I've seen this in a few threads. The statements refer to "idiots" who support the Tea Party. I want to know why they are idiots.
I don't really follow US politics that much, but I find too many people accept this small "l" liberal myth that if you vote fiscally right of center, you are small minded and ignorant.
All I know about the Tea Party is that they favour fiscal restraint by not spending money that you don't have. That isn't a bad premise - it's a good one.
I suppose it's Palin's personality who is driving a lot of people to dislike the Tea Party. That I could reconcile.
So what gives? What else is out there on the Tea Party?
Do they favour brining religion back into politics? Are they against free trade? Do they have socially right fiscal policies?
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I personally don't hate them - or anyone for that matter, but I do have issues regarding their politics and their very socially conservative viewpoint on a number of issues, such as stem cell research, medical care and gun control. They also from an outsiders perspective seem to be those who are continually going on about how Obama is from Kenya and compare him to a communist, nazi, peace loving hippy.
As I said, I don't hate them but I sure do disagree with their politics.
It is a near-militant, extremist version of conservatism. It's non-violent (credit where it's due), but it's generally extremist nonetheless. The things I find most upsetting:
1. They deal in "Facts of Convenience" more often than "Facts of Accuracy". We all know that Obama isn't a Muslim from Kenya, but the average tea partier insists otherwise. The "False Facts" get hammered home so much (via Fox News-esque outlets) that they become "Real Facts".
2. There is no compromise. None. Nada. Never. They tend to be the least cooperative political force in America, which is really saying something.
3. Religion plays a VERY significant role in the shaping of policy. That's fine if you live in a theocratic state, but abortion (for example) should be allowed/abolished on the merits of the argument, not on the sermon you heard last Sunday.
4. They tend to take rhetoric and false sincerity to new heights. This is the group that seems (more than any other) to tap into a quasi-dimension and learn EXACTLY what the "Founding Fathers" thought about every single issue. The answer (of course) is always self-serving, rarely of any value, and usually involves religion.
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That's on the absolute extreme wing of the party, but still sums it up nicely. Only the Tea Party would make a monkey joke about the President of the country they apparently love so much.
Last edited by WilsonFourTwo; 04-07-2011 at 08:04 AM.
Reason: Spelling
All you need to know is their leader is Michelle Bachman, the craziest and stupidest woman in politics. I don't say this lightly either, there are lots of good candidates but she is a runaway winner.
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Yup...that gal (Bachman) is batcrap nutso. Always an interesting interview because you never know what earth-shattering nonsense will come out of her mouth next.
The basis of the tea party is actually not a bad one in principle (Taxed Enough Already) but the extremists that have taken the horns and ran with it, have made any good ideas they have.....insignificant.
Their social policy decisions are heavily tied to their conservative Christian beliefs. All political parties twist the facts when making claims, but the Tea Baggers genuinely believe God is on their side, and therefore there is no need to compromise. Aborton is wrong, homosexuality is wrong, and social programs should be managed by the church.
Unfortunately, Obama and the Democratic Party don't seem to understand that, and continue to give ground in an attempt for bipartisanship. In the end he'll just wind up looking weak, and even the moderate elements of the Republican party will be pushed aside.
Personally I don't want to live in a theocracy, so I'm very opposed to their positions. I see most of them as the 20% of Americans who thought things were just great at the end of Bush's term.
Most of the Tea Party strength probably comes from the level of discontent with the economy. High unemployment usually leads to radicalization, so if the economic situation improves, I tend to think you'll see the more moderate voices return.
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Bachman is nuts but Pelosi gets a pass? Bachman is looney but Maddow is okay?
The hypocrisy in the American political theater is massive, it's only okay for one side to do things.
I don't consider my self a Republican anymore; I'm not a Tea party member either. I believe in Fiscal responsibilities but I do have some social liberal ideals too such as medical care.
Most tea party members are the socialists from the Bolshevik Revolution that named themselves "communists" to separate themselves from other moderate socialists and Mensheviks. They are the Republicans from the Bush ERA. These people are just trying to separate from the others to save face.
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Bachman is nuts but Pelosi gets a pass? Bachman is looney but Maddow is okay?
Yes, sorry but Bachman is on her own special level of crazy. Just being liberal doesn't make you crazy, nor does being a conservative. The words coming out of these people mouths is what I care about, and yes Bachman is one step out of a mental hospital.
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The hypocrisy in the American political theater is massive, it's only okay for one side to do things.
Both parties are a joke, and sorry but I think hypocrisy is not the biggest issue, its the partisanship. People are routinely lied to, media outlets skew stories with their own partisan viewpoint and ultimately the average voter either stops caring or is fed nothing but BS.
The fact the Bush era wealthy tax cuts were brought back and signed by Obama was the final nail in the coffin if anyone had any doubts the rich are getting everything they want at the expense of the middle class and poor.
The Republicans want to cut programs to save money, what do they target, NPR, planned parenthood, heating oil for the poor, scholarships for poor students, lunch programs, etc..
Nobody is jumping at cutting spending on the massive military complex, lets hurt the middle class and poor even more at the benefit of the wealthy.
Both parties are a joke, and sorry but I think hypocrisy is not the biggest issue, its the partisanship. People are routinely lied to, media outlets skew stories with their own partisan viewpoint and ultimately the average voter either stops caring or is fed nothing but BS.
The fact the Bush era wealthy tax cuts were brought back and signed by Obama was the final nail in the coffin if anyone had any doubts the rich are getting everything they want at the expense of the middle class and poor.
The Republicans want to cut programs to save money, what do they target, NPR, planned parenthood, heating oil for the poor, scholarships for poor students, lunch programs, etc..
Nobody is jumping at cutting spending on the massive military complex, lets hurt the middle class and poor even more at the benefit of the wealthy.
The US is more than ever now a plutocracy.
What do you expect when Obama spends something like 3/4 of a billion on his campaign and McCain spends something in the area of 5 or 6 hundred million. The biggest leg and the biggest path to power in American Politics is money.
Who do you think the biggest influences are on American politics?
Greed for lack of a better word ladies and gentlemen is good.
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I dislike them because it seems to me (as an admitted outsider) that there is a tremendous amount of hypocrisy in their platform. They'll claim that individual rights over government meddling is a priority when it suits them (typical right-wing concerns like gun control), but then maintain that the government has a duty to involve itself when it's about the government involving themselves in typically liberal interests (homosexual rights, abortion).
I'd have no problem with a political movement that made an honest attempt at fiscal conservatism and small government by equally and evenly evaluating all issues. After the enormous spending and government bloat of the Bush era (which I believe Obama has done little or nothing to curtail) such a movement could actually be very positive and probably get traction from both sides of the aisle. But it's clear that the tea party is not that movement.
What do you expect when Obama spends something like 3/4 of a billion on his campaign and McCain spends something in the area of 5 or 6 hundred million. The biggest leg and the biggest path to power in American Politics is money.
Who do you think the biggest influences are on American politics?
Greed for lack of a better word ladies and gentlemen is good.
Oh I've never doubted that, just saddened that it seems to be something we'll never see change until the people revolt.
I was listening to an expose about them a few weeks back. The story surrounded just a small town in Michigan where a tea party hard sprung up. When you see them on that level they aren't bad at all, in fact I found myself agreeing with them on a lot of issues. Principals before party is their founding platform and I can agree with that.
It also documented how as momentum picked up and realistic shots at power were starting to corp up, things became convoluted. I certainly don't think they are as bad as most would make them out to be.
Thomas Jefferson Johnson: Terry, tell me something. With all this money coming in from both sides, how does anything ever get done? Terry Corrigan: It doesn't. That's the genius of the system.
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Look on my Works, ye Mighty, and despair!
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My biggest problem with the Tea Party is that they are the entitled now trying to end entitlements for others.
My read on it is this, by-in-large tea parties are baby boomers who have grown up benefiting from modern social welfare state of the 60-70-80s. When they weren't the ones footing all the bill life was great. Now that they're earning the high incomes and having to pay taxes to support it do they start complaining that the social welfare state is too expensive and those benefits that they enjoyed should now be reduced for others.
I see tea partiers not as a broad social movement but another veiled attempt of identity politics in this case for older, richer, whiter people. Keep more for us in the way of low taxes and give less to others in the way of income support, medicare, education, job training, etc.
why the hate for the US Tea Party?
