Why I smile when the I see Tea Party protests.

[BlueStreak]

Really.

This may take you by surprise, but I really do.

I may see a few of them as being nothing more than bigots.
And others as misguided, many of them as being driven
by little more than fear and anger.

But,----They care. They are concerned, and they care eough to
get out and speak their minds. I have fun lampooning them, but deep down
inside, I admire them.

It reminds me of something a Navy Senior Chief (E8) told
me back in the early eighties;

"It pissed me off when I saw those damn hippies talking trash and protesting against the military. (Vietnam era)
But I would give my life to protect their right to do so."

God Bless Him.

Regards,
Dave

[BlueStreak]

I know, it's so----AK. But I am anxious to see your thoughts......so......bump.

Dave

[finnbow]

I'm definitely sympathetic to their "too much government spending on the wrong stuff" argument. The trouble is that I probably disagree with them on what constitutes the "right" stuff.

I also think that they've fallen for the cynical, manipulative message of the Right that they can have it all, but don't have to pay for it (or that a primary reason for fiscal imbalance is illegal aliens). I'd be interested in hearing a cogent and cohesive response from a Tea Party leader (oxymoron?) as to exactly how they wish to put our fiscal house in order - how big of spending cuts to which specific programs, etc.

[Fast_Eddie]

Originally Posted by finnbow

I'd be interested in hearing a cogent and cohesive response from a Tea Party leader (oxymoron?) as to exactly how they wish to put our fiscal house in order - how big of spending cuts to which specific programs, etc.

You won't ever hear it, not with any figures attached to anything anyway. You'll get all kinds of "health care for illegals" as you say, and "welfare queens" but if you take the time to dig up actual figures (don't bother, it doesn't matter to them) and point out that if you cut the program they're talking about it would save them $X (X being a small number) they'll simply say "it all adds up!" And when you point out that the overwhelming majority of their tax dollars go to a handfull of programs and cutting *everything* else dosn't make the difference they'd like but would ruin our country they change the subject. "Okay, but why should I have to pay for your kid's education?" Um, because we need an educated electorate and work force? Because we can't compete internationally if we don't provide the basic services other countries provide?

At this point something about the Bible will come up and maybe something about gays.

[finnbow]

A lot of the low tax rhetoric rings a bit hollow for me as I lived in Germany for over a decade (where taxes are significantly higher than ours). By and large, I didn't see poverty, ignorance, class division, crime and urban blight like we have here. BTW, at the same time, they were the largest exporter in the world (larger than China) until just last year.

So, taxes alone don't drive businesses out. If they get something in return (an educated, productive work force and a good quality of life for themselves and their employees), they're not going to relocate to low tax havens that have none of these advantages.

[Fast_Eddie]

Oh, oh- so we're going to kowtow to the Germans now?! We'll sieg hile komrade! You might want to be a Nazi, but I love America! When I think of the brave young men who gave their lives to defeat the Germans in W W two it makes me tear up to hear a so called American saying we should be like the Germans. Maybe you should just move to Germany and leave America to us Americans!

See how that works? I don't need any facts getting in the way of my opinions.

[finnbow]

Ach, du lieber!!! Ich bin kein Deutscher sowie kein Nazi. That said, I get a chuckle when (generally Republican) politicians say they don't want to "Europeanize" America. If I thought it were possible, there are many aspects of contemporary German society I'd adopt here in a heartbeat.

[Zeke]

Why do I smile when I see Tea Party protests?

So I can remind myself what a full set of teeth looks like.

(Yes, I can be an Elitist. Of course, with universal healthcare, these folks could get their grills fixed as opposed to buying guns, ammo and Pabst.)

[finnbow]

Maybe this will take the smile off your face when you see the Tea Partiers. A memo was picked up yesterday by a reporter for Politico wherein it shows that the "Tea Party Express" is nothing more than a fund-raising wing of a GOP PAC. Grassroots, indeed.

[finnbow]

Here's a good one. The Tea Party just released its "Contract From America:" It calls for:

"1) protect the Constitution; 2) reject cap-and-trade regulation of climate-warming gases; 3) demand a balanced budget; 4) enact fundamental tax reform; 5) restore fiscal responsibility and constitutionally limited government in Washington; 6) end runaway government spending; 7) defund, repeal and replace government-run health care; 8) pass an “all-of-the-above” energy policy (referring, in part, to the exploration of domestic energy reserves); 9) stop the pork; and 10) stop the tax hikes. "

Enough platitudes for ya?