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If anyone wants to debate the issues of free trade, cap and spend, etc, etc, that’s cool with me.
But that is not the Tea Party movement. Sadly for them, the core issues that most of them began the movement with, are totally lost now. The Tea Party is now the mouthpiece of Sara Palin, et al, people who have been getting press and airtime, and getting rich, by being the “voices of the unheard masses”.
Any legit issues with governance are lost at rallies with the “stars” of the movement using it for their own ends. Add the racist nutballs who are drawn like flies to the rhetoric, and the movement has been taken over. I think that is a loss for the country.
Etson, how do you interpret the reference to the second amendment?
The reason everybody is struggling to understand the platform of the Tea Party is because they have not had time yet to coalesce into a coherent organization or publish a platform. It is just a bunch of people fed up with government, at least for the time being.
This makes it easy to attack their ideology, if you lean in that direction anyway.
What is clear is that many people view health care reform as a disaster about to happen, and the Obama economic stimulus and bailout plan as another disaster.
>cmu: While I generally agree with your posts, you have actually just provided a pretty good definition of closed-minded: “Willing to state our opinions strongly enough to discourage discussion.”
Obviously you don’t appreciate irony. That’s what we get for living in a smiley-faced world
“Another reading comprehension failure. I have never once said I agree with the tea party. It’s not my job to defend them. It’s your job, as someone who insults them, to step up your game and do better.”
B*llsh*t. It was an honest question. I see no point in saying why/what I disagree with re: tea Partiers. It would take too long, and it’s a blog and pointless. You provoke without putting anything into the pot. You’re either in or out, you don’t get to just pull the puppet strings/stir the pot. Butthead. : P
Okay, here are some things in the Tea Party platform with which I disagree:
– Lower government spending and lower taxes
– Opposition to cap & trade
– Opposition to the stimulus program
– Promotion of judeo-christian culture in the United States to the exclusion of other cultures, in particular muslim culture
– Cutbacks / elimination of welfare and other entitlement programs
– Anti-immigration
– English language only
– Economic protectionism (not really sure about this one but is seems to go with the general vibe)
– Repeal of health care legislation
OK, here’s an idea. Why doesn’t someone post the actual Tea Party platform. Let’s see what the actual platform is and then we can fight about it. Otherwise, it is a silly argument here because anyone on either side of the debate can pick and choose the aspects of tea party utterances that favor their argument.
I did a quick google on Tea Party platform and found this about what they think is the tea party platform in Maine:
Maine Republicans Adopt Tea Party Platform
An overwhelming majority of delegates to the Maine Republican convention tonight voted to scrap the the proposed party platform and replace it with a document created by a group of Tea Party activists. . . .
The document calls for the elimination of the Department of Education and the Federal Reserve, demands an investigation of “collusion between government and industry in the global warming myth,” suggests the adoption of “Austrian Economics,” declares that “‘Freedom of Religion’ does not mean ‘freedom from religion'” [blogger’s editorial comment omitted], insists that “healthcare is not a right,” calls for the abrogation of the “UN Treaty on Rights of the Child” and the “Law Of The Sea Treaty” and declares that we must resist “efforts to create a one world government.”
http://www.mainepolitics.net/content/maine-republicans-adopt-tea-party-platform
Not saying this is THE tea party platform, just that there is a lot of stuff being said out there under the tea party banner and it is hard to know exactly which beliefs to ascribe to which tea partiers.
“Why don’t you tell us what you think the Tea Partiers believe and what you agree with.”
I think they believe in the four points I cited above and I agree with them on all of those.
“By cobblehiller on September 29, 2010 11:44 AM
Lech, Why don’t you tell us what you think the Tea Partiers believe and what you agree with.”
Another reading comprehension failure. I have never once said I agree with the tea party. It’s not my job to defend them. It’s your job, as someone who insults them, to step up your game and do better.
I just posted what their platform seems to be, best I can tell anyways. Pick one and refute it. Don’t expect me to defend them, because I won’t. But at least I’ll respect your method of attack.