Tea Party Members, Are You Serious? If So Sign The Pledge!
I do solemnly swear to uphold the principles of a socialism-free society and heretofore pledge my word that I shall strictly adhere to the following:
I will complain about the destruction of 1st Amendment Rights in this country, while I am duly being allowed to exercise my 1st Amendment Rights
I will complain about the destruction of my 2nd Amendment Rights in this country, while I am duly being allowed to exercise my 2nd Amendment rights by legally but brazenly brandishing unconcealed firearms in public.
I will foreswear the time-honored principles of fairness, decency, and respect by screaming unintelligible platitudes regarding tyranny, Nazi-ism, and socialism at public town halls. Also, I pledge to eliminate all government intervention in my life.
I will abstain from the use of and participation in any socialist goods and services including but not limited to the following:
- Social Security
- Medicare/Medicaid
- State Children’s Health Insurance Programs (SCHIP)
- Police, Fire, and Emergency Services
- US Postal Service
- Roads and Highways
- Air Travel (regulated by the socialist FAA)
- The US Railway System
- Public Subways and Metro Systems
- Public Bus and Lightrail Systems
- Rest Areas on Highways
- Sidewalks
- All Government-Funded Local/State Projects
- Public Water and Sewer Services (goodbye socialist toilet, shower, dishwasher, kitchen sink, outdoor hose!)
- Public and State Universities and Colleges
- Public Primary and Secondary Schools
- Sesame Street
- Publicly Funded Anti-Drug Use Education for Children
- Public Museums
- Libraries
- Public Parks and Beaches
- State and National Parks
- Public Zoos
- Unemployment Insurance
- Municipal Garbage and Recycling Services
- Treatment at Any Hospital or Clinic That Ever Received Funding From Local, State or Federal Government (pretty much all of them)
- Medical Services and Medications That Were Created or Derived From Any Government Grant or Research Funding (again, pretty much all of them)
- Socialist Byproducts of Government Investment Such as Duct Tape and Velcro (Nazi-NASA Inventions)
- Use of the Internets, email, and networked computers, as the DoD’s ARPANET was the basis for subsequent computer networking
- Foodstuffs, Meats, Produce and Crops That Were Grown With, Fed With, Raised With or That Contain Inputs From Crops Grown With Government Subsidies
- Clothing Made from Crops (e.g. cotton) That Were Grown With or That Contain Inputs From Government Subsidies
If a veteran of the government-run socialist US military, I will forego my VA benefits and insist on paying for my own medical care
I will not tour socialist government buildings like the Capitol in Washington, D.C.
I pledge to never take myself, my family, or my children on a tour of the following types of socialist locations, including but not limited to:
- Smithsonian Museums such as the Air and Space Museum or Museum of American History
- The socialist Washington, Lincoln, and Jefferson Monuments
- The government-operated Statue of Liberty
- The Grand Canyon
- The socialist World War II and Vietnam Veterans Memorials
- The government-run socialist-propaganda location known as Arlington National Cemetery
- All other public-funded socialist sites, whether it be in my state or in Washington, DC
I will urge my Member of Congress and Senators to forego their government salary and government-provided healthcare.
I will oppose and condemn the government-funded and therefore socialist military of the United States of America.
I will boycott the products of socialist defense contractors such as GE, Lockheed-Martin, Boeing, Northrop Grumman, General Dynamics, Raytheon, Humana, FedEx, General Motors, Honeywell, and hundreds of others that are paid by our socialist government to produce goods for our socialist army.
I will protest socialist security departments such as the Pentagon, FBI, CIA, Department of Homeland Security, TSA, Department of Justice and their socialist employees.
Upon reaching eligible retirement age, I will tear up my socialist Social Security checks.
Upon reaching age 65, I will forego Medicare and pay for my own private health insurance until I die.
SWORN ON A BIBLE AND SIGNED THIS DAY OF __________ IN THE YEAR ___.
_____________ _________________________
Signed Printed Name/Town and State
(Received in an email fwd, Xposted on HumidCity)
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I challenge you on that assumption you have that no one on “the left has been hateful or racist”.
Give me proof in recent history. Not the Civil Rights movements b/c of the Dixiecrats, but something modern. Then demonstrate that the Dems didn’t denounce it.
You claim is an assumption that you need support for.
@TheCreativeRoy Thank you for joining the conversation! I’m really loving your contributions so far.
Roy, I wasn’t commenting on those activities in any way shape or form, you are absolutely right that they are reprehensible. As to whether they’re exclusive to the right please consider this report:http://www.freedomworks.org/press-releases/freedomworks-issues-abject-apology-to-left. It’s not as bad as throwing bricks, but it doesn’t seem to be very far behind.
In any case, Carol’s specific reference was ”all politicians are bad, I’m sick of the partisanship, kick ‘em all out.” That is the thing I was saying then and now. Please don’t try to drag in irrelevancies in order to negate my point.
Roy, you’ve misunderstood me, I was referring specifically to Loki’s response to Matthew’s post.
My ideology is irrelevant. My disgust is with the incivility and lack of respect that both sides are showing each other. That, in fact, is escalating (as you pointed out earlier) into actual violence. You are making a lot of assumptions that are unwarranted.
Roy,
I have no idea what you’re talking about here. Where did I claim “Dems did it too” in the above post? What does my desire to decide for myself where my money goes have to do with the Tea Party, Republicans or Conservatives?
I mention that both groups are hateful, and I have to say that I think your post and Carol’s highlight what I’m talking about quite clearly. That you personally haven’t escalated to the level of invective or violence doesn’t mean that your tone and attitude aren’t the same.
You said:
“…that is a great example of how the left is just as hateful as the right.”
Now, perhaps due to lack of punctuation, sentence structure issues, or whatnot, you may have meant that the “common misconception” is that the “left is just as hateful” but it could’ve also been targetting when you said “I am not selfish” & such an assumption is how the “left is just as hateful”.
Possible convolusion?
I didn’t suggest you condoned those actions in any way shape or form.
The URL you showed me was a sarcastic, patronizing, apology. The org that article is on is a Conservative Small-Govnt entity (still “Right”). Did you mean to post that as a counter-argument to demonstrate how the Left was just as bad?
It’s not brick throwing, bullet shooting, or racist-name calling. That IS the point. They are not equivalent.
Further, those calls could’ve been from someone on the Conservative Right extreme. They provided no context for their political beliefs other than they’re different than that org.
Lastly,
In no way did they identify themselves as part of a an organization nor were they endorsed directly or indirectly by Democrats. From Birthers to IRS building attacks, the Repubs have openly & indirectly endorsed their actions.
There is no equivalence between Dem protests in the past & this Conservative activity. It’s like saying namecalling is equal to a gunshot.
The terminology is important:
Left > Liberal > Democrat
Right > Conservative > Republican
Someone who is on the Left isn’t necessarily a Democrat & someone who’s a Conservative isn’t necessarily a Republican.
@Brendan
I don’t see where Loki did as you claimed when you said: “discount everyone on the right simply because some of them are racist.” Perhaps I missed it somewhere in responses.
In the article? He’s talking about the Tea Party members being racist. Unless I missed something there too.
The uncivility that is escalating into violence is literally ONLY coming from one side of the disagreement. The Conservative Media wants everyone to believe the Dems are doing it too OR they did it before but there’s no support to it.
It’s kinda like that woman that cheats on her husband & when she’s busted she tells her friends “He did it too.” without any support or evidence.
LOVE THIS. LOVE THIS.
I’ve seen posts similar to this, but nothing has ever spelled it all out so well before.
LOVE IT.
Couple of recent examples… Keith Olbermann and Harry Reid. Neither are dixiecrats. Olbermann’s not a politician, but I think it’s fair to say he speaks for the left as much as Rush or Hannity speak for the right.
Hateful:
http://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2010/01/21/jon_stewart_mocks_keith_olbermann_over_scott_brown_attacks.html
Racist:
http://www.colbertnation.com/the-colbert-report-videos/261283/january-11-2010/harry-reid-s-racist-comment
Couple more…
Sotomayer:
“I would hope that a wise Latina woman with the richness of her experiences would more often than not reach a better conclusion than a white male who hasn’t lived that life.”
Flip “latina woman” and “white male” in that sentence and let it be said by , and you’ve got a firestorm. It’s racism either way.
Biden:
http://www.cnn.com/2007/POLITICS/01/31/biden.obama/
“I mean, you got the first mainstream African-American who is articulate and bright and clean and a nice-looking guy,” Biden said. “I mean, that’s a storybook, man.”
Carol originally implied that ONLY the right have said hateful/racist things. “It’s one side of the aisle that’s had hateful, racist rhetoric.”
Why didn’t you ask HER to justify her assumptions? This is my biggest issue with political discourse today. Must we see the other side as totally evil? I’m not republican or democrat, but I don’t agree with a lot of Obama’s policies either. But I don’t think he sits in the white house at night, twisting his mustache, and plotting a course to communism. Can’t we disagree without the drama? Yes, some nut jobs holding a sign at a tea party event said some hateful things. It doesn’t mean everyone on the right are KKK members, nor does it mean that the right holds exclusive claim to all things hateful or racist.
“Yet it’s this bill that inspired G.O.P. congressmen on the House floor to egg on disruptive protesters even as they were being evicted from the gallery by the Capitol Police last Sunday. It’s this bill that prompted a congressman to shout “baby killer” at Bart Stupak, a staunch anti-abortion Democrat. It’s this bill that drove a demonstrator to spit on Emanuel Cleaver, a black representative from Missouri. And it’s this “middle-of-the-road” bill, as Obama accurately calls it, that has incited an unglued firestorm of homicidal rhetoric, from “Kill the bill!” to Sarah Palin’s cry for her followers to “reload.” At least four of the House members hit with death threats or vandalism are among the 20 political targets Palin marks with rifle crosshairs on a map on her Facebook page.”
Via New York Times: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/28/opinion/28rich.html
1st – Olbermann
“Olbermann’s not a politician, but I think it’s fair to say he speaks for the left as much as Rush or Hannity speak for the right.” and that is actually an incorrect assumption & where your evidence in this case faulters.
The Democrats didn’t egg him on. The Democrats didn’t quote hime. The Democrats didn’t use his statements as rhetoric to rally their base. Olbermann is an outsider & speaks only for himself or MSNBC. The parallel ends there.
2nd – Reid’s Statement in his Book
Harry Reid’s statement that he believed the US could “elect a light-skinned African American with no negro dialect” is not a racist statement. The word “negro” is archiac & sensitive but it is still a very a common term today. If you think he’s racist for having the belief the US would otherwise be uncomfortable with that, we kinda have proof. From Al Sharpton to Jesse Jackson, Collin Powell (a light-skinned African American without a negro dialect) as another comparitive point.
3rd – Sotomayor
You said:
“Flip “latina woman” and “white male” in that sentence and let it be said by , and you’ve got a firestorm.” Uhm, there WAS a firestorm for what she said. Furthermore, the Dems didn’t take her stance & make it a national rallying cry. Further, they did apply distance to it.
That is my point. The equivalence you’re trying to draw is lost because things said & done that are inappropriate, out-of-context, hateful, or downright vicious, DO NOT become the Democrats’ rhetoric & are not supported by the party & were not WHILE W. WAS IN POWER either.
4th – Biden
He simply said what was true. Again, compare the grouping of Powell, Steele, & Obama to Sharpton, Jackson, & Brown, & you can see which ones are more “friendly” than others to the general US population. But even beyond that you have not given me anything that became a rallying cry nor something that incited violence against GOP members.
Re: Carol
Her statements about the Tea Party’s racist statements, violence, & such, were just reported in many sources. I’ve read their information & seen the organizations that started them up. Furthermore, I’ve heard statements elected Republican officials have made that permit them, encourage them, & attempt to make them a rallying cry.
You’ve seen them too. Why would you want to see them again? In fact, we’re talking about them already.
Your final point is actually the main focus of why I challenged you to “prove it”. As part of their tactic, the GOP publicity network have done everything with the trailing suggestion they’re just doing what the Dems did while THEY were out of power. Somehow this message is getting out into the world without proper rebuttal. The Dems never encouraged, remained silent, nor excused violence or threats of violence against the Repubs. Any slanderous statements of racist or sexist kind were NEVER made to be part of their rallying cry.
There is no equivalency.
& where is this Democratic “equivalent” that so many Conservatives claim?
Shouting, holding signs, & being angry is not the same as throwing bricks, shooting bullets through windows, or using violence-encouraging words.
Will it take someone to be assassinated before you (those apologizers) think it’s politics as UN-usual this time?
Yep, You’re right creative Roy. I give up. All on the right are racist-anarchists, and all on the left are perfect. Congratulations on picking the correct team.
You know, Brenda, I agree. I didn’t want my money to be taken from me by force and used to fund a war that had nothing to do with the terrorist attacks on 9/11. A war that has refused to end. A war that has done nothing but destabilize world politics. A war that has made the world a much more dangerous place. A war that has turned my husband into a disabled veteran. A war that has created widows, widowers, orphans, and emotionally and physically disabled people in more countries than just the U.S.A. But, I wasn’t given a choice in the matter.
I also didn’t want my money taken from me and given to Blackwater; an organization that is essentially accountable to no one. An organization that has abused their power, committed war crimes, sanctioned and/or arranged the rape and detention of its own employees, and committed fraud with government funds. Essentially, we paid to have a company commit crimes against humanity on behalf of the U.S.A., and undermine our credibility in the world community.
I didn’t want my money taken from me by force and given to Halliburton for a myriad of reasons. Some of these reasons have already been mentioned by Loki, and others I just don’t have the heart to mention right now.
Quite frankly, Brenda, I don’t think that calling someone on their bad behavior constitutes incivility. I don’t think that pointing out fallacies in an argument constitutes bad manners. I don’t think that letting someone know the ways in which their argument is illogical does anything but forward the debate – as long as both parties are willing to reflect upon their words and their thinking instead of crying “foul.” I also don’t think that asking someone, or a group of people, to back up their rhetoric with peaceful action is disrespectful, hateful, or divisive. I’ve also gotten weary of hearing anyone cry “hate speech” or “lies” to distract from the facts at hand and the issues being debated.
Do you want to see hateful? This is hateful: http://www.jacksonsun.com/article/20100329/NEWS01/3290303/Man-rams-car-over-bumper-sticker
as is this:
http://www.necn.com/03/27/10/Palin-to-Obama-Pelosi-Reid-Spending-spre/landing.html?blockID=205492&feedID=4215
and this:
http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/03/feds_release_details_in_hutaree_arrests.php
and this:
http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/03/feds_release_details_in_hutaree_arrests.php
and this:
http://washingtonindependent.com/80477/break-their-windows-break-them-now
and this:
http://community.livejournal.com/ohnotheydidnt/45407339.html
There’s a huge difference between disagreeing with someone, and acting out with violence or calling on others to act out with violence. The post above points out the inconsistencies in logic, as well as between rhetoric and action, in the Tea Bag movement. The links I provided show ways in which people who are filled with hate and incapable of rational debate have chosen to act. The biggest difference between the two is that one is peaceful in nature and reasonable, where the other is violent and irrational.
Thanks for this post, Loki. You have said exactly whatI’ve been thinking for some time. The TEA Party folks don’t seem to have a clue about whichich side of the bread is buttered, or who is supplying the bread and butter. The pledge might also mention that all those benefits that their parents are dependent on the government for would be forfeit as well.
Yawn. Why is it the progressive über-liberals cannot fashion a rational argument? Do you really just misunderstand what the idea of the “Tea Party” movement is, or are you being deliberately obtuse? Do you really mean to suggest that Conservatives believe all government is “socialist” – i.e., the post office, FAA and the DOD and even the Grand Canyon. (The logic of any of that completely escapes me, but then again, the entire post is illogical anyhow).
This post barely deserves serious consideration; but, since it appears to be misleading to many, one might read the line by line dismantling of this argument here:
http://www.facebook.com/notes/darrin-moore/take-the-pledge-tea-partiers-shredding-socialism-line-by-line/407480465427
Simply put, conservatives (yes, even Tea Party members) believe in limited government – not no government. No government is – by definition – anarchy.
As for violent attacks – far be it from me to suggest that leftist members are either exaggerating or even planting some of the claimed violence. Gee, that would never happen in this day and age would it? And, while 99.99% of conservatives condemn violence – the left tries to subvert and marginalize Tea Partiers by painting them as extremists.
This argument begins with a false premise – that Tea Partiers want “Government out of their life.” The Tea Party movement is not advocating anarchy, but rather limited federal Government. The Commerce Clause and the Spending Clause have been twisted to give the federal government almost unlimited power, while the Tenth Amendment has been shunted aside as irrelevant. Justice Story’s analysis of the Spending Clause may make some good (remedial) reading for you.
Is a limited federal government a radical idea? Only because you seem to believe that “If we think it’s a good idea, we can impose our will upon the populace.” We want Universal Health Care – and with a wave of the magical wand, the Congressional Legislation is passed and signed.
Let’s consider Medicare/Medicaid and Social Security for a moment, shall we? Yes, they are social programs which redistribute wealth through taxation. Let’s leave aside grandma for a moment, and ask 1) Did medicare lower costs as was promised? (Ans. No); 2) Is medicaid bankrupting the States? (Ans. Yes). 3) Is Social Security solvent, or will it be in the next several years? (Ans: likely not) So, government run programs depending on public largesse are failing, eh? So, we enact another one? Another tax structure?
One question for all the Tea Party supporters commenting here: How many non-white members does your “party” have? save the rhetoric and assertions that we “don’t understand,” and just answer the qeustion.
Anything so racially monochromatic is deserving of suspicion and not support. There are lots of cries saying that “the Left does it as well.” I have to cry BS on that. Especially when those making the assertion cannot seem to ever document it. You’ll notice that “Concerned Citizen” suddenly disappeared when I demanded he document his rantings.
So, again, why is it that the Tea Party is as monochromatic as the Klan in a nation where white births will be in the minority within the next year? How is that representative o our nation and it’s demographics?
Ah, here are the answers, fresh from Digital Journal and with results that are agreed on by both the left a the right (documentation in the article):
“”Tea Party supporters are likely to be older, white and male. Forty percent are age 55 and over, compared with 32 percent of all poll respondents; just 22 percent are under the age of 35, 79 percent are white, and 61 percent are men. Many are also Christian fundamentalists, with 44 percent identifying themselves as “born-again,” compared with 33 percent of all respondents.”
So if you’re not an older, white male, Republican, with money and voted for Obama, you’re likely not helping bag the tea or preparing to cast it overboard.”
Full article here:
Tea Party Demographics: White, Republican, Older Male with Money http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/289821
I consider myself a tea party person and I live on SS/disability while back in school. I paid into the fund, tho congress wasted the money a long time ago, and will use it to get back on my feet. My spine collapsed at C6,7 3 1/2 yrs ago and I am learning a new trade because I can no longer do physical labor. It’s not welfare if you paid for it.
I photographed the 3/20/10 DC Tea Party as a freelance photographer and can say that racism did NOT characterize that rally, the people, or the day’s entire events — and certainly does not characterize the movement. Any such incidents that may occur at the Tea Parties are isolated, although you wouldn’t know that if you weren’t there or had to rely on the mainstream media to report accurately about the Tea Parties.
I posted three blog posts, including photos and an audio slideshow, regarding the 3/20/10 DC Tea Party addressing the Tea Party people, the health-care reform bill and the charges of racism. My latest blog post is titled: “Are Tea Party Conservatives Racists?” and can be found at:
http://912photos.com/are-tea-party-conservatives-racists.html
A full photo gallery of the 3/20/10 DC Tea Party is coming up in the next post. The photos reveal spirited citizen dissent — not racism or bigotry.
Deb Phillips
Documenting America’s 9|12 Spirit
http://912Photos.com
OBAMA SUPPORTERS SIGN THIS PLEDGE
SOCIALIST PLEDGE
I do solemnly swear to uphold the principles of a socialist society and heretofore pledge my word that I shall strictly adhere to the following:
I shall complain about the 1st Amendment Rights of anyone who disagrees with my opinion in this country while I am duly being allowed to exercise my 1st Amendment Rights.
I shall complain about 2nd Amendment Rights in this country while I am duly being raped and pillaged by thugs who shall kill my family and steal my possessions. I shall only rely upon dialing 911 when faced with Armed men or women during a Car-jacking, when they are raping my wife or girlfriend in front of me, or breaking into my home. I shall not complain when the Peace Officers draw white lines around me and my families dead bodies and those of the criminals who killed us, who were shot down by my neighbor exercising his 2nd Amendment Right.
I shall foreswear the time-honored principles of fairness, decency, and respect by screaming unintelligible platitudes regarding racism and hatred at all elderly white people. Also, I pledge to increase all government intervention in my life.
I shall abstain from any form of capitalism, or earning my own way, and solely rely on the use of and participation in any socialist goods and services including but not limited to the following:
Welfare
Food Stamps
Social Security
Medicare/Medicaid
I shall only rely on State Children’s Health Insurance Programs (SCHIP) and never buy Health insurance for myself or my children from a Non-Government entity.
I shall only rely on the US Postal Service and NEVER use UPS or Fed Ex or any other Non-government form of shipping.
When using the The US Railway System, I shall only use Amtrak
Public Subways and Metro Systems
Public Bus and Lightrail Systems
All Government-Funded Local/State Projects
I shall only rely on Public Water and Sewer Services and never drill a well for water or a Dry well for sewage for my own selfish purposes on any property owned by me.
I shall only attend Public and State Universities and Colleges
I shall only attend Public Primary and Secondary Schools
My children shall only watch Seame Street
I shall personally support Publicly Funded Anti-Drug Use Education for Children
I shall NEVER use the Internet again but instead rely upon the vastly superior method of Information gathering by only visiting:
Public Museums
Public Libraries
I shall only visit Public Parks and Beaches
I shall only visit State and National Publicly funded Parks
I shall only visit Public Zoos
Since I do not believe in working for myself because that’s just greedy, I shall apply for and expect to receive Unemployment Insurance
I shall only use Municipal Garbage and Recycling Services and never use a third Party for Trash pick-up or Recycling.
I shall only seek out treatment from County Hospitals or other Public Clinic and NEVER go to a greedy private hospital or Medical Center or Private Clinic or Laboratory.
I shall ONLY rely on Medical Services and Medications That Were Created or Derived From Any Government Grant or Research Funding (Goodbye Viagra!)
I shall not drive any Automobile since they were invented by Evil Capitalists or use any other form of transportation invented by Non-government entities. (pretty much all of them)
I shall only consume Foodstuffs, Meats, Produce and Crops That Were Grown With Government Subsidies
I shall only wear Clothing Made from Government clothing stores. (I hope you like Cammos)
I pledge to never take myself, my family, or my children on a tour of the following types of anti-socialist, Capitalist locations, including but not limited to:
Disneyland or Disney World
Universal Studios
Knotts Berry farm
Six Flags Amusement Parks
Any and all non-government Movie Theatres
Any and all non-government Charter Fishing services
Any and all non-government Restaurants
I shall urge my Member of Congress and Senators to increase their government salary and government-provided healthcare and implore him or her to forbid the public from joining their far inferior Health care Plan which is available only to them, their staff and their families.
I shall oppose and condemn military of the United States of America for dripping water on those poor terrorists heads and making them believe they were going to drown. (Damn Militants!)
I shall boycott the products of Capitalist defense contractors such as GE, Lockheed-Martin, Boeing, Northrop Grumman, General Dynamics, Raytheon, Humana, FedEx, General Motors, Honeywell, and hundreds of others that are paid by our socialist government to produce goods for our socialist army.
Before reaching eligible retirement age, I shall, fake becoming disabled and apply for welfare and Social Security early so I might actually be able to get some type of Social Security benefit before I die.
Upon conception (when the sperm meets the egg), I shall insist that Medicare pay for my health insurance until I die.
SWORN ON A STACK OF PRESIDENTIAL EXECUTIVE ORDERS AND SIGNED THIS DAY OF __________ IN THE YEAR ___.
_____________ _________________________
Signed Printed Name/Town and State
@Scott
“Yep, You’re right creative Roy. I give up. All on the right are racist-anarchists, and all on the left are perfect. Congratulations on picking the correct team.”
Why must it be so absolute/polarizing with you? I pointed out the equivalency you claimed was false, the evidence you provided still demonstrated it & you take it as an insult? Sotomayor’s statement is somehow equal to bullets, bricks, & shouting racial slurs?
Your initial retort was based on your exaggeration the statement “all Conservatives are racist” existed or was implied. I didn’t say Liberals aren’t racist but you’re making that assumption. That’s a common tactic by the Conservative Media: Polarize the situation with extreme language in a way to claim being persecuted.
The fact that there are more “White Males” in the Tea Party movement does not suggest that the movement is racist. That is a HUGE stretch of the imagination. If it were a racist organization or even had any racist tones there would be NO minorities included.
The very fact that blacks, asians, hispanics and europeans are invited to join, in and of itself, proves it’s not racist.
You can pount ot all the statistics you want. People are free to join. Just because they choose not to does not make the group racist.
You’re suggesting the Lefties put on a play like that to garner sympathy? That’s beyond absurd. That’s fictionalizing justification to fit your view of the world.
__________________________
SOCIALISM V. SMALLER GOVNT
The biggest draw for the Tea Party is “Taxed Enough Already” but when the same ppl are asked:
1) What % is appropriate for YOU to pay taxes?
2) What amount should the govnt should operate off of?
3) Should the govnt make a profit?
4) What % should the money you put in manifest as tangible projects you approve?
I get a huge mess of conflicting answers, non-answers, & distractions because it’s easier to get ppl ANGRY at something than it is to AGREE how to fix it.
___________________________
TEA PARTY ORIGINS
Ronald Reagan (Reaganomics) inspired this Libertarian-leaning Conservative movement focusing on socioeconomic Darwinism & unspportable belief in self-correcting Free Market/Capitalism.
It’s an ideology with an irrational belief that govnt’s influence in our daily lives equates in a degredation of quality of life. This completely goes against the fact the size of our govnt is what brings us our quality of life, stability, & such. Furthermore, the richer you are the MORE you get from the govnt supplying stability. You got ahead by plugging INTO the socioeconomic standards. To have them changed makes you vulnerable. Also, we all can’t be rich otherwise NO ONE would be rich in a capitalistic meritocracy. Therefore, when you get ahead if you can keep the poor being “alright” with being poor, you remain secure in your position.
@Tigan
The demographics Loki provided are circumstatial & insinuate things but in no way prove any racism. The same is said about your statement they “invite” non-Whites to join them.
The origins of the Tea Party aren’t just “peppered” with explicitly racist orgs but they were ROOTED in them. No. The aren’t trying to Co-opt the Tea Party, they actually FOUNDED it.
The Tea Party LOVES euphamisms to leverage instead of using the REAL words they want to say. When cornered there is NO Tea Party member who would agree the health insurance reform was “socialist” & they’ll state it’s simply a sensational term meant to illustrate the path we’re on & the coming dangers. Just like they say Obama is Hitler. They’ll immediately back down & say it’s a euphamism for something else.
The Tea Party uses rhetoric & slogans to mislead others but I’m warning you they’ve already used enough of them to mislead their followers: From Death Panels to the Birthers they coddle.
The point of saying all that was to challenge you to peel away the layers of the sensationalist & superlative phrases the Tea Party uses to draw polarizing lines. You’ll see the Tea Party is focused on deposing Obama & NOT about anything bigger or more noble. Why? Because that is THE ONLY THING they can all agree on. Not how large the govnt should be, not how much you should be taxed, not even what type of return taxholders should get from the govnt. The only thing they have in common is ousting Obama.
How much did you put in over the years & how much are you getting out?
Health Insurance, before & after reform, is that same principle: A group of ppl put in $ hoping to never need it & those who do need it have the whole resource available. They put in it & they get out more while the others who put in it but never used it, get out less.
Insurance premiums are $400 a month at least (single person paying it all, no co. assistance). After 20 years that’s $96,000.00. Did your operations + rehab cost more than that then you didn’t put in what you’re getting out.
That’s how taxes work too.
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THE RICH BENEFIT THE MOST FROM TAXES
But the ppl who benefit the MOST from this are the rich. Yep. The richer you are the more happy you should be to pay taxes. Heck, you should probably donate extra!
You got your wealth through the structrue & stability of this society’s laws & enforcement. If that structure or stability weren’t there your wealth is meaningless (ask Zimbabweans or Russians during the Yeltsin Coup). It protects you from looters, kidnappers, murderers, etc. but not just by paying the cops but by creating a society where the poorest of the poor feel relevent & secure. Financial desperation in our society is easy to deal with b/c you can be homeless for years & never sleep outside nor die of starvation.
If you’re homeless & unemployed in many other countries you’re dead in a month.
All us Tea baggers want is simple:
1) Lower the national debt (even though my man Bush ran it up so high in the first place)
2) Cut taxes
3) Spend a few trillion more on wars
That’s not so hard, is it? Maybe when the GOP is back in power they can do it all with the wave of a wand. Those Democrats are only human.
Socialism has absolutely nothing to do with the way the Tea Party or Conservatives use it. It’s a sensationalistic euphamism.
Calling Healthcare, the fire dept., or any of that “socialist” is gross abuse of the dictionary BUT the proper use of the Conservative definition.
WHAT IS SOCIALISM?
Socialism is strictly the socioeconomic policy granting WORKERS the ability to allocate resources for production through a representative group they manage.
It has nothing to do with taxes, sharing/spreading the wealth, or anything. All those connotations are derived from the US’s views on Socialist countries’ behavior. That behavior was part of the propoganda created during the Cold War.
In other words: It’s the micharacterization of a euphamism meant as propoganda original created as a double-speak scare-tactic against “The Reds”.
FURTHER SPECIFICITY
Russia was/is socialist. Being socialist is part of being Communist but they are not equivalent. Much like how a horse is a wild animal until it’s fashioned into a work animal.
Communism exists on Socialism’s structure but Socialism doesn’t lead to Communism. There are plenty of socialist nations who are furthest from Communist who are our allies & considered some of the most liberal countries out there.
WHERE’S THE CONSERVATIVE “SOCIALISM” COME FROM?
Communism is ACTUALLY more about abolishing social classes, centralization / management / distribution of wealth/property, etc. But again, Socialism is NOT Communism.
This all speaks to the point I made somewhere else that the Tea Party (& in general Conservative mouthpieces) use superlative euphamisms to SCARE people into reacting knowing, when they’re creating them, it is a highly inaccurate depiction of the real meaning.
Brilliant. Now I _really_ don’t know which pledge to take…
1 – Medicare is actually pretty efficient. Private industries – and their lobbyists creating huge boons through friendly legislation – are why health care costs largely went up, Removing the government from this equation is like taking your door off to prevent crime.
2 – Medicaid is bankrupting the US? Really? It has nothing to do with those wars which are costing us trillions? Huh.
3 – No, it’s not completely solvent but it’s also not as dire as you paint it. Were we to have a truly Universal Health Care, we’d likely save a lot of money, unless you think the US is too stupid to do what every other nation has successfully done I suppose.
Government is no more inherently inefficient than private industry, although a lot of pro-corporate politicians (mainly but not solely the GOP) have defunded and mismanaged it to make it look bad enough to fail.
Again, to use an analogy, it’s like if your friend Joe ran his truck into a ditch, and you decided that because Joe’s a bad driver that cars were not dependable.
It am discouraged by our comments… for you assume that I am a tea part advocate and I am on one side of the isle. This assumption is not correct. I think that the tea part is made up of angry people expressing legitimate concerns in illegitimate ways. I consider myself personally conservative but would not lump myself into the conservative movement.
I do understand the point of this argument but I think it an intellectually unsound and poorly thought out argument. I could document much problem with government intervention into the life of its citizenry… I could provide personal experience with government agencies both from the inside and outside. However, I know that I would convince few with these arguements.. so instead, I spend my time with family and on those things that matter.
I hope that helps
dear friend… I have a bank issues CD at 5.5% and a money market account at 3%… both would be better investments of money.
Have you ever truly had to be part of a government run program… VA health care or welfare or HUD housing or the such? It is not run efficiently and most of the time it is at best achieving the minimum level of service. Please know that I do not want the government to disappear but to only provide service that are a necessity. Oh, and I have lived in places with lacking infrastructure (water, roads, etc.) and you do what you need to… I survived and even thrived.
The govnt also runs our military, Post Office, the Internet, & many other things. Citing the DMV, VA Health Care, or HUD as examples of how poor the govnt does something should be balanced by those other things.
The govnt is NOT in the business of making a profit. Nor are they trying to run something super-efficient. The absolute most efficient way for the govnt to run something would be to compel servitude & commandeer resources. Instead they pay market prices for personnel & goods but their income is “fixed”. They can’t reach out like other companies can to create new lines of goods & services to compete with the private sector.
What you deem to be “necessiities” is subjective & I’m sure you recognize that. I will however point out how it’s very likely the services you consider unnecessary probably help YOU the most by their existence. We live in a capitalist free-market society intended to operate off of merits (what YOU bring to the table v. someone else). In such a competitive environment there MUST be winners & losers. If those services are removed the LOSERS become much more impoverished & desperate. If they don’t organize towards criminal or violent behavior they’ll become a drain on your pocketbook as businesses jack up prices to get $ from YOU instead (b/c the poor can’t afford it). With the govnt paying market prices for those items they also help manage the costs.
Anyone who complains about what the “have nots” get when they don’t deserve those services/goods is missing the point. For less than 30% of your paycheck you’re funding the stability through which your wealth remains meaningful.
I appreciate your arguments and your civil tone… however, it is not good to assume anything. You state “probably help YOU…,” well my dear friend I currently do not live in the United States of American, for I am a missionary in a country very different. Therefore, many of the services you refer to do not pertain to me currently and have not for some times. In addition, I can say that the government does get some thing right or at least close to it… for you see I have been part of the government in many ways… for one, I am former military.
Dear friend, I am not against taxes, paying taxes, or the like… I am against government intrusion and people who fail to step-up and take care of one another.
But… I guess we should agree to disagree.
But, at some point in your life you lived in the US, correct? Maybe you’re from here. Maybe you gained some degree/certifications, wealth, or experience here. Whatever it was that you gained from the US it was due to it’s stability & security which taxes are spent to construct, maintain, & modernize.
[sidenote]
I will note the English language does a terrible job with the pronoun “you”. We use it to mean a specific individual, a type of individual, multiple undefined people, &/r just “not me”.
“You said “Dear friend”.
“You never know what you will get”
“All of you are humans”
“When you find yourself in a hole dig your way out”
I was mostly addressing the generalized “you” meaning “those ppl who think taxes are too much & don’t help them” but it’s easy to expect I was restricting it just to you, the individual.
[/sidenote]
Back to “govnt intrusion” & “ppl not stepping-up”…
If people did what they were supposed to do (ie: step-up) there woud be no need for govnt to intervene (ie: intrude). Those who refuse to help those in need are forced by the govnt to do so. You (generalized) don’t have to worry about theft/murder so much b/c the govnt threatens punishment & promises “compensation”.
Govnt still relies on you (gen.) to want to do “the right thing” but forces you to comply to the right thing if you don’t.
Ppl you (specifically) feel are milking the system & don’t contribute have reached their high-point. They won’t advance any further & their heirs will get the same “nothing” they leave them. When/if you (gen.) struggle to gain you run the risk of losing “it all” but if you fail miserably you’re still at the level of those “leeches”. It encourages ppl to try. Try hard. Try again. In other countries w/o things in place failure means utter irrelevence, disenfranchisement, eternal poverty, & death.
Taking care of one another brings the stability we all enjoy & you (spec.) benefited from at some point(s) in your life. Without being compelled by the govnt I doubt we’d've (either of us) had that same support in place when I/you needed it to save us or leveraged it to gain.
Great pledge for tea party members. I just found it because was tired of reading all the tea party non-sense on facebook and was wondering if there were any rational people left in the world. thanks for pointing out the hypocricy of the Tea party and Conservative movement.
I am not an Obama fan or hard core liberal, but I just can’t take the blind hatred for every policy Obama has, not because it is a bad policy but just because Obama is proposing it. This type of knee-jerk reaction would be funny in any other time of American history, but right now with the current recession, we don’t have time to play political games.
The above quote about cutting taxes and spending trillions on wars, hits at the heart of the Conservative argument. How can you extend the Bush era tax cuts to people making over 250K a year, while spending billion on the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and hope to lower the National Debt.
I’m with you in any way that will get our country to a balanced end. We need cuts in stupid, wasteful programs, and raise some additional funds for the good ones. “BALANCED” approach to a government of the people.
If an officer of congress/senate takes an oat to serve our country by the rules of the constitution, are they breaching that oath by signing this pledge? To uphold their oath, they need to brake the pledge. They, the pledgers, should be removed from their offices.