Tea Party = Class Warriors?

[longfisher]

Here's an interesting quote from Rosen where he equates the Tea Part to a nacent movement towards class warfare:

"The Tea Party is a popular movement engaged in (mostly) nonviolent class warfare. It is the voice of the vulnerable Christian white lower- and middle-classes. Their world is in crisis, collapsing around them. Their once-enviable race-based social privileges no longer provide protection against the vicissitudes of corporate capitalism. In response, they have retreated into the secure fortress of rage and aligned with the ideological and moral absolutism promoted by factions of the super-rich, the very sector responsible for their immiseration."

Although I sometimes joke about the absolutely nutty characters running as Tea Party candidates (hey, who wouldn't joke about them) I tend to avoid criticizing the movement as a whole. Here's why.

It's always been my belief that when the average American stopped living the American dream and when that dream began to appear unattainable that there would be substantial social tension or disruption. With the financial crisis, I was proven right, the Tea Party formed.

But I also saw very little doctrine in the party and, hence, very little doctrinair thinking or disciplined leadership. They were mad as Hell, for sure. But mad at what and at whom?

For the what part, they're mad at their economic plight, mostly. So far, I have no problem at all with that. The American middle class is in the process of being extinguished by the economic elites, for sure.

But what the Tea Party didn't do was correctly identify their tormentors. The GOP, the party of the elites and big business, successfully cooped the Tea Party. The GOP somehow managed to redirect the rightful ire of the Tea Party against a straw man, liberals, in general, and the Obama Administration, in specific.

So, as Rosen points out, they have been absorbed (somehow?) by the very people and party who were primarily responsible for their miseries. Don't you find that odd?

Now, I'm not saying they should vote Democrat. So, you hyperventilators can turn off the vent.

What I'm saying is that I had hope for an indendent party that focused itself on economic disparities in America that are destroying our way of life. Not even the libertarians focus adequately on class disparities as they mostly concern themselves with America's departure from strict constitutionalism.

Instead of an independent party that had the momentum and membership to forcefully address the causes of their angst, what we quickly got was another GOP tool in their tool box to suppress resistance to the policies that erected and perpetuate the elite class. And, for the life of me I can't figure out how the GOP successfully executed that cute trick.

Early on in the Tea Party there were voices that stated clearly that the problems its members faced were not ones of left vs. right. Early on I heard some Tea Party speakers say the voting for Democrats or Republicans would not solve any problems as there's precious little difference between them. Early on I heard clear-headed Tea Partiers say that they needed to retain their independence from all established parties. Some even said that the GOP, in particular, was trying to coopt and absorb them and that should be resisted.

Then quickly all that talk dissipated and the Michelle Bachman's of the world were successful in re-directing the movement to the advantage of the very people who caused it in the first place.

How'd that happen?

Anyone?

Today I also read an article by Robert Reicht that proposed that the Tea Party was going to take over the GOP. OK. I can't scoff at all that Reicht says as he's proven to be prescient on a number of issues, particularly economic issues. But I see a real David and Goliath-type confrontation between the Tea Partiers and the GOP establishment and I fear that David is fresh out of stones and his slings being worn by his girlfriend as a thong.

LongFisher

[Matuka Fly]

Liberal Scumbag Longfisher

[marine4003]

still looking for problems..never solutions. your part of the problem, not the solution.

[Parsifal]

African-Americans voted for Obama because he's black. I hope Christine Odonnell wins because she's cute. We need cute chics in the senate. At least then we have something to look at because none of them have anything to say.

[Curmudgeon]

Dimocrat reaction to opposition political donations by a conservative family who happen to own a line of discount stores:

Hardworking North Carolinians would not patronize Variety Stores if they knew that the money they were spending there was going to attack the very candidates who support programs that help their families, [Dimocrat] party executive Director Andrew Whalen said.

Talk about class warfare and pandering to the 'great unwashed' ...

[Reel Sharp]

LF is a funny thorn!!

[Zummie]

Maybe someone can explain why the vast majority of the tea baggers are so fat and stupid. Yes, of course there is the occasional exception but overall, fat, dumb, and UGLY.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ht8Pm...layer_embedded


Compare to

http://www.mcall.com/videobeta/?watc...c-488a55f7cea2

[Parsifal]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Mi...tra)_color.jpg

[Zummie]

[marine4003]

Funny..how history often repeats itself..this country was founded by pissed off people..people who had enough of England's tyranny, and im sure back then,the people who were comfortable being under England's rule said the exact same things about the "radical" tea baggers..fat & ugly..stupid..hate-filled maniacs, and on and on...so those who find it necessary to categorize tea party members as any of the above..welcome to change,take your scared punk asses home and hide in the basement..wrap your fear around you like a blanket and continue to quote all those talking head fools, claiming "They" know what we need.