Ah yes, another poor liberal confused about what the Tea Party really supports. They are fiscal conservatives. They are not MORAL conservatives despite the fact that many moral conservatives, who are also (or pretend to be) fiscal conservatives get support. The Tea Party is not concerned with the legislating morality. The Tea Party is non-partisan, attacking members of both major parties who have demonstrated they are fiscally irresponsible. These are people who are fired up over the deficit, the fiscal stupidity of the GWB era and then the complete lack of fiscal sanity demonstrated by the current regime. It’s not just the current debt that is a problem, but it is the underfunded mandates of Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security which are creating a $60+ TRILLION dollar hole in the budget over the next couple decades. That is about $200000 per PERSON (not family) or $10000 per person, per year!!! How horrible it is for the Tea Party movement to rally against such stupidity. Try watching the movie (again a non-partisan flick), I.O.U.S.A. You will find a meaningful abbreviated version online, but I recommend you acquire the full DVD too.
I think they are better than looney, lying left wing journalists - and cartoonists - who take every opportunity to smear and villify anyone who doesn’t buy into that liberal “gimme this” and “gimme that” because “I don’t want to work” and “I squandered my opportunity to get an education by dropping out of school” and “it’s not my fault I’m a loser so you have to give me everything I want or else” b.s.
nighthawks, I’m sure you don’t believe it, but there were a great many of those folks complaining during the Bush Presidency as well. The main reason the groups have now become more visible and cohesive is that the media and the left want to portray them as loonies because they are standing up against a far overreaching government which was bad enough under Bush, and is becoming even worse under Obama. Where were these same types of cartoons lampooning the folks who through VIOLENT means (the teabaggers are non-violent, and not inclusive of folks like the airplane crasher) protested the G-8 summit in Seattle a couple of years back? You don’t see the teabaggers fighting with police, smashing storefronts and looting them, setting fire to and vandalizing vehicles like your leftist colleagues do when they protest. You do however see the odd individual “conservative” lose his sense of mental balance and commit some act which is an affront to the majority of the movement. Unlike those leftist protests where violent acts seem more often to be the point of the demonstration rather than the effect of an occasional mental aberration.
kehlmeier, do you not realize that money also comes out of your pocket via taxes? It’s said that the average American worker works until May to pay the taxes imposed upon him by all of the entities involved? It’s why April 30 is known as Tax Freedom Day. Check this out, and maybe you’ll understand why folks have hard feelings about the proposed healthcare plan which will extend the time you spend working to pay your taxes.
I’ll toss some gasoline on the fire here by pointing out that Ayn Rand long ago explained how the only moral purpose of government is the defense of the rights of its citizens. In practice that means police (to protect against criminals), the military (to defend against invasion and assure protection of Americans overseas) and courts (to administer justice and peacefully resolve disputes). All else should either be done by anyone but government (for example, roads and schools) or by nobody at all (for example, enforced welfare compared to voluntary charity).
She also pointed out that a government limited entirely to defending rights would be so small compared to today’s bloated behemoth that it would not even be necessary to tax (itself a violation of rights) but could be financed purely voluntarily. She suggested options like lotteries or court-cost insurance fees on contracts, but I’ve always liked the idea of allowing only tax-payers to vote, maybe even multiple times based on taxes paid to the Treasury (NOT to officials or candidates), but that’s my own scheme, not Rand’s.
But no matter the details of any future voluntary tax system, it would only be feasible after Americans reject the brother’s-keeper, ask-what-you-can-do-for-your-country, give-back-to-the-community mentality that is the exact opposite of “Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness”.
Anyone interested in these ideas can learn more about them in Ayn Rand’s essay collections “The Virtue of Selfishness” and “Capitalism: The Unknown Ideal”, available in almost all good-sized bookstores. And if political/philosophic essays are not your thing, then at least read her novel “Atlas Shrugged” for an explanation of what has brought America to its current state.
The tea party represents bigotry, it’s a more KKK lunatic brand of Republican bigotry, but it’s bigoted obstructionism through and through, the right wing of the fascist Republican “God hates America” mentality.
If it wasn’t for semi-iiterate bigots, there would be no Republican Party, much less tea baggers.
If it weren’t for the way too educated for their own good, politically correct tree huggers there would be no abortions or a desire for a palestinian state that never existed.
If it were not for conservatives there would be no corporate welfare and a money gouging banking system that operates above the law.
If it were not for liberals, there would be permanent welfare class of “entitled” never do wells.
Now if I were President, nobody would get NUTHIN’ - except free healthcare and a free education for everybody - like a public library or fire department, making absolutely no distinction between haves and have nots.
The questions inevitably comes up concerning who should pay. The rich shouldn’t pay any more than the poor. Therefore the services provided shouldn’t be any less for the poor.
It’s called a percentage of income.
It’s also called equality - an equal opportunity to pursue happiness.
Some would call this socialism - but we would all scream bloody murder if all libraries, fire, police, roadways, bridges etc. went to a pay system.
We should all be screaming bloody murder when nobody - not even the middle class (average folks) can afford to get sick or get educated.
I believe these two things to be reasonable entitlements for a people represented by a government that is FOR THE PEOPLE that live in the “greatest nation on God’s green earth”.
DarkHorseSki over 14 years ago
Ah yes, another poor liberal confused about what the Tea Party really supports. They are fiscal conservatives. They are not MORAL conservatives despite the fact that many moral conservatives, who are also (or pretend to be) fiscal conservatives get support. The Tea Party is not concerned with the legislating morality. The Tea Party is non-partisan, attacking members of both major parties who have demonstrated they are fiscally irresponsible. These are people who are fired up over the deficit, the fiscal stupidity of the GWB era and then the complete lack of fiscal sanity demonstrated by the current regime. It’s not just the current debt that is a problem, but it is the underfunded mandates of Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security which are creating a $60+ TRILLION dollar hole in the budget over the next couple decades. That is about $200000 per PERSON (not family) or $10000 per person, per year!!! How horrible it is for the Tea Party movement to rally against such stupidity. Try watching the movie (again a non-partisan flick), I.O.U.S.A. You will find a meaningful abbreviated version online, but I recommend you acquire the full DVD too.
Takiniteasy over 14 years ago
I think they are better than looney, lying left wing journalists - and cartoonists - who take every opportunity to smear and villify anyone who doesn’t buy into that liberal “gimme this” and “gimme that” because “I don’t want to work” and “I squandered my opportunity to get an education by dropping out of school” and “it’s not my fault I’m a loser so you have to give me everything I want or else” b.s.
biemmezeta over 14 years ago
Progressive name calling because you have no aurguments that make sense. I love it keep it up. Just keep on hating and calling names, please!!!
MisngNOLA over 14 years ago
nighthawks, I’m sure you don’t believe it, but there were a great many of those folks complaining during the Bush Presidency as well. The main reason the groups have now become more visible and cohesive is that the media and the left want to portray them as loonies because they are standing up against a far overreaching government which was bad enough under Bush, and is becoming even worse under Obama. Where were these same types of cartoons lampooning the folks who through VIOLENT means (the teabaggers are non-violent, and not inclusive of folks like the airplane crasher) protested the G-8 summit in Seattle a couple of years back? You don’t see the teabaggers fighting with police, smashing storefronts and looting them, setting fire to and vandalizing vehicles like your leftist colleagues do when they protest. You do however see the odd individual “conservative” lose his sense of mental balance and commit some act which is an affront to the majority of the movement. Unlike those leftist protests where violent acts seem more often to be the point of the demonstration rather than the effect of an occasional mental aberration.
MisngNOLA over 14 years ago
kehlmeier, do you not realize that money also comes out of your pocket via taxes? It’s said that the average American worker works until May to pay the taxes imposed upon him by all of the entities involved? It’s why April 30 is known as Tax Freedom Day. Check this out, and maybe you’ll understand why folks have hard feelings about the proposed healthcare plan which will extend the time you spend working to pay your taxes.
http://money.cnn.com/2007/03/27/pf/taxes/tax_freedom/index.htm
SmokyStover over 14 years ago
More heat than light, today. Too bad.
davesmithsit over 14 years ago
poor misunderstood gestapo they were just doing their job.
pschearer Premium Member over 14 years ago
I’ll toss some gasoline on the fire here by pointing out that Ayn Rand long ago explained how the only moral purpose of government is the defense of the rights of its citizens. In practice that means police (to protect against criminals), the military (to defend against invasion and assure protection of Americans overseas) and courts (to administer justice and peacefully resolve disputes). All else should either be done by anyone but government (for example, roads and schools) or by nobody at all (for example, enforced welfare compared to voluntary charity).
She also pointed out that a government limited entirely to defending rights would be so small compared to today’s bloated behemoth that it would not even be necessary to tax (itself a violation of rights) but could be financed purely voluntarily. She suggested options like lotteries or court-cost insurance fees on contracts, but I’ve always liked the idea of allowing only tax-payers to vote, maybe even multiple times based on taxes paid to the Treasury (NOT to officials or candidates), but that’s my own scheme, not Rand’s.
But no matter the details of any future voluntary tax system, it would only be feasible after Americans reject the brother’s-keeper, ask-what-you-can-do-for-your-country, give-back-to-the-community mentality that is the exact opposite of “Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness”.
Anyone interested in these ideas can learn more about them in Ayn Rand’s essay collections “The Virtue of Selfishness” and “Capitalism: The Unknown Ideal”, available in almost all good-sized bookstores. And if political/philosophic essays are not your thing, then at least read her novel “Atlas Shrugged” for an explanation of what has brought America to its current state.
Edcole1961 over 14 years ago
What was the downside of the teabaggers committing suicide?
Charles Brobst Premium Member over 14 years ago
The tea party represents bigotry, it’s a more KKK lunatic brand of Republican bigotry, but it’s bigoted obstructionism through and through, the right wing of the fascist Republican “God hates America” mentality.
papa_de_q over 14 years ago
If it wasn’t for semi-iiterate bigots, there would be no Republican Party, much less tea baggers.
If it weren’t for the way too educated for their own good, politically correct tree huggers there would be no abortions or a desire for a palestinian state that never existed.
If it were not for conservatives there would be no corporate welfare and a money gouging banking system that operates above the law.
If it were not for liberals, there would be permanent welfare class of “entitled” never do wells.
Now if I were President, nobody would get NUTHIN’ - except free healthcare and a free education for everybody - like a public library or fire department, making absolutely no distinction between haves and have nots.
The questions inevitably comes up concerning who should pay. The rich shouldn’t pay any more than the poor. Therefore the services provided shouldn’t be any less for the poor.
It’s called a percentage of income. It’s also called equality - an equal opportunity to pursue happiness.
Some would call this socialism - but we would all scream bloody murder if all libraries, fire, police, roadways, bridges etc. went to a pay system.
We should all be screaming bloody murder when nobody - not even the middle class (average folks) can afford to get sick or get educated.
I believe these two things to be reasonable entitlements for a people represented by a government that is FOR THE PEOPLE that live in the “greatest nation on God’s green earth”.
comYics over 14 years ago
Government: Those youve got to pay to be your friends. :))
ksoskins over 14 years ago
It’s the fluoridation of our water supply that’s affecting our precious bodily fluids.
runar over 14 years ago
Purity Of Essence. Yeah, that’s the ticket.