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View Full Version : How did the tea party get started?



Aging Hippie
4-11-11, 11:08pm
Interesting video, 38 minutes, but well researched and full of facts. Grab a cup of coffee or tea and make some time for it:

http://vimeo.com/astroturfwars/billionairesteaparty

mtnlaurel
4-13-11, 9:21am
Thanks for posting this Aging Hippie. I can't wait to have a moment to watch it.
I am fascinated by the TEA Party movement.
I hope this turns into a fruitful discussion b/c I really want to learn more.

Topline Observations/Questions on my own:
- If I were the Republicans riding the current of the TEA party, it would scare the crap out of me.
- What does the average TEA party profile person have in common with hoity-toity big corp. bigwigs? I guess lower taxes/less gov interference is the uniting theme? But beyond that, what?

It's like the Big Corp want profits at ANY cost (taking US jobs abroad/ high environmental costs) and the libertarian little guy just wants to earn an honest wage and keep some of his money in his/her pocket and not keep up the deadbeats that aren't pulling their weight.

I just think they make strange bedfellows ---- how can TEA Partiers only see Gov Greed and NOT Corp. Greed?

Forgive me for just throwing out cliches/stereo-types, but I do hope this thread picks up speed... I don't have time to research this stuff and I know the folks on these boards are into all kinds of interesting things on all sides of the coin.

What I do know --- I've worked in the gov. sector before and was disgusted -- I kept thinking, "Could you come up with a MORE screwed up/expensive/ineffective way to accomplish this ?!?! I don't think so."

Zigzagman
4-13-11, 10:16am
I think the Tea Party, at least in my area are somewhat multi-faceted. For the average citizen that is not actively involved but might occasionally attend a rally to express their POV it appear that these are mostly right-wing conservative citizens that have bought into the idea that our biggest problem in this country is debt and government interference with the private sector. There are also a few wackos that are just against the sitting President for several different reasons - race, birthers, socialism, etc. But I don't think these are the controlling forces.

For those like the Koch brothers, wealthy developers, and big business folks the Tea Party represents an agenda that is pro-corporation with calls for less taxes, less regulation, let the free-market work unhindered by those pesky regulators. And mtnlaurel you are correct - profit is the name of the game in business. Not so much that you are viewed as evil but wealth with a slight dose of PSA rhetoric and you are ready for the corporate game. Corporations like government that gives them tax breaks, R&D dollars, less or no real regulation, trade agreements that help the multinational nature of being large. Today, big business and the big banks dominate the economy and the rest of society, including the government. They use this leverage to strangle any small business competition, whenever and wherever necessary.

Is the Tea Party a valid political party? I simply view it as a part of the conservative movement that is funded by billionaires for the most part that know how to use voters to get what they want.

As the movement has had success, at least in the last election cycle, some of the elected Reps have made their presence felt but as their agenda and the average citizens begins to feel the "cuts" they are beginning to realize that "Hey, wait a minute, this is affecting me at the local level" maybe we need a little more balance here.

IMHO, because the economy is fragile and will most likely take years to recover to 2001 levels the Tea Party will fade and will actually be a net minus for the Republican Party or at least to what was formally know as Rockefeller Republican. I think most people in this country think of multi-national corporations as not good for our nation with the off-shoring of labor, profit-at-any-cost political influence and are wanting representation for Main Street not Wall Street.

Peace

freein05
4-13-11, 12:50pm
I was watching a Tea Party rally and one of the men speaking out against big government was at least 70 years old. He had to be on SS and Medicare but he wanted to stop socialism and big government. I thought that was funny.

LDAHL
4-13-11, 1:10pm
I was watching a Tea Party rally and one of the men speaking out against big government was at least 70 years old. He had to be on SS and Medicare but he wanted to stop socialism and big government. I thought that was funny.

No funnier than people who insist taxes must increase but don't make voluntary contributions to the Bureau of the Public Debt. At least the old guy could argue he's trying to cut his losses on a program he was forced to participate in.

bae
4-13-11, 1:33pm
The local Tea Partiers mostly seem to focus their energies on our county government's inefficiencies, high costs, lack of planning, and corruption.

They don't appear to be organized or funded by <insert-talking-point-conspiracy-theory-here>.