up credit so folks can buy cars, houses, etc. again. Other than that, keep the government ot of the way of the econmy as much as possible.
3. And? Not relevent to my concerns on the uncontrolled growth of government and government spending we are seeing, both under this President and the last one.
4. Yes. I’d argue that much of that is actually programatic agenda spending for libeal programs, being rammed though under false colors, but you might see that differently. In any case, throwing money around at a stupid rate is perhaps MORE reprehensible in an economic downturn, when the people that have to pay for it are making less money.
5. I understand what crisis means. I think in a crisis it is not only important to do something fast, it is also important not to do things that will make the situation worse. “We have to do something right away, and it has to be huge, and it doesn’t matter if it makes any sense,” seems, to me, to be what the last months of the Bush administration, and the first mnths of the Obama administration, have been saying. I think that is dangerously iresponsible, YMMV of course.
And finally, yes I know what teabagging means. LULZ were had, even by me….
PS: Please forgive any stupid typos — typing this on one of those tiny laptop keypads…
122. Define socialist:
Its interesting that the same people who adore Ronald Reagan lambast President Obama for high taxes when his highest tax rate is 10% lower than it was during Reagan’s time. Where were the tea parties in the 80s? Or were we all just socialists then, with that damn crazy communist progressive tax code we’ve always had.
I’d love to hear your definition of socialist here at this website, because if Obama was a socialist, so was Reagan, Nixon, and Jesus Christ.
The problem with this “analysis” is that it ignores historical context. Reagan was lowering tax rates, Obama is raising them. Big difference. Like when you’re mommy is swinging you in the park and you’re going up towards the sky, that’s like “raising” and when you’re coming back toward your mommy from way up high, that’s like “lowering”. See how those are different?
If you want a definition of socialism, go get “The Dictionary of Socialism”. Anyone who’s studied the topic knows there are almost as many definitions of socialism as there are socialists, which is why socialists thrive in parliamentary systems, with their myriad political parties. But you knew that, right? Why should I commit to one definition of socialism only to have you tell me, “Oh, no I don’t want that kind of socialism, I want this completely other kind of socialism, which I call progressivism”. Spare me the semantic shenanigans. Most of the debates about the various schools of socialism are as worthwhile as the debates about how many angels can dance on a pinhead, only instead of angels, it’s members of the working class, and instead of dancing it’s participating in worker’s councils and instead of pinheads it’s factories. Believe me, I’ve probably studied this stuff more than you have. The difference is I don’t believe in any of it and you do.
Besides, it’s pretty clear that Obama’s heading toward fascism, with its doctrine of regulatory and legal, and possibly managerial, rather than direct, control over the means of production. Turns out that socialist Mussolini was right, an advanced industrial nation can’t be reorganized only traditional socialist lines, hence the need for fascism.
133. The Shadow:
veni:
You prove my point
My cat, also, coincidentally, named Shadow, could have come up with a better response than this and all he can say is “meow”.
On what criterion, pray tell, are you deeming me inferior to you? You made a rather pedestrian Lewis Carrol reference (ho hum, we are in the English-speaking world, after all), whereas I made a bon mot utilizing a French existentialist philosopher in the original French. Not only A French philosopher, but THE French philosopher of the 20th century, who also happened to stand, politically, for everything I’m against, yet I somehow found a way to twist his context into something insulting to the Left, the political faction Sartre was identified with till his dying day. That’d be like you having the intellectual wherewithal to make a paraphrase of Nietzsche in the original German and turn it against the Right, with which Nietzsche was most closely aligned politically. I’d settle for Hegel, even, although it wouldn’t be quite as comparable, given Hegel’s distance from the existentialist school and Nietzsche’s propinquity to said school. Instead of seizing that opportunity to prove your intellectual bona fides and one-upping me off the back of that pathetic Lewis Carroll reference, you come back with “You prove my point”.
Yeah, I’m inferior to you. I just hope to God that you’re not in any way, shape or form involved in the teaching of children because, man, them’s gonna be some functionally illiterate children.
Cold Hawk,
Fun playing offense and defense. Tomorrow, offense.
Best,
Ten Beers
“The problem with socialism is that eventually you run out of other peoples money” Margaret Thatcher
Term limits are a step in the right direction. The 2010 mid-terms cannot get here fast enough. The American voting public needs to STOP sending the incumbent back to D.C. every d**n election.
As far as I am concerned with all the trouble the large, money center banks have brought upon this country, they do not even hold a candle to the most toxic poison this country faces: the U.S. Congress. The level of greed, incestuousness with Wall Street and lobbyists, and the overall arrogance displayed in D.C. is nauseating.
Congress is toxic, not the 8,000 community banks in the U.S. TERM LIMITS! Vote ‘em out.
my my my, the lib trolls are out in full force trying to hide their fear with insults. Well, as someone who is not only NOT a conservative but NOT even a Republican either, i’m going to the Tea Party. Yup, I am one of the millions of Dems that crossed the line during the election because I wasn’t willing to vote for a fruad and fool. It should come as no surprise to anyone except the brainless trolls that we have never crossed back. That little fact is only a secret in the liberal and troll small, hatefilled mind.
Governemnt has run amok, spending like there is no tomorrow giving us debt the next 3 generations can’t pay and we havent even dealt with Soc. sec. which now no longer has a surplus. Yes, the politicians corruption and idiocy knows no bounds. They could care less, they are all milionairres that will never have to worry. This is not confined to one party or the other, though it seems Democrats are drunk with power and destroying the country as fast as they can.
Enough acting like tyrants, trampling on the constitution, ignoring the wil lof the very people that put them in office. Boot them all but let’s put the fear of the upcoming boot into them. That is the only thing they understand-losing their power and kickback gravy train
Some in the comment stream like to ask where we were when Bush decided to sign bills from an overspent Congress. They are right to ask that from an emotional standpoint. However, it really has no bearing on the arguement. It fails logic. So we should stop our protest of excessive government control and spending because the “other party” did it? That is utterly lame. The facts are that the government has spent too much in the past but in the last 3 months it has spent more than ALL OTHER PREVIOUS AMERICAN GOVERNMENTS COMBINED. So that is why we are protesting. ENOUGH IS ENOUGH.
We are gambling (not risking) our countries future and if it fails, the cliff upon which America falls off will be castatrophic. Even China agree’s that we are out of control. Even Europe. They understand what can happen to a collapsed America. We are setting our country’s way of life on a dangerous road.
Right now you have to realize that a weakened America poses a serious threat to global security. The 20th Century was defined by the Brits to WWII and the American’s post WWII helping to maintain global security. Right now, who is left? Who is going to take over and strive to maintain order in the world? Russia, China, India? Do you really like any of those options? I sure don’t. Sure the US can mess things up but our screw-ups will be minor to the the countries listed above.
And the failure of American will come when we have so overspent ourselves that our economy dries up and we are no longer able to help maintain security. We will be broke and overrun with inflation. That is why the government has to be reigned back in. We need to stop with the stupid pet projects, the out of control spending, and get back to a balanced budget and a stable dollar and a strong defense. Take the reigns off and let the American spirit live and thrive.
Our politicians are letting us down? I’m shocked, just shocked! They always let everyone down (or almost always). This single fact drives thinking people to smaller government positions. Politicians are people and, as such, many if not most are (pick one) evil, venal,stupid and selfish. Big government in and of itself isn’t bad, but its stupid to let politicians run it. Since the only other choices are dictators or philosopher kings (one evil and the other figments of the imagination) the only solution is a smaller government. While a smaller government wouldn’t solve as many problems, at least it wouldn’t cause them.
Do you people understand what the nature of the crisis is, and why just about all economists, left & right advocate more spending by the federal gvt. The last time this happened, the right wing of this country advocated lettting the banks fail and the losers lose. What came next was the Depression. Would you be happy if your business closed and your house was practically worthless? But you had the satisfaction of not being a “loser” I find the right wing in this country to be pitiable in it’s opinions and tactics. You are not people with real solutions to this country’s problems. All the things you wanted to try, this country tried. And it failed massively. Can we spend 1 trillion dollars in Iraq, and not pay for it. How is that possible? Blackwater and Haliburton didn’t go to Iraq for the love of our country, or do you believe that they did? They want to get paid, and they did. Head and brain trauma costs a ton of money, and we should pay for the vets to get the best care. I was disgusted by the Iraq war and I have to pay taxes to support it, how fair is that. You people don’t want to rebuild America, but you will spend hundreds of millions rebuilding Iraq. No wonder voters got rid of the republicans. You can’t fool people forever. Facts don’t seem to sway you, you cheered this stupid war and its waste of money, life and American prestige and standing and now the bill is coming due. The deficit was going down, and under bush it went way up. Get it, if you don’t like paying taxes, don’t vote for people that spend like crazy. But if you do, don’t blame “leftists” for your predicament, they don’t have anything to do with it. Besides, when people realize socialism means social security and medicare, they don’t mind it so much. I wish a republican would try to eliminate the 2 biggest entitlement programs, they would be a permanent minority party. seniors would see to that.
“America,
Where are ya now?
Don’t you care about
your sons and daughters?
Don’t ya know
we need ya now,
we can’t fight alone
against the Monster.”
“Monster”
Stephenwolf
wow, this is all you people can come up with, a stupid tea party. My God, we got it made in the shade. The Republicans have completely lost their minds. I know it’s tough losing and all, but you should really try to find something of substance to get involved in. I’ll be laughing at you bozos tomorrow, have fun.
Muppet Preacher,
I hope I see you at the Denver TEA Party. I am sick of thumb sucking collectivists who use government to extort money from actual taxpayers! You won’t need a camera, I will have no problem identifying a leach.
Amazing how much sheer idiocy and plain rudeness is displayed by liberal wannabes towards those who don’t share their “give me my unearned share” ideas of progressivism.
That said, I will be at a Tea Party tomorrow. To defend the Constitution of the United States and the Bill of Rights – because I believe that even the wingnuts drooling over there on the left should be able to keep their right to embarrass themselves in public.
America had a tea party in November 2008. The people (51 percent) have spoken.
The party of Love won!
The party of Hate lost!
It was a great tea party. Maybe you can join us in 2012.
I am not an activist or a blogger, but I feel inspired for the first time to attend a public protest.
I don’t care why anyone else thinks I’m at the tea party tomorrow.
I’m going because I care about what is happening to our country.
I believe big government will make our problems worse, not better.
(Like other employed individuals, I am using one of my vacation days.)
See you in Sacramento, Jeff Lapin!
Vendividivichi: you can drop the condescension. I understand the word strategic too well; the merging of Shia majorities in Iran and Iraq (which were estranged when Saddam was in power) is HARDLY propitious to improved US/Iraq relations. Got it? Good. Our military watched as Iran’s president was welcomed by Iraq’s Gov’t–great use of our money! Got it? Good. Our military watched as an oppressive Iraqi Constitution–based upon Islamic Law–was ratified, hardly good for US/Middle Eastern relations. Got it? Good. Tomorrow, actually in a month, get back to me when you’re ready to join the “A” track discussions.
WFO3,
Please read Amity Schlae’s “The Forgotten Man” and get back to me on what Roosevelt’s spending and regulation did to end the Great Depression. The evidence shows that his policies substantially prolonged the agony. The Depression ended when the government demanded goods from the PRIVATE SECTOR to fight the Axis powers, putting people back to work and creating immense new wealth and tax revenue. Yep, it was government spending that created the expansion of the economy, government spending that poured billions into private corporations. That spending didn’t look anything like the current “stimulus” spending. President Obama couldn’t even follow the advice of his economic advisor, Larry Summmers who believes stimulus should be timely, targeted and temporary. 60% of the spending in that bill occurs in years 2-4. Just about all economists DON’T agree. I’ll name two, Schlaes and Moore.
As a 40+ year member of the military, I’m sadly disappointed by the frivilous nature of this “tea bagging” as though what you are doing is somehow PATRIOTIC. Not so. You are simply WHINING.
Patriotism is when you do something CONSTRUCTIVE to aid your nation. Do you not know that most of the government employees are actually doing something beneficial for you, your family, and your future family? Wow.
And why is your sudden “involvement” only coming after a Democrat is in the White House? If you’ll do an ounce of research, you will find that almost 90% of our national debt came at the hands of Reagan, BushI, and BushII.
Your talk of socialism? Good grief, most of y’all have no clue. Consider the following “socialist programs” I’ll be your families embrace:
1) The military (your tax dollars being redistributed)
2) Police, fire, rescue, and all the other emergency responders
3) Your local library, your streets, roads, highways
4) Substantial subsidies for water & sewer pipes, and power lines
5) Social security & medicare (are you going to refuse it when you are 65?)
6) Healthcare for 47 million Americans who hold minimum wage jobs whose employers are too greedy to pay their insurance. We collectively (socialism?) pay their bills whether we like it or not…it’s just hidden.
Of course, i could go on for pages and pages, but you won’t listen. You are too busy whining to get off your behinds and SOLVE these problems. Why not stay home and have a fine cup of tea? And get some cheese to go with that whine.
Good day.
It’s not out-of-the-question that the 2009 Tea Party participants could someday be regarded by history as patriots who made a difference- same as 1773. This sort of public outrage might be just what’s needed to break through the media’s manufactured reality.
And you can believe that Obama and the left are plenty scared of the TEA party movement- how else to explain the dubious timing of the DHS report warning of “right-wing” radicals and their propensity to violence?
Barack Obama is rapidly liquidating everything that made this country great… and needs to be put back-on-his-heels with a major embarrassment that puts an end to the myth that everybody just loves Barack and his wacked-out agenda… because millions of us DON’T.
http://reaganiterepublicanresistance.blogspot.com/
It’s not out-of-the-question that the 2009 Tea Party participants could someday be regarded by history as patriots who made a difference- same as 1773. This sort of public outrage might be just what’s needed to break through the media’s manufactured reality.
And you can believe that Obama and the left are plenty scared of the TEA party movement- how else to explain the dubious timing of the DHS report warning of “right-wing” radicals and their propensity to violence?
Barack Obama is rapidly liquidating everything that made this country great… and needs to be put back-on-his-heels with a major embarrassment that puts an end to the myth that everybody just loves Barack and his wacked-out agenda… because millions of us DON’T.
94. Jeff Lapin:
“I am going to my local tea party (Sacramento, CA) to support this very important grass roots effort. This is a turning point – the moment when intelligent, patriotic Americans begin to take back our beloved USA from the radicals.”
Driving on a freeway, using Light Rail, stopping at traffic lights, safe with the Police, drinking from park fountains, eating FDA approved food . . . Yeah, you’re intelligent and patriotic. Have fun!!
John Daniel:
Vendividivichi: you can drop the condescension. I understand the word strategic too well; the merging of Shia majorities in Iran and Iraq (which were estranged when Saddam was in power) is HARDLY propitious to improved US/Iraq relations. Got it? Good. Our military watched as Iran’s president was welcomed by Iraq’s Gov’t–great use of our money! Got it? Good. Our military watched as an oppressive Iraqi Constitution–based upon Islamic Law–was ratified, hardly good for US/Middle Eastern relations. Got it? Good. Tomorrow, actually in a month, get back to me when you’re ready to join the “A” track discussions.
I’ll condescend to you as I see fit until you show you capable of being addressed man to man. From the nature of your comment, I’m going to have to change today’s lesson to “Rome wasn’t built in a day”. Another aspect of “strategic” endeavors is that they can take decades.
You should change your focus in life to things whose start and completion dates fall within a time span you are capable of comprehending.
I don’t really have any issues with this tea party thing aside from the timing — this financial mess was years in the making, and it was pretty damn obvious more than a couple of April 15′s ago that a lot of things were not exactly quite right with the economy:
http://money.cnn.com/2004/01/26/news/economy/election_budget
http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/04_47/b3909033_mz007.htm
Obama essentially inherited a pile of unpaid and massive credit card bills issued by a bunch of crooked, tottering banks. Obama and his people, well-regarded genuine experts, confronted the problem head on and came up with a solution — a painful solution, but still a solution. That’s what responsible grown-ups do. Whining, complaining, and name calling without a single semi-sane possible alternative solution is not what responsible grown-ups do.
Enjoy your tea parties.
wfo3:
Do you people understand what the nature of the crisis is, and why just about all economists, left & right advocate more spending by the federal gvt.
I very well understand the nature of this crisis. It is a debt deflation crisis, which, unfortunately, can’t be solved by adding more debt, which will only turn it into a currency crisis at a later date.
If you want the dollar to go away and be folded in to some currency basket where your purchasing power is partially determined by what the governments in other countries do, please, go ahead and support the idiotic spending plans of Obama.
If, like me, you have the slightest clue how that would hurt the same “average Americans” that Obama and the rest of his lunatic followers say they want to help, you should oppose all of this additional debt-financed spending.
In other words, C3PO, you’re being fooled into thinking this is the worst possible crisis by people who are even as we speak laying the ground work for an even bigger (much, much bigger) crisis.
If leftists would get their heads out of their nether regions for long enough to crack open a history book, they’d realize that the current borrow our way out of the downturn approach is like cutting off your leg to cure a hangnail on your pinky toe. Sure, the hangnail’s gone, but now you have no leg.
And don’t even get me started on the composition of the borrowing in terms of fiscal multipliers. Obama’s politicized that debate so much that he’s got his own Christine Romer denying the accuracy of her earlier work showing that tax cuts are more stimulative of GDP than spending increases.
You people supporting Obama are fools. Your descendants will spit on your graves.
155. vivo:
This talking point has already been conclusively debunked in message 101.
Thanks for playing, though.
Damn. Wish I could join you tea-party people, but I’m in Australia.
Good essay.
Venividivici: Your empty rhetoric and vague dismissive answers don’t impress those with intelligence and relevance, all the more ironic when you suggest somehow that your responses are worthy of *any* man. The poison, bumbleheaded seeds Bush laid in Iraq will only grow more poison with time. This time around we have statemanship worthy of our troops. In front of all watching–peasant and intellectual–you couldn’t refute any of my claims. It is indeed a good day.
I take issue with the whole idea of this being some sort of “grassroots” protest. When I hear about such people as Dick Armey, Steve Forbes, Newt Gingrich and others throwing their financial support behind these demostrations, I worry. Look closely at such entities as FreedomWorks and Americans for Prosperity and you see people who are not behind the average working class individual.
Seems to me like it’s the protesters who are getting “teabagged” by GOP Corporate interests.
Pat, your so right. It’s one thing to see young, idealistic people demonstrating before they understand the unfortunate realities of the world, but to see these old, fearful people being manipulated like this…it’s so sad.
For those of you showing up to defend the Constitution, where were you when George W. Bush was totally trashing it these past eight years?
The funniest, smartest response so far, especially to the schlock-chocked ‘Tea Party Anthem:’
http://tr.im/iTjn
We must be doing something correctly to engender such wrath from the NIMBY elitist left. We are certainly a somewhat sophisticated educated well read group of people who love our country, have studied history, economics and philosophy and have jobs. WE are not on entitlment programs and looking for more handouts. We abhor socialism and fascism; will not tolerate communism and love our freedom. WE believe in States Rights,Capitalism and Federalism.
If George Soros could finance MoveOn and the redical left movement in this country it seems good that those who can will support this grassroots activity. Atleast it works and is congruent with our beliefs; unlike ACORN with government support and direction. I’ll take a teabag, please. What is that about GOP Corporate interests? GM? AIG? Banks?
Oh yes, I am old and what I am fearful of is retribution for speaking out and increased control by an out of control government. Wait until medical care is free and euthansia is the law of the land; yup I am afraid.
Here’s the ironic thing: When hundreds of thousands, if not millions of people AROUND THE WORLD protested against the policies of the Bush ‘administration,’ they were utterly ignored; called crazies, socialists, terrorists and whatnot.
Now, the Teabaggers look to use the same strategy, namely protesting, to try to influence the Obama administration.
One has to conclude, that after reviewing the lack of effect of protests over the last 8 years, that the Teabaggers believe that Obama is actually a better President, in that he will listen to their concerns.
#153: I can see why after 40 years in the military you retired as a Captain. Glad I wasn’t in your outfit. You are a damn fool.
Mr. Obama is said to be unaware of the voices of these people at Tea Parties; that is very disconcerting to me. Is he only the POTUS of the Left Moonbats?
Historian, sorry but Obama won the Wealthy vote, the Educated vote, the White male vote, the White woman vote; the intelligent and reasonable in the Country spoke. You make a fool of yourself by calling Obama’s voting block Leftist lemmings.
162. John Daniel:
Venividivici: Your empty rhetoric and vague dismissive answers don’t impress those with intelligence and relevance, all the more ironic when you suggest somehow that your responses are worthy of *any* man. The poison, bumbleheaded seeds Bush laid in Iraq will only grow more poison with time. This time around we have statemanship worthy of our troops. In front of all watching–peasant and intellectual–you couldn’t refute any of my claims. It is indeed a good day.
Your first “claim” was that the Iraq war was unnecessary, which I debunked by showing that Iraq is strategically located in a region where the US has vital interests and that moving from the Hussein regime to one more friendly to US interests was in fact a strategic victory. Claim number 1 refuted.
Your next “claim” or set of “claims” was that the Iraq war had not accomplished its strategic goal even as stated by me in the refutation of your first “claim” since the President of Iran had visited Iraq in the presence of our military, Iraq had ratified a constitution based on Islamic law and because the formerly-estranged Shia of Iran and Iraq were now “merged” (incidentally, was this a “merger of equals” or a “hostile takeover”?)
Anyway, my response was, and is that strategic goals, especially in the realm of geopolitics, are not accomplished in a few years, especially when the underlying conditions are not exactly completely propitious. I don’t deny any of your factual claims (maybe you thought that was what this was all about and so you’re declaring “victory” on that basis? I’m not sure, but that’s not what my point was about at all), merely your ability to place them into historical context and interpret them and see how they fit into the “great game” that is playing out in the Middle East, which ability, yes, is the hallmark of the type of man I would address as an equal.
Sorry to ruin your day by not focusing on such small-bore things like the Iraqi Constitution. Most objective observers like myself would assume that Islam would find its way into the new Constitution, since 99% of the people are Muslim. Is it disappointing that people would submit to Islam. However, assuming that Constitution is now set in stone forever is short-sighted. Which is my point. That you don’t show any inkling of the necessary long-term perspective for me to take you seriously at all. Facts are one thing, interpreting them completely another.
Oh, and John, one other thing. Disproving that it is possible to set in motion a series of events that lead to a US-friendly regime in a Muslim-majority country is also strategically important. It’ll tell us from empirical data, not theory, that we need to rethink how we approach the region. Again, on a timeframe not limited to an American Idol season, this is important information. My timescales are positively Zhou Enlai-ian.
Too funny Vivi! Suddenly a Constitution is “small bore???” LOL. It is disappointing that Islam made its way into the constitution? You’re surprised?? You people believe that all Constitutions are set in stone when it’s convenient for you! If you have any concept of the “great game” in the Middle East, you would have known we basically paid for a “merger” of evil Iran/Iraq that will only develop over time. No wonder Bush got elected. I hope to Darwin that Bush III won’t come along.
I said I wasn’t surprised that Islam made it into the Constitution, but that, yes, I’m disappointed that a group of human beings would willingly subject themselves to that stupid ideology. Just like I’m disappointed when I meet a leftist.
Yeah, again, if you knew history, you’d know that constitutions around the world have a shelf life of about 20 to 30 years. Even a relatively stable country like France has had five republics in just over 200 years. Small-bore to me, huge honkin’ bore to you, apparently. I’m sorry, but unless you think on timescales of at least 50-100 years, you’re not thinking. Hell, the human race is still fighting the battle against totalitarianism inaugurated by the Ancient Greeks against the Persians.
Anyway, even Sadr proclaims that he doesn’t want to “merge” with Iran and he’s probably the most Shia-ideology driven political force (although he seems pretty spent at the moment) within Iraq. Who’s going to enforce this “merger” from the Iraqi side? Name me some names because right now you’re just talking in hypotheticals (i.e. you’re spewing BS), as if being received into the country made Amahdinejad de facto ruler of Iraq. Pretty thin reed to hang your hat on, although I know the left would love it if Iraq and Iran got together to disrupt the region.
Politicians SUCK. They all suck. But they suck because of the media.
The media needs a real horse whipping…..first. They are a pathetic casncer.
As far as tolls go… none of your protests have ever had this spontaneous energy or geographical breadth.
You suck like the politicians. You have over reached and invaded our lives.
We are done with your nonsense! What is great about us freedom loving people that hate text book tyranny,is that we have a spine. You want to mess with me or us ??? KEEP IT UP!
Seeing as 40 years is the absolute limit for time in the military, and even that can only be achieved by flag officers and officers who served at least ten years as enlisted personnel, I am forced to conclude that RetiredCAPT is a liar.
As for the programs he lists, Socialism is defined as government control of the factors of production. As such, not only are military, police and public safety constitutionally required roles of government, they are by definition not socialistic. Thus 1 and 2 are irrelevant. Streets, roads and highways are likewise public goods, and they are paid for with user fees (including gas taxes), so 3 is irrelevant because the people who use them are the ones who pay for them with their gas taxes and tolls. Public utilities are horribly inefficient and should be sold to private companies, who run them better and cheaper, so no I do not support #4.
#5 and #6 I regard as theft. If you can’t save for your own retirement, either keep working or rely on your kids- don’t come crying to me. I’ll give my money away to those I care to help out, but you have no right to seize my paycheck without my consent to fund a Ponzi Scheme that is $53 trillion underwater so you can retire on my back. I owe you nothing, and I would opt out of Social Security if given the option. Universal Health Care is even worse! Besides the fact that many of those 47 million uninsured are only transiently uninsured (going without coverage for a few months between jobs) or uninsured by choice (because they qualify for existing programs but don’t sign up, because they can afford to buy their own health insurance and choose not to, or because they believe they’ll never get sick), it is not the government’s business to be providing health insurance for anyone except government employees and veterans. Worse yet, Universal Health Care only results in death from health care rationing. Instead of saving lives, it kills people.
endofesq.com
legal profession collapsing
Art,
I’m a little late jumping in, but this may help the discussion. The National Taxpayers Union posted the IRS data on their website that details the income groups and federal taxes paid for the past few years. I don’t have time to compare it to the Wikipedia data you posted, but if you are still around here, take a look. It is interesting.
WHEN I SAW MY FRIEND ATTENDING THE TEA PARTY….
I CONCLUDE THAT ANOTHER HYPOCRITE WOULD ATTEND THAT TEA PARTY.
THAT’S ALL THERE IS TO SAY.
I think this is among the most significant information for me. And ipm
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