Why I tea party like it’s 2099
“What was at first plunder assumed the softer name of revenue.”
–Thomas Paine
As you’re probably aware, Michelle’s been a huge supporter of the “tea parties,” as has been Glenn Beck, Sean Hannity, Rush and countless others. The phenomenon is spreading, and more will be held on Tax Day — April 15 (a map of all the locations is here).
In late February, I attended a tea party in Lansing, Michigan, and will be there again next Wednesday. While there, I spoke with several people, and, while everybody attended for the same “big picture” reason, many had their own reason to be there.
For some it was wildly excessive and confusing tax laws. Others were there out of concern for their children and grandchildren. Some were there because they’re maddened that the same glorious policies that have made Detroit look like Bangladesh after a garbage haulers strike are being introduced on a national level, a few were upset because the same people who created these massive problems are charged with fixing them, others don’t want their country sold out to some global entity, and one man I saw had a sign that said “‘Government job’ is a contradiction in terms.” Many were there for the reason of “all of the above.”
For me, these tea parties are about putting an end to waste. Not the waste of money (though obviously that’s a major concern), but rather the tragic waste of American ingenuity, innovation, creativity and philanthropy.
Think about the monumental efforts in both time and intellect that are wasted in order to satisfy insane government demands.
I attend the tea parties as a way of showing that it saddens me to know that people who might have otherwise cured a horrible disease, designed grand buildings, created art and music, invented a car that runs on kumquats that people actually want to buy, expanded their businesses, explored the farthest reaches of the universe or had more time to devote to charity are now spending most of their energy trying to figure out a way to write off their lawnmowers as dependents.
It’s a waste, and it’s an insult to those who helped build this great nation, and to those who have died defending it. That’s why I go to the tea parties. How about you?
See you next Wednesday.
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And you can’t pretend you have a brain, lgm.
Apparently, you haven’t been actually listening to what he says. A “nutter” he is NOT.
That is the main jist of the liberal talking points in every debate…haven’t you noticed??
Oh no, I have indeed. That’s why I say that he is. He’s the sort that makes it easy for the left to paint all conservatives as conspiracy theorists or John Birchers. I thought we’d seen the last of that lot when Buckley told them to stuff it back in the ’70s.
Well, that, and just blaming Bush for everything in general.
I am constantly amazed at the naiveté of liberals such as lgm who seem to think the whole tea party movement is simply about going from 35% to 39% tax rates …
They don’t seem to understand that the rate itself is only the tip of the proverbial iceberg …
I do not think any American objects to paying their “fair share” of taxes … it is what is being done with that money that is the primary issue at hand …
(Most will agree that the tax system is inherently “unfair” simply by its convoluted structure and ridiculous complexity through the asinine IRS tax codes …)
People realize that the spending of our tax money by Congress is out of control …
It is out of control in terms of the outrageous amounts of money being spent …
It is out of control due to the fact that the people’s money is being wasted on frivolous pet projects (pork) …
It is out of control because it is being spent on non-productive programs that lock people into the welfare mentality and lifestyle instead of giving them a helping hand so that they can lift themselves up into a more productive position in American society …
Stopping these spending atrocities are a driving force behind the “tea party” movement … not just the tax rates …
Stop all of these needless expenditures and you won’t need 39% tax rates …
right4life said (#95)
It actually is news. There were no anti Bush tea parties. Nobody said Bush was socialist. And here’s the thing: Clinton had a balanced budget. The first thing Bush did when he got in was to throw us back into debt. Conservatives cheered.
DesertLover said (#105):
Yeah yeah. If McCain had been elected and it stayed at 35% there would be no tea party movement.
And yet you couldn’t be bothered to do anything about it. I mean besides accusing Bush’s critics of derangement. Now, suddenly, government spending is worth protesting, and blaming all the world’s problems on the president is perfectly sensible and not the least bit deranged.
Please forgive the rest of America for not taking you seriously, but you give us little choice. Oh, and thank you for giving us Glenn Beck.
If Andrew Sullivan was a Democrat, no one would even have heard of him. He merely copied the Huffington model of declaring oneself to be conservative and then stabbing everyone in the back to win favor with the mother liberal ship.
There is NOTHING conservative about Sullivan. In fact, I have no problem with turning over the GOP to him and his ilk. The GOP could then redefine itself as the exclusive country club for liberal homosexuals. They would finally stand for something.
– lgm
You’re stooping to lying lgm, or did you not bother to click on the dozens of topics in which Bush was bashed for his free-spending (especially in his 2nd term) on this very site. Given your presence on almost every topic I’ve ever read here, I find it impossible to believe you missed them all.
There’s a darn good reason you’re seeing tea parties now, and not then. Obama has gone farther. His spendiness is far greater in magnitude than Bush’s was, by ANYONE’S measure. And we’re not even through the first year of Obama’s term yet.
You’re welcome to him. He is a blight on conservatism.
Thanks lgm … your response (106) to my post (105) highlighting a reference to the 35% tax rate and ignoring the rest of my post just proved my point better than anything else could have … your assistance in the validation of this matter is greatly appreciated …
Nice to see Buffalo having it’s 2nd Tea Party in 3 weeks
Yeah, those Tea Parties are really great.
Here’s the website of the guy running the one in Pensecola: http://209.85.173.132/search?q=cache:gCjHuhRVR3gJ:www.meetthetruth.com/+meetthetruth.org&cd=1&hl=en&ct=clnk
Wait ’til the media gets ahold of this. It confirms every stereotype they hold about anyone on the right. The Truthers and Flat Earthers flocking around this moron are going to be front and center in every news report on the event.
Congratulations on turning what might have been a useful political tool into a carnival freak show.
lgm, Clinton did not have a balanced budget. He had the illusion of one, in which ironically after down sizing the military in all asspect goverment spending nearly doubled. He had a “balanced” budget by raising inflation and in the short term the sell of Goverment surplus (Military, land, cold war era bases, etc) helped boost the coffers, however by his later and undeserved 2nd term the effects of his policy were shown.
The fact is this problem was brewing ever since the “American Dream”Tm* of the 1950′s, all Americans must have a house and a car port, and the newest TV or car. Consumerisim’s fatal flaw is there is but so much that can be consumed (has nothing to do with population, but rather lax management). This crash is not yet done, and Obama seems you can fix it with what made it.
The man is not that smart, a good con man, and predator yes, smart no. What goes up, must come down. People got greedy and selfish, jobs go overseas so not to pay Americans and keep more for themselves. Some Americans want change, just as long as they don’t have to do it, or that they agree with it, when the problem is not goverment, but rather its close to home and in each and every one of us.
DesertLover (#111): I was doing you a favor by giving a brief reply rather than a detailed one. Here’s more detail.
But lots of tea party participants are protesting the principle of taxation — “taxation = tyranny”. You know that if you follow MM.
Fairness and complexity are different issues that conservatives conflate. Progressive taxation — pay a higher percentage of the higher part of the income — is easy to calculate by itself. What makes taxes complicated is things like deductions, which mostly are loopholes for the rich. Do you want to get rid of the mortgage deduction? How about the distinction between income and capital gains?
Takes a moment to collect your thoughts without a teleprompter.
Pork is a small part of the budget. Large items are medicare and welfare (entitlements), military, interest on the (mostly Republican) debt, etc.
OK, a real opinion. Problem is Americans as a nation disagree. A large majority of us support welfare.
Put a Republican in the White House and the tea parties would vanish overnight regardless of spending.