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Post by Jodie on Aug 17, 2011 1:58:03 GMT -5
The one difference is that the original Tea Party was actually facing real, legitimate concerns (press ganging, destructive free trade policies and inefficient colonialism) while the present lot do not have legitimate concerns. There is a liberal, non-white, Muslim in the President's chair - who is bent on destroying America by allowing women and gays rights over their own bodies!!! HOW IS THAT NOT A LEGITIMATE CONCERN?!?!?!!!1!! [/teabagger]
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Post by Amaranth on Aug 17, 2011 7:33:01 GMT -5
So, what about comparisons to the original Tea Party? The comparison is appropriate, but for one element. Both the current and the original tea parties were ill-disciplined mobs of criminals willing to employ violence to intimidate (or just force) fellow Americans into agreeing with them. Both were manipulated by powerful oligarchies for largely personal reasons. And both were unreasonable, disproportionate and disingenuous in their proclaimed objectives, really seeking a different, unstated, conclusion. The one difference is that the original Tea Party was actually facing real, legitimate concerns (press ganging, destructive free trade policies and inefficient colonialism) while the present lot do not have legitimate concerns. Liberal propaganda. Secret Muslim foreigner Manchurian Candidates taxing America to death are real threats!
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Post by HarleyThomas1002 on Aug 17, 2011 7:47:06 GMT -5
Well, the problem here is that this "grassroots" movement "of the people" is founded on a lie. This means that the "movement" can never be really truthful about anything from its origins to its agenda. That level of dis-ingenuity will rot it from the inside. Maybe I'm just cynical, but I don't think that the truth has much to do with politics. It's the perception of the truth that matters. If Dick Armey's army of dicks are seen to be a grassroots movement, then they will continue to exist as one. Yes, you could argue that eventually people will realize that the Tea Party was founded on a lie, but remember that Reagan is widely remembered as a patriotic, fiscally responsible hero, despite his being responsible for massive deficits and providing aid to the enemies of the United States during the Iran-Contra Affair (note that the Constitutional definition of treason is providing aid or comfort to the enemies of the United States). Sometimes reality doesn't matter. But Raegan's Conservative Jesus, so it's okay.
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Post by Vene on Aug 17, 2011 9:45:19 GMT -5
Maybe I'm just cynical, but I don't think that the truth has much to do with politics. It's the perception of the truth that matters. If Dick Armey's army of dicks are seen to be a grassroots movement, then they will continue to exist as one. Yes, you could argue that eventually people will realize that the Tea Party was founded on a lie, but remember that Reagan is widely remembered as a patriotic, fiscally responsible hero, despite his being responsible for massive deficits and providing aid to the enemies of the United States during the Iran-Contra Affair (note that the Constitutional definition of treason is providing aid or comfort to the enemies of the United States). Sometimes reality doesn't matter. But Raegan's Conservative Jesus, so it's okay. Conservative Jesus was in favor of gun control (for totally racist reasons). Which I find hilarious.
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Post by gyeonghwa on Aug 17, 2011 12:14:02 GMT -5
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Post by Amaranth on Aug 17, 2011 12:26:01 GMT -5
Polls have indicated it in the past, too. Doesn't matter too much if they're out of touch as long as they have impact. Thankfully, that seems to be lessening.
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Post by Vene on Aug 17, 2011 12:35:36 GMT -5
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Post by Amaranth on Aug 17, 2011 12:42:06 GMT -5
But they didn't get a thing they asked for!!!
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Post by booley on Aug 17, 2011 13:42:11 GMT -5
A minority (by which I mean a small number of people) have often had effects far beyond their numbers. OR as someone else once said "Never underestimate the power of stupid people in groups"
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Post by Vypernight on Aug 17, 2011 13:58:56 GMT -5
I used to like what (I thought) the Tea Party originally stood for; improving the enconomy, and Fairtax (I know that I'm pretty much the only one here who likes Fairtax but that's another topic). I am Not for the pro-religion, anti-gay/lesbian, etc. B.S. I just think Fairtax is a good idea.
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Post by the sandman on Aug 17, 2011 15:50:01 GMT -5
The danger with that is when it goes too far you get violence and death in the streets. I do solemnly swear to uphold the Constitution and defend the People from all enemies, both foriegn and domestic. Let them come. Ranger Joe, when the shit hits the fan, you are my first recruit for Sandman's Army of the Potomac. I only own one firearm, but it's a Mossberg 935 Magnum pistol grip turkey model I keep locked up in the basement, and I deeply suspect that qualifies me as being "significantly armed."
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Post by the sandman on Aug 17, 2011 15:52:09 GMT -5
Sounds more fitting for a blog, which I would read. YES. I'd read that bastard daily. So why don't ya read my novel? 90% of that is online...
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Post by Damen on Aug 26, 2011 9:01:24 GMT -5
....at least not in its current incarnation. -snip- Reason 3: It is a political movement based on anger.You can get a lot of stuff done in politics when you get people pissed off at something. What you can't do is maintain that long term. Political motivation by anger is a lot like shock comedy, you have to keep topping yourself in order to keep the momentum going. What all shock comedians eventually discover, and what the Tea Party will eventually discover, is that you can't keep escalating things forever. Eventually you will get to the point where you simply can't go any further without appearing genuinely insane even to the most hardened of your followers, and the momentum falls apart. In order to keep the anger-momentum going, the Tea Party has been reduced to incitement, exaggeration, and bald-faced lies to keep people pissed. Everything from "death-panels" to Obama "not being born in the USA" to Obama is a "socialist" to the blatant lie that Americans are being taxed to death. None of it is true, but that doesn't matter. The Tea Party "leaders" don't even care if these things are true, that's not the point. The point is that these lies can be used to keep the rank-and-file Tea Party member frothing at the mouth with righteous fury. The Tea Party is based on anger, and while this is effective in the short-term, is impossible to maintain in the long run. It looks like Sandman may have just nailed it.
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