Steeping TEA
What a lot of folks forget, or don't know, is that the origins of the TEA party movement began in 2005 while George W Bush was still President. The right blogosphere started pork busters as a means to track and expose wasteful government spending. This is only typical of much misinformation about the movement who many insist on portraying as some sort of anti-Obama crusade. As mom used to say that's a bunch of piffle diffle.
(Rubes, racists, terrorists, take your pick)
So when we hear, over and over and over again, how at his debt mess was inherited a reasonable response could be, yeah, and your point is?
As the debate rages on the stereotype about left liberal tactics and mindsets become ever more apparent. None more so than the charge that a liberal only hurls insults because they are incapable of articulating a coherent argument.
We've heard Rush, Ann Coulter and others level this charge time and again and never gave it a lot of thought. You really don't have to when a bevy of lefty loudmouths, Begala, Ed Schulz, Olberman et. al. keep proving the point with an endless stream of examples. (too many links to provide, just tune in randomly and you'll see what I mean in a mater of minutes)
What's also become more apparent is the proportionate relationship between movement strength and reactionary vitriol, that is to say as the TEA party strengthens so does the nastiness of the corresponding insults.
At first, when the TEA party movement was a non-threatening murmur out here in flyover country we were derided as rubes and rednecks, owing to the fact that we haven't the good sense or judgement to just shut up and accept the liberal tax and spend spoils system of government prevalent since FDR. Nancy Pelosi (D) Bug-eyed sack, in her effort to marginalize the movement assured it was not an actual grassroots effort by real folks but rather artificial astroturf organized and funded by corporatist boogeymen.
T-E-A stands for Taxed Enough Already. The fundamental tenets are 1) fiscal responsibility; which would accommodate both lower taxes and lower spending, 2) constitutionally limited government, and 3) free markets, which would be a natural result of tenets 1 and 2.
Proving from the start they have no interest in arguing against those principles they resort to broad brush insults of the whole movement, from the sexually tinged slur of teabagger to the innuendo we are just a bunch of rube, hick, hillbillies. I don't know about you but to me the Mark Twainish wisdom of Jed Clampett is looking a lot more attractive than the alleged brilliance of the affirmative action ivy leager these days.
I suppose I can't blame the left in a way though, I mean if they didn't busy themselves demonizing political adversaries they'd actually have to build a case for fiscal recklessness, unlimited unconstitutional government, and a command economy ala Marx. Insult is so much easier. That and arguing on principle usually requires that you have some.
But the TEA party persevered, grew, and inevitably, began to organize politically. True to form as the strength began to manifest itself at the ballot box the derision escalated commensurately. Clearly it was time to play the race card. Actor activist Janeane Garofolo provides a pretty crude example of the narrative, along with her amazing depth of knowledge on the neurological, psychological, and political sciences. (I apologize for providing that link but it has become a classic. Hearing it again reminds me that it does take a certain talent to speak with such certitude and authority on a subject you know nothing about, especially when the words they confidently spew prove it all the more. I guess those acting lessons paid off. (And I still wish Jack Bauer would have offed her in 24, as hers was a totally unlikable character [typecast much?])
So the TEA party movement, champions of fiscal restraint, constitutional governance, and free markets sally forth, and the left, rather than considering any comparisons to the founding framers, likens them to the KKK. Well, it is almost inevitable, even obligatory, seeing how much of that powdered wig bunch owned slaves and all. Still, the logical connection between Tea Party tenets and Presidential pigmentation somehow eludes and is anyone's guess. Remember, these are the folks who think fairness and social justice are real, like unicorns.
So time passes. The movement congeals, grows and is behind the biggest power shift in Congressional history. The people have spoken. The TEA Party has talked the talk and elected a number of new representatives who promised to walk the walk.
Again, true to form, the left liberal establishment, rather than explain, justify, or rationalize higher taxes as the prudent alternative to cutting spending they likened the TEA party to terrorists. Really. They did.
And it wasn't all loony lefty fringe dwellers, it was the Vice President of the United States and U.S. House Representative, who couldn't muster the imagination required to differentiate between cutting spending and cutting peoples heads off. Frightening. With that kind of thinking one wonders why the Democrat brain trust hasn't come up with idea of ending terrorism by writing a check.
Where Biden is concerned, and factoring in his renowned intellect, it's probably a sincere assessment. Poor thing. I am beginning to think all those hair plugs are actually connected across the inside of his head, where normal people have grey matter.
In the recent debt ceiling debate, as only one third of the three part power structure, these new reps held their ground as best they could against establishment Republicans and the flailing leaderless Democrats. Yes, the end result was was kicking the can down the road, but they did manage to change the debate. For the first time in decades the focus was on how to cut rather than increase spending. This is so much more than rearranging syllables in a sentence. In terms of governing philosophy it is a massive sea change.
The status quo liberal elite, far from even acknowledging there's a shift afoot at all, incapable or unwilling take your pick, has no idea on how to deal with a breed of politician with the audacity to legislate according to their campaign promises. Because as anyone inside the beltway will tell you, while looking down their aristocratic noses of course, that's just not we do things here.
We are witnessing an historic transition in the balance of power, a restoration. The people are reasserting their role as masters of their government. The entrenched government that fancied itself the masters doesn't know how to respond so the natural inclination is to resist. My own debate is which will be more entertaining, the continued slaughter of the government pig, or the squealing.
Meanwhile, fueling the transition is an alternative media providing an unprecedented avalanche of information which up until recently was tightly controlled by the kneepad media, concubine to big government.
It's all good.
Me? I'm just developing a taste for TEA. The stronger the better.
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