Why the Tea Parties Give Me the Creeps

1. 60

   William R. Wilsonposted 14 years ago

   Sometimes you come across something on the web and you think "That's exactly what I've been trying to say!"  This article is well worth reading.  Scroll through the first few paragraphs and start here:
   
   
   
   http://www.mrdestructo.com/2009/09/whit … ntrum.html
   
   For real.  If you're honestly wondering why "liberals" have a problem with the Tea Party, read this blog post.  It's mocking and snide but makes some serious points.

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      Brenda Durhamposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      He said one thing right-----the isms are all bad.
      And I don't put much stock, anyway, in the words of a man who admittedly is making a drunken rant against Glenn Beck.  LOL

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         Ron Montgomeryposted 14 years agoin reply to this

         He has to get drunk to make a fight with glennbeck somewhat fair.

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      earnestshubposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      I am looking in on the tea party from a stable democracy. Australia.
      People outside America who see the tea party think that half of the population of America should be declared insane.
      
      Claims that Obama is not an American,asking where is his birth certificate, saying he is the anti-christ, that he is part of a conspiracy to take away freedom etc etc.
      
      Boy if they could see how other non Americans see them. Gun crazes total fruitcakes full of hate and loathing or just plain hilarious.
      That they are taken seriously is an indictment!

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         Poppa Bluesposted 14 years agoin reply to this

         Being outside America it's obvious you have NO IDEA what's going on!

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            Uninvited Writerposted 14 years agoin reply to this

            Sometimes you get a much better view from outside...

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               Poppa Bluesposted 14 years agoin reply to this

               You can see everything from space, but the devil is in the details my dear.

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         2. 81

            earnestshubposted 14 years agoin reply to this

            As a frequent visitor with many friends in America who I share my view with I disagree.
            I have studied American politics since the seventies and could run rings around you when it comes to knowing what is going on.
            
            Instead of getting my understanding from dimwits like Beck, I get several International news sources daily to keep informed.
            
            My American friends do not think the rest of the world is not entitled to an opinion on America.
            We care because your economy and politics affect us directly, but being bone ignorant about the rest of the world would preclude you from this knowledge.
            
            This may come as a complete surprise to you, but there are other countries in the world other than America. This closed minded view that no one but Americans have a valid view of American politics is a screamer!
            That is one of the most narrow minded views I have seen expressed here!

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               Jeff Berndtposted 14 years agoin reply to this

               "This closed minded view that no one but Americans have a valid view of American politics is a screamer!" It really, really is.
               
               "My American friends do not think the rest of the world is not entitled to an opinion on America." They're wrong. Ask your American friends what their opinion is on, say, Saudi Arabia, or Iran. They'll probably give you an earful. I'd be shocked--shocked, I say!--if they said, "Well, I don't live there so I really don't get to say."

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               Poppa Bluesposted 14 years agoin reply to this

               You're entitled to your opinion, but your views about the Tea Party, wherever you get them from are incorrect. You and others on the left continue to demonize this group. You take fringe elements from elsewhere and equate them with the platform of the Tea Party. I wonder, did you ever even bother to view a Tea Party website where they outline their views? Send me the link that supports your claims that the Tea Party says Obama is not American and is the anti-Christ.
               
               As for as taking away our freedom, that case can be made and will when his health care bill is challenged in supreme court. If you knew anything about our constitution you might then understand, but clearly you don't and whatever rings you think you can run around me is only knowledge that apparently comes from left wing blogs.

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               Sab Ohposted 14 years agoin reply to this

               "I have studied American politics since the seventies and could run rings around you when it comes to knowing what is going on. "
               
               
               on so many levels!  LOL

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               Sab Ohposted 14 years agoin reply to this

               "This may come as a complete surprise to you, but there are other countries in the world other than America"
               
               Wow, really?
               
               
               

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               Padrinoposted 14 years agoin reply to this

               "My American friends do not think the rest of the world is not entitled to an opinion on America."
               
               You are certainly entitled to an opinion, it just doesn't mean anything!

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      2. 56

         Sab Ohposted 14 years agoin reply to this

         "People outside America who see the tea party think that half of the population of America should be declared insane."
         
         And most people inside America don't give a rat's *** what the world's also-rans think about us.

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            PrettyPantherposted 14 years agoin reply to this

            Ever hear the term "ugly American"?
            
            Your comments here are a shining example of where it came from.

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               Sab Ohposted 14 years agoin reply to this

               Why?

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                  Padrinoposted 14 years agoin reply to this

                  That avatar is a little disturbing.

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                     PrettyPantherposted 14 years agoin reply to this

                     Well, that too.  But, also this:
                     
                     Ugly American is an epithet used to refer to perceptions of loud, arrogant, demeaning, thoughtless and ethnocentric behavior of American  citizens mainly abroad, but also at home.
                     
                     The Encarta  dictionary defines "Ugly American" as: stereotypical offensive American: a loud, boorish, nationalistic American, especially one traveling abroad, who is regarded as conforming to a stereotype that gives Americans a bad reputation.

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                        Sab Ohposted 14 years agoin reply to this

                        I reject two elements of that definition outright, but in any case that's not me.

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                        Jeff Berndtposted 14 years agoin reply to this

                        Wait, are you saying that the people of Austria won't magically understand me if I SPEAK LOUDLY AND SLOWLY IN ENGLISH!?
                        
                        Astonishing.

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                           PrettyPantherposted 14 years agoin reply to this

                           What?  The people of Austria don't speak English? 

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                              Sab Ohposted 14 years agoin reply to this

                              Sometimes I wonder...

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                              Jeff Berndtposted 14 years agoin reply to this

                              Must have something to do with the Kangaroos.

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                           TheGlassSpiderposted 14 years agoin reply to this

                           Of COURSE they won't! What are you thinking??
                           
                           
                           You'll have to wave your arms around too. Jeez!
                           
                           
                           
                           
                           (tongue firmly planted in cheek).

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                        Padrinoposted 14 years agoin reply to this

                        Thanks for the definition

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         2. 61

            Ron Montgomeryposted 14 years agoin reply to this

            That's absolutely not true.  You keep referring to the extreme right as "most Americans".  Most Americans are watching you people closely and vigilantly keeping you under control.  You may have your temper tantrums, but always from the outside of mainstream America.

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               Padrinoposted 14 years agoin reply to this

               Hey Ron, how does it feel to live in the new home of birther central?

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                  Ron Montgomeryposted 14 years agoin reply to this

                  As I pointed out in another post, a dissenting representative accurately stated that legislation like this is rapidly making Arizona the laughing stock of the country.  It will never get past the court challenges (the sponsors know that, but want to play to the fringe anyway).
                  
                  Our great state will be in the news a lot over the next few days as protestors from all over the Southwest converge on Phoenix to try to keep state-sponsored racism from becoming law.

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                     Padrinoposted 14 years agoin reply to this

                     So the legislation proposed only effects candidates of certain races?
                     
                     I thought it said ALL candidates would have to provide birth certificates.

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                     William R. Wilsonposted 14 years agoin reply to this

                     
                     
                     Don't worry, the southern states are trying hard to compete:
                     
                     http://blogs.ajc.com/political-insider- … microchip/

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               Jeff Berndtposted 14 years agoin reply to this

               No, I suspect that Sab is correct that most Americans don't really care about what happens outside our borders. At least, we don't until gas prices go up, or something else happens that interferes with our cheerful life of doing whatever the heck we want to do (liberty) without concern for anybody else (responsibility).
               
               Actually, this is overly harsh. Some people do actively not care (seems paradoxical, but bear with me) about stuff beyond our borders to the point that they'll campaign for isolationism. But most folks who don't care about the larger world don't care passively, that is, they have more immediate needs to fulfill; there's bills to pay, and kids to feed, and these day-to-day concerns are more important than anything that may be going on in Kosovo or Rwanda. This is not exclusive to America.
               
               At the same time, many Americans do care about the world beyond America's borders, and in a way that doesn't translate to, "Do it our way or we'll 'bring democracy to' your country until you can't take it anymore."

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                  Sab Ohposted 14 years agoin reply to this

                  " I suspect that Sab is correct that most Americans don't really care about what happens outside our borders."
                  
                  
                  I didn't say that. Stick to putting words in your own mouth.

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                     Jeff Berndtposted 14 years agoin reply to this

                     My apologies: you didn't say that. You said that we don't care what the rest of the world thinks about the US. That's not the same thing. So, sorry about that.

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      lovemychrisposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      Interesting that even Shepard Smith calls it hate coming from the right....but they won't admit it.
      It's very obvious to anyone on the receiving end!

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      rhamsonposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      There is funny paralells with the Tea Party and its blame anybody with objectivity tactics and the Nazi psyche that ran Germany in the 1930's.  If you sit back and question their fuzzy platform of against anything progressive (liberal in their eyes) they label it unacceptable and attack the motives rather than what is being reasoned.
      
      The racist posters and threats of violence goes against anything that is American or acceptable in a civilized society.
      
      Their denial of the racist and anarchist fringe present at their rallys may be true but until they hold a rally that curtails these elements there is little they can offer that is not scary at best.
      
      The Beck syndrome feeds these peoples passions and the rallys feed their need to express their misguided outrage.
      
      Cooler heads need to rule this phenomena and channel concerted effort in a more acceptable decorum so as to effect any constructive change.

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         Poppa Bluesposted 14 years agoin reply to this

         Your perspective is completely wrong, but you know that and chose to ignore the truth.

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            rhamsonposted 14 years agoin reply to this

            You are entitled to your reality.  If I don't subscide to it, you are free to express it.
            
            When you refer to "the truth" it is once again a opinion of your reality.
            
            Maybe the press is tainting the issue with a bias slander and that is why the Tea Party is coming out on the short end of the stick.  But I blame that mostly on the part of the organizers of the events and how they allow such mean spirited and extreme content of the participants.  They come across as an angry mob.

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      Sab Ohposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      "  If you're honestly wondering why "liberals" have a problem with the Tea Party,"
      
      Who was wondering? It's obvious that it just scares the heck out of liberals and commits the bigger sin of not flattering them.

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2. 67

   ledefensetechposted 14 years ago

   Whatever.  When so-called liberals can't fool people with their BS, they turn to ridicule and poke fun at things in the hopes people will ignore the other side.  You've as much admitted that the blog post is snide, so how does that in any way make it a font of "good" points.  If that were the case, there would be no need for snide comments.
   
   The fact is that socialism, communism and fascism are not exactly interchangeable, there are differences between them.  What they all have in common is the belief that centralized economies work the best.  History has shown that assumption to be false. 
   
   The differences between them are subtle, but they are there.  Communism and Fascism are forms of socialism but they differ in where they end up.  Communism foresees an international form of socialism whereas Fascism sees socialism in more nationalistic terms.
   
   And as per usual leftist tactics your author attacks the personalities involved, not the issues at hand.  You'd better wake up and take a good look around you, otherwise you might wake up one day and find yourself in a very bad place.  You might want to start by reading more history and less satirical opinion based nonsense.

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      William R. Wilsonposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      Hm.  Seems like you missed the point, le.  Did you read this?
      
      
      
      Sounds like a pretty good description of the Tea Party.  I've read enough history to know that fascism was intensely popular among certain classes of society in Italy and Germany.

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         Poppa Bluesposted 14 years agoin reply to this

         Yes Hitler promised to bring "social justice" to the masses. Sound familiar?
         
         http://www.prisonplanet.com/obama-advis … 80%99.html
         
         http://www.capitalismmagazine.com/index.php?news=5658

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            William R. Wilsonposted 14 years agoin reply to this

            Hm.  So did FDR.  If you want me to pull out the Hitler Bush parallels I'd be glad to but it would be pointless. 
            
            Mr. Blues, the point of the article is that the Teaparty anger is not coming from a rational place. 
            
            That's not good for democracy.
            
            Obama is nothing like Hitler. If you doubt me, read Obama's books and then read Mein Kampf.  America, right now, is nothing like Weimar Germany.  Read The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich.
            
            The tea party, on the other hand, very much displays the qualities of a fascist movement.

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               Poppa Bluesposted 14 years agoin reply to this

               First off, what makes you think the Tea Party is angry? I wouldn't characterize them that way. I'd say they are concerned and rightly so. Obama's policies are socialistic, even if he isn't a socialist, but I have already made that case in past posts and I'm convinced he wants to transform America's government into a social democracy, like Europe, something most Americans are not in favor of.

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                  Sab Ohposted 14 years agoin reply to this

                  Poppa's right again.

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3. 60

   Padrinoposted 14 years ago

   "Why the Tea Parties Give Me the Creeps"
   
   
   Because you are easily intimidated by people who love freedom?

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   Tilecleaninghubposted 14 years ago

   The same people who hate the tea parties now are the same people who sat home for the first tea party 200+ some years ago.

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      William R. Wilsonposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      ^^Obviously did not read the article and think about what it's saying.

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         Uninvited Writerposted 14 years agoin reply to this

         You crack me up...as if that is possible

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   lovemychrisposted 14 years ago

   This rings pretty true. It's from a blogger on another site:
   
   "A great deal of baggers are middle to upper-middle class baby boomers who are approaching retirement age or have recently retired and are quite anxious about maintaining their standard of living, especially given the recent collapse of their investments.
   
   These people aren't concerned about jobs and opportunities. They've already earned just about as much income as they're going to get. Their concern is getting the most value out of whatever funds they have set aside, including Social Security, Medicare, and other entitlements.
   
   Hence the relentless demands for government to cut taxes and keep their hands of their Medicare.
   
   Baggers are ageing suburbanites who have little left to contribute to society except grim reminders of how much they expect to take away from society in their remaining decades.
   
   The subtle message of the baggers is that we can't afford to invest in jobs and opportunities or to transform our economy to be globally competitive and ecologically sustainable, because it'll be all we can do to take care of our burgeoning population of seniors."

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   lovemychrisposted 14 years ago

   Yes! It's psychotic!

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7. 76

   lovemychrisposted 14 years ago

   Head of Tea Party Express, Mark Williams, says that Obama is an Indonesian Muslim !!!!!
   
   Head of Tea Party Express, Mark Williams, says that Obama is an Indonesian Muslim.
   
   
   Head of Tea party Express, Mark Williams, says that Obama is an Indonesian Muslim.
   
   
   That is the truth.
   Organizer of event in Boston was asked if she sent an e-mail saying "The Obama's are just another black family on gvt. housing"....her response? I don't recall...
   HELLO!
   
   Is she stupid, or really that forgetful? **not hate, just opinion**
   Would YOU forget that?
   ....unless she sent out so many derogatory e-mails she just forgot that one!

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      Poppa Bluesposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      You pick out two people and that's what you wish to use as evidence to support your point. How about this, the mission statement from the Tea Party Patriots
      
      http://www.teapartypatriots.org/Mission.aspx
      
      Do you see anything crazy, or racist here? Or does their mission statement mean nothing? Should it be completely discounted?
      
      This is your tactic, and that of the left wing MSM, pick a fringe element and paint the whole group with the broad brush of wacky fringe. It's effective, but it's also disingenuous and a LIE! But that's the left, LIARS! The end justifies the means.

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         Ralph Deedsposted 14 years agoin reply to this

         Many of the leaders are in the "lunatic fringe," judging from the speakers at their gatherings, most notably Michelle Bachman. Others have expressed extreme, loony views as well.

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            Poppa Bluesposted 14 years agoin reply to this

            Bachman is lunatic fringe? How so? When you say "many" of their "leaders", how many is many, and who do you consider to be their "leaders"?

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               Ralph Deedsposted 14 years agoin reply to this

               Return Of the Repressed? Birtherism, Homophobia, Racial Paranoia Rise To Surface At Tea Party Confab
               
               The Tea Party last week turned into a birther, homophobe, nativist, racist orgy of ignorance.
               
               • Joseph Farah, the publisher of the right-wing website WorldNetDaily.com, drew cheers from the crowd by questioning whether President Obama was born in the U.S. "The media, the politicians ... all say, no, it's all been settled," said Farah. "I say, if it's been settled show us the birth certificate. Simple."
               
               • Tom Tancredo, the former Colorado Republican congressman, declared that the president was elected because "we do not have a civics, literacy test before people can vote." Such tests, of course, were used in the Jim Crow south to block African-Americans from voting. Tancredo, who ran for president in 2008 as a rabid foe of illegal immigration, referred to the president using his middle name, and added: "People who could not even spell the word 'vote' or say it in English put a committed socialist ideologue in the White House."
               
               • And Pastor Rick Scarborough -- a self-proclaimed "Christocrat" -- "went after homosexuals several times to choruses of amens," according to Time.
               
               [See TPM article linked below.]
               
               http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.c … ?ref=fpblg
               
               Newsweek: http://www.newsweek.com/id/233331
               Black Helicopters Over Nashville
               
               Never mind Sarah Palin and the tricornered hats. The tea-party movement is dominated by conspiracist kooks.
               
               
               Of course, Dick Armey is also one of the big promoters of the Tea Party movement. I wouldn't put him in the lunatic fringe, but rather in the evil, diabolical right wing hate peddler fringe.
               
               Michelle Bachman--"We have a total 'gangster government!"
               
               http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=thR-lVuztIY
               
               Michelle Bachman is "proud of her ignorance"
               
               http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=23itODyctH4

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                  William R. Wilsonposted 14 years agoin reply to this

                  
                  
                  Good examples Ralph.  The one that really freaks me out, though, is Glenn Beck, who uses his TV program to conflate socialism, progressivism, liberalism together with Nazism, fascism, communism... He's the root of a lot of the Teaparty Newthink:  liberals = socialism = Stalin = Hitler = Doubleplusungood!

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                     Padrinoposted 14 years agoin reply to this

                     Between you and Ralph you have covered all the "isms"! You should get a great check from the DNC this week.

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   rebekahELLEposted 14 years ago

   
   
   possibly because that's how they describe themselves over and over again.

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      Poppa Bluesposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      Really? Here are their angry Tee shirts!
      
      http://www.teapartypatriotsstore.org/cl … d-hats.htm
      
      and vitriol pins!
      
      http://www.teapartypatriotsstore.org/bu … d-pins.htm
      
      and hate filled yard signs!
      
      http://www.teapartypatriotsstore.org/ya … anners.htm
      
      And here is a group of racist haters protesting in NY!
      
      
      
      And here are the "leaders" in another violent protest!
      
      
      
      God! Those tea party people are awful!
      
      

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   Ron Montgomeryposted 14 years ago

   Who the Teabaggers really are

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      Padrinoposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      Couldn't you have found a more left wing source?

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         PrettyPantherposted 14 years agoin reply to this

         The predictable reply only took two minutes.  Slow on the draw today, Padrino?  :-)

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         Ron Montgomeryposted 14 years agoin reply to this

         Yes, the LA times is verrry left-wing.
         
         But to you people, anything not coming from rushbeckity is left-wing.

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            Padrinoposted 14 years agoin reply to this

            Yes, it is very left wing.

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      Poppa Bluesposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      I wouldn't argue with much of that article. It certainly doesn't say they are a bunch of right wing extremist racist haters that want to overthrow the government.
      
      In fact they aren't much different than you!
      

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         PrettyPantherposted 14 years agoin reply to this

         Really?  Ron is an angry white male who feels that the amount of taxes he pays is fair yet attends rallies protesting taxation?  And, he loves his social security  and medicare while railing against government social programs?
         
         Damn, I thought I knew him.

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            Padrinoposted 14 years agoin reply to this

            The Tea Party loves Social Security and Medicare?
            
            Not really paying attention are you?

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               PrettyPantherposted 14 years agoin reply to this

               I guess my version of paying attention must be different from yours.
               
               "Moreover, a majority told follow-up interviewers that, though they wanted "smaller government," they didn't want cuts in our largest social programs, Social Security and Medicare."

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                  Padrinoposted 14 years agoin reply to this

                  Like I said, you are not really paying attention.

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                     Ron Montgomeryposted 14 years agoin reply to this

                     She is paying attention in the standard way, not through a FoxNews lense.

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                        Padrinoposted 14 years agoin reply to this

                        What about that State sponsored racism you mentioned? The legislation is directed at candidates who are not white, right?

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                           Ron Montgomeryposted 14 years agoin reply to this

                           Different bill.  What they are protesting is the immigration bill that basically states that anyone who appears to be a possible illegal alien (you know, non-whites) can be detained by police officers until they provide proof of cititzenship.
                           
                           Again, no chance of getting through the courts, but very popular with the wingnuts.

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                              Padrinoposted 14 years agoin reply to this

                              You're right about that but I talked about the "Birther Bill" and you said it was State sponsored racism.

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                                 Ron Montgomeryposted 14 years agoin reply to this

                                 You really need to work on your reading comprehension skills.  It's a waste of time discussing things with people who can't keep up.
                                 
                                 Good bye.

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                                    Padrinoposted 14 years agoin reply to this

                                    So once again you are caught in the act of creating racism where none exists and claim I can't comprehend. I understand you all too well!
                                    
                                    Is there a rule that you have to make claims of racism at least once a day or more?

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                  Poppa Bluesposted 14 years agoin reply to this

                  Yes that makes sense given they are made up of older voters that have paid into those systems their entire lives. However, I do not agree. I'd like social security to be ended and my money returned to me. The same for medicare.

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            Ron Montgomeryposted 14 years agoin reply to this

            As you can see from my photo, I am actually a yellow Rastafarian.  I'm too stoned to get up and protest.

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            Poppa Bluesposted 14 years agoin reply to this

            I don't know about Ron. we are after all a country of individuals, I'm just quoting his source.

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               Ron Montgomeryposted 14 years agoin reply to this

               Quoting very selectively.

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                  Poppa Bluesposted 14 years agoin reply to this

                  Now that wasn't a predictable response.

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