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Trying to understand the Tea Party

cajunkiwicajunkiwi Posts: 984
edited April 2010 in A Moving Train
Okay, I'll admit this was inspired by (and some directly copied from) the blog of someone I don't often pay attention to, but I agreed wholeheartedly with the sentiments. My father-in-law is a Tea Party supporter, and trying to get him to be rational when talking about politics is a useless cause... so I'm going to ask the conservatives on this board to rationally justify a few things. Deep breath, and here we go:

You didn't get mad when Reagan turned Carter's $100 billion deficit into a $221.2 billion deficit.
You didn't get mad when G.H.W. Bush turned Reagan's $221.2 billion deficit into a $290.4 billion deficit.
You didn't get mad when G.W. Bush turned Clinton's $236.4 billion SURPLUS into a $304 billion deficit
(all figures courtesy the Congressional Budget Office)
You didn't get mad when the Supreme Court stopped a legal recount and appointed a president.
You didn't get mad when Cheney allowed energy company officials to dictate energy policy.
You didn't get mad when a covert CIA operative got outed.
You didn't get mad when the Patriot Act was passed.
You didn't get mad when we invaded a country that posed no threat to us.
You didn't get mad when we spent $900 billion (and counting) on that war.
You didn't get mad when $10 billion just "disappeared" in Iraq.
You didn't get mad when you found out the US was torturing people.
You didn't get mad when the government was illegally wiretapping Americans.
You didn't get mad when the US didn't catch Bin Laden.
You didn't get mad when you saw the horrible conditions at Walter Reed.
You didn't get mad when the government stood by as New Orleans drowned.
You didn't get mad when the rich got a $900 billion tax break.

But you DID get mad when the government decided to provide health care for the poor, using a bill the nonpartisan CBO predicted would reduce the deficit by $1.3 trillion over the next 20 years.

You're in favor of accountability and responsible spending, yet your superstar keynote speaker is a woman who quit during her first term as governor to go on a book tour, get a gig as a talking head on TV, and charge six figures in appearance fees ($500 a head to see her speak doesn't sound like something Joe the Plumber can afford, does it?).

You blast John Kerry for being a flip-flopper, yet you support Scott Brown - who was in favor of state-subsidized health care in Massachusetts, and was against it in D.C.

You blast John Kerry for being a flip-flopper, yet you support John McCain, who was in favor of repealing "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" while running for president, yet is against it while running for office in Arizona.




So... please explain just WHY people should take you seriously.
And I listen for the voice inside my head... nothing. I'll do this one myself.
Post edited by Unknown User on
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Comments

  • unsungunsung I stopped by on March 7 2024. First time in many years, had to update payment info. Hope all is well. Politicians suck. Bye. Posts: 9,487
    repost
  • gimmesometruth27gimmesometruth27 St. Fuckin Louis Posts: 23,303
    DOES NOT MATTER IF IT IS A REPOST....THE QUESTIONS STILL BEG TO BE ANSWERED!!!!!

    unsung can you answer all of them????
    "You can tell the greatness of a man by what makes him angry."  - Lincoln

    "Well, you tell him that I don't talk to suckas."
  • unsungunsung I stopped by on March 7 2024. First time in many years, had to update payment info. Hope all is well. Politicians suck. Bye. Posts: 9,487
    Yep
  • gimmesometruth27gimmesometruth27 St. Fuckin Louis Posts: 23,303
    unsung wrote:
    Yep
    yeah whatever...answer them then please..
    "You can tell the greatness of a man by what makes him angry."  - Lincoln

    "Well, you tell him that I don't talk to suckas."
  • aerialaerial Posts: 2,319
    Come on! I am trying to understand why this keeps getting posted.....It's all been said before...and answered before....now lets move on..
    “We the people are the rightful masters of both Congress and the courts, not to overthrow the Constitution but to overthrow the men who pervert the Constitution.” Abraham Lincoln
  • rebornFixerrebornFixer Posts: 4,901
    One thing I will mention is that very few individuals maintain a 100% consistent political viewpoint over the years. Regardless of which end of the political spectrum we are talking about, people are notorious for focusing on the evidence that supports their view (confirmatory bias) and either disregarding or warping evidence that does not. People also use something called the availability heuristic when making decisions, which basically means that they judge based on what comes to mind readily. Obama was elected to much fanfare, and the health care issue has received an ungodly amount of press, meaning that these two things really stick out in people's minds, probably more than some of the examples of bad government that the OP listed. If you are a supporter of these things, you'll be really happy and stuff. If not, you'll freak out and organize a political movement.
  • __ Posts: 6,651
    Can someone from the Tea Party please explain to me what exactly it is & what it's all about?
  • unsungunsung I stopped by on March 7 2024. First time in many years, had to update payment info. Hope all is well. Politicians suck. Bye. Posts: 9,487
    A group of people not happy with how their tax dollars are spent. Individual freedoms seem to be leaving us as well. This didn't start with Obama although he is continuing Bush policies that have intruded into our daily lives. The sooner people understand they are pretty much the same the better this country will be. People sit and complain about two parties at each others throats but don't do anything about it and instead make it worse.

    That's why I'm involved.
  • unsungunsung I stopped by on March 7 2024. First time in many years, had to update payment info. Hope all is well. Politicians suck. Bye. Posts: 9,487
    edited April 2010
    deleted
    Post edited by unsung on
  • michelleelisemichelleelise Posts: 346
    I understand that unsung sees Bush and Obama similarly and was against the things during Bush's administration that he's against now.

    However, the fact is that the Tea Party itself didn't rise up, protest or exist at all under Bush - which in itself discredits the majority of principles which they supposedly stand for.
  • __ Posts: 6,651
    unsung wrote:
    A group of people not happy with how their tax dollars are spent. Individual freedoms seem to be leaving us as well. This didn't start with Obama although he is continuing Bush policies that have intruded into our daily lives. The sooner people understand they are pretty much the same the better this country will be. People sit and complain about two parties at each others throats but don't do anything about it and instead make it worse.

    That's why I'm involved.

    So do they consider themselves to be an actual, distinct political party? And, legally, are they? Or are they a subset of another party? Or are they made of members from all the parties? And is there some official Tea Party membership status or can anyone just say they're part of the group? Do they have an official or unofficial leader or spokesperson? How long have they been around? What is their history?

    Specifically, what are they upset about regarding the spending of their tax money? Is it just certain issues and, if so, why? Or are they against taxes altogether? Do they feel that they are being taxed without representation? Or why the tea party reference? And what, specifically, are the individual freedoms they think they have lost & why do they feel that way? Are they against our de facto two-party system? What actions do they promote/condone for affecting change?
  • unsungunsung I stopped by on March 7 2024. First time in many years, had to update payment info. Hope all is well. Politicians suck. Bye. Posts: 9,487
    cajunkiwi wrote:

    You didn't get mad when Reagan turned Carter's $100 billion deficit into a $221.2 billion deficit.
    ***True. I was five.

    You didn't get mad when G.H.W. Bush turned Reagan's $221.2 billion deficit into a $290.4 billion deficit.
    ***True. I was 13.

    You didn't get mad when G.W. Bush turned Clinton's $236.4 billion SURPLUS into a $304 billion deficit
    ***That economy was inflated due to the dotcom era, plus Bush had to deal with 9/11. Regardless of where things are now we needed to find those responsible for the murders of 3000 civilians.

    You didn't get mad when the Supreme Court stopped a legal recount and appointed a president.
    ***Wrong. I voted for Gore.

    You didn't get mad when Cheney allowed energy company officials to dictate energy policy.
    ***Wrong.

    You didn't get mad when a covert CIA operative got outed.
    ***Wrong. I consider it treason.

    You didn't get mad when the Patriot Act was passed.
    ***Wrong. It pisses me off that OBAMA keeps it going.

    You didn't get mad when we invaded a country that posed no threat to us.
    ***Iraq was a mistake. So yeah I was mad.

    You didn't get mad when we spent $900 billion (and counting) on that war.
    ***see above

    You didn't get mad when $10 billion just "disappeared" in Iraq.
    ***Does anyone really think it disappeared? That went to pay for something classified.

    You didn't get mad when you found out the US was torturing people.
    ***Probably true. I have no sympathy for Al-Qaeda. Abu-Gharib (sp?) was not acceptable though.

    You didn't get mad when the government was illegally wiretapping Americans.
    ***Wrong, but again that practice continues under Obama.

    You didn't get mad when the US didn't catch Bin Laden.
    ***Wrong again.

    You didn't get mad when you saw the horrible conditions at Walter Reed.
    ***Wrong, who wouldn't be mad about that? That is one reason why I believe the government is not capable of running health care. But I do remember in a previous thread a few people singing the virtues of the VHA, couldn't have been that bad if people here praised it.

    You didn't get mad when the government stood by as New Orleans drowned.
    ***Who really thinks that it true? Who, other than Kanye, really believes that people didn't care? Once again a perfect example of why you need to help yourself and your family and not depend on the government to do it. I'm guessing many people in NO have depended on the government for years though.

    You didn't get mad when the rich got a $900 billion tax break.
    ***I'm all for tax breaks. For everyone.

    But you DID get mad when the government decided to provide health care for the poor, using a bill the nonpartisan CBO predicted would reduce the deficit by $1.3 trillion over the next 20 years.
    ***I'm not sold because I see doctors that are going to refuse to accept Medicare in the future.

    You're in favor of accountability and responsible spending, yet your superstar keynote speaker is a woman who quit during her first term as governor to go on a book tour, get a gig as a talking head on TV, and charge six figures in appearance fees ($500 a head to see her speak doesn't sound like something Joe the Plumber can afford, does it?).
    ***She doesn't speak for me, but I'm smart enough to see through it. Once again the jingling shiny keys don't distract me.

    You blast John Kerry for being a flip-flopper, yet you support Scott Brown - who was in favor of state-subsidized health care in Massachusetts, and was against it in D.C.
    ***I voted for Kerry.

    You blast John Kerry for being a flip-flopper, yet you support John McCain, who was in favor of repealing "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" while running for president, yet is against it while running for office in Arizona.
    ***I voted for Kerry and McCain makes my skin crawl. He is exactly what is wrong with the GOP.




    So... please explain just WHY people should take you seriously.


    Happy? You know what does piss me off but doesn't seem to bother some of you?

    The deficit since Obama took over for Bush went from 3% of GDP to 10% of GDP.
    The debt went from 69% of GDP to 94% of GDP.
    Defense spending has remained nearly the same.
    Welfare in 2008, Bush's last year, was $485B. In 2010 it is $750B.
    Health care was $900B in 2008, by 2015 (under the new law) that will increase to $1.48T.
    We are still in Iraq.
    Our borders are not secure and are getting worse because they refuse to enforce laws already there.
    Their "comprehensive" immigration plan includes amnesty for over 10M illegal aliens which will flood an already stressed job system.


    That's all I have time for right now, see if any of that can sink in.
  • unsungunsung I stopped by on March 7 2024. First time in many years, had to update payment info. Hope all is well. Politicians suck. Bye. Posts: 9,487
    scb wrote:

    So do they consider themselves to be an actual, distinct political party? And, legally, are they? Or are they a subset of another party? Or are they made of members from all the parties? And is there some official Tea Party membership status or can anyone just say they're part of the group? Do they have an official or unofficial leader or spokesperson? How long have they been around? What is their history?

    Specifically, what are they upset about regarding the spending of their tax money? Is it just certain issues and, if so, why? Or are they against taxes altogether? Do they feel that they are being taxed without representation? Or why the tea party reference? And what, specifically, are the individual freedoms they think they have lost & why do they feel that way? Are they against our de facto two-party system? What actions do they promote/condone for affecting change?

    I consider myself a former Democrat who now is Libertarian/Constitutionalist. I'm sure there are people from every party there.

    Jesus, I'm not a spokesman for them. I'd say the taxation without representation applies though. I'm going to my first event April 15, I'll post up what I see. I'm also going to be breaking in my new Canon 7D camera, I'll try to get some pictures of misspelled signs because I know there are many here who get off on that.
  • markin ballmarkin ball Posts: 1,075
    unsung wrote:
    scb wrote:

    So do they consider themselves to be an actual, distinct political party? And, legally, are they? Or are they a subset of another party? Or are they made of members from all the parties? And is there some official Tea Party membership status or can anyone just say they're part of the group? Do they have an official or unofficial leader or spokesperson? How long have they been around? What is their history?

    Specifically, what are they upset about regarding the spending of their tax money? Is it just certain issues and, if so, why? Or are they against taxes altogether? Do they feel that they are being taxed without representation? Or why the tea party reference? And what, specifically, are the individual freedoms they think they have lost & why do they feel that way? Are they against our de facto two-party system? What actions do they promote/condone for affecting change?

    I consider myself a former Democrat who now is Libertarian/Constitutionalist. I'm sure there are people from every party there.

    Jesus, I'm not a spokesman for them. I'd say the taxation without representation applies though. I'm going to my first event April 15, I'll post up what I see. I'm also going to be breaking in my new Canon 7D camera, I'll try to get some pictures of misspelled signs because I know there are many here who get off on that.

    Cool. Please post all the ones about speaking English that have bad grammar or are misspelled. Those are my favs!

    On a different note, I would say that many on the "left" had the same complaints over the last 8 years that the Tea Party does now, such as bullshit spending, threatened liberties, etc., so stop rooting for your team and get behind principles and issues. Your team sucks. They are all full of shit, right?
    "First they ignore you, then they ridicule you, then they fight you, then you win ."

    "With our thoughts we make the world"
  • StarfallStarfall Posts: 548
    unsung wrote:
    Happy? You know what does piss me off but doesn't seem to bother some of you?

    The deficit since Obama took over for Bush went from 3% of GDP to 10% of GDP.
    The debt went from 69% of GDP to 94% of GDP.

    Of course, you didn't mention that the budget in 2009 was signed by George W. Bush. The fiscal year doesn't end on the same days as the calendar year: the budget beginning in Sept 2009-Aug 2010 was Obama's responsibility. The only thing Obama added was the stimulus program, and it never would have been necessary had George W Bush not destroyed the economy with the same laissez-faire economics that you guys kept pushing on us for the last 30 years.
    Health care was $900B in 2008, by 2015 (under the new law) that will increase to $1.48T.
    You DO realize that the CBO rated the new health care bill as actually CUTTING the deficit by $130 billion, right? Or are you willing to concede that we need a single payer system that would actually SAVE us a lot more money, instead of continuing to fund the private insurance system?
    Defense spending has remained nearly the same.
    We are still in Iraq.

    No quibbles with you there, but then again we liberals, socialists and progressives have denounced the unfettered bloodlust and greed of the American military industrial complex for nearly 100 years.
    Our borders are not secure and are getting worse because they refuse to enforce laws already there.
    Their "comprehensive" immigration plan includes amnesty for over 10M illegal aliens which will flood an already stressed job system.

    Had we not tried to enforce xenophobic immigration laws back then, we wouldn't have these influx of undocumented immigrants. Years ago, migrant workers from Mexico would enter the United States for harvest season, then go back after it's done. After we clamped down, a lot of them stayed illegally, and brought their families too.
    Plus, you really think you're going to get rid of 12 million undocumented immigrants without severely disrupting the economy and costing the taxpayers billions of dollars we can't afford, according to all you deficit hawks out there? Are you going to kick out parents of US citizens and leave their children orphans?

    You want real immigration reform? Stop government interference - relax our drug laws, border enforcement, and immigration laws. I thought you libertarians were all about government keeping hands off on everything?
    That's all I have time for right now, see if any of that can sink in.

    Keep 'em coming. ;)
    "It's not hard to own something. Or everything. You just have to know that it's yours, and then be willing to let it go." - Neil Gaiman, "Stardust"
  • youngsteryoungster Boston Posts: 6,576
    Starfall, you make a very lucid point. The conservitives want LESS govt but want that same govt to INCREASE border security. So, do they want more or less? You can't have it all. I agree that I don't want my tax dollars supporting illegal immigrants. But the ones that work a job and pay taxes are not screwing our system. The lady that cleans a hotel room in San Diego MIGHT be an illegal alien, but that check she gets has taxes taken out of it. Those taxes contribute to our society. Just like yours and mine.
    He who forgets will be destined to remember.

    9/29/04 Boston, 6/28/08 Mansfield, 8/23/09 Chicago, 5/15/10 Hartford
    5/17/10 Boston, 10/15/13 Worcester, 10/16/13 Worcester, 10/25/13 Hartford
    8/5/16 Fenway, 8/7/16 Fenway
    EV Solo: 6/16/11 Boston, 6/18/11 Hartford,
  • timctimc Posts: 664
    good article with videos!! http://www.prisonplanet.com/feds-prepar ... lence.html Remember Seattle that was all instigated. The real Tea party started in 2007 with Ron Paul most would say,
    anything with Sarah palin hannity etc... is false and not part of ROn Paul's Tea Party movement, just like Obama, Bush SR, Bush Jr, Clinton all are and were committed to the agenda, of bringing the usa down to a third world country status! It started with Clinton moving all of our manufacturing jobs to china then Bush came in and set up the patriot act and many others little goodies to stop us from protesting , starting all the conflicts and making it easier to arrest somebody! Now Obama is finishing off the job bringing us in to the NWO, once he is done he will be thrown away by the corporations and NGO's.
    I will be voting for Ron Paul again!
  • Gern BlanstenGern Blansten Mar-A-Lago Posts: 20,913
    Let me sum it up nicely....

    Teabaggers = Angry white people

    that's it....simple as that
    Remember the Thomas Nine !! (10/02/2018)
    The Golden Age is 2 months away. And guess what….. you’re gonna love it! (teskeinc 11.19.24)

    1998: Noblesville; 2003: Noblesville; 2009: EV Nashville, Chicago, Chicago
    2010: St Louis, Columbus, Noblesville; 2011: EV Chicago, East Troy, East Troy
    2013: London ON, Wrigley; 2014: Cincy, St Louis, Moline (NO CODE)
    2016: Lexington, Wrigley #1; 2018: Wrigley, Wrigley, Boston, Boston
    2020: Oakland, Oakland:  2021: EV Ohana, Ohana, Ohana, Ohana
    2022: Oakland, Oakland, Nashville, Louisville; 2023: Chicago, Chicago, Noblesville
    2024: Noblesville, Wrigley, Wrigley, Ohana, Ohana; 2025: Pitt1, Pitt2
  • StarfallStarfall Posts: 548
    youngster wrote:
    Starfall, you make a very lucid point. The conservitives want LESS govt but want that same govt to INCREASE border security. So, do they want more or less? You can't have it all. I agree that I don't want my tax dollars supporting illegal immigrants. But the ones that work a job and pay taxes are not screwing our system. The lady that cleans a hotel room in San Diego MIGHT be an illegal alien, but that check she gets has taxes taken out of it. Those taxes contribute to our society. Just like yours and mine.

    Couldn't have put it better myself.

    We really need to have a serious and reasoned dialogue and debate about the issues presented by undocumented immigration. Certainly there's some very good ideas being put forth, but there's also irrational fear-mongering (predominantly from the right wing) that pits poor and middle class white (and even black) Americans against the immigrant population, the targets of whom are mostly Latino and Asian. There's a really ugly racist and xenophobic dynamic at work here.
    "It's not hard to own something. Or everything. You just have to know that it's yours, and then be willing to let it go." - Neil Gaiman, "Stardust"
  • Gern BlanstenGern Blansten Mar-A-Lago Posts: 20,913
    Starfall wrote:
    youngster wrote:
    Starfall, you make a very lucid point. The conservitives want LESS govt but want that same govt to INCREASE border security. So, do they want more or less? You can't have it all. I agree that I don't want my tax dollars supporting illegal immigrants. But the ones that work a job and pay taxes are not screwing our system. The lady that cleans a hotel room in San Diego MIGHT be an illegal alien, but that check she gets has taxes taken out of it. Those taxes contribute to our society. Just like yours and mine.

    Couldn't have put it better myself.

    We really need to have a serious and reasoned dialogue and debate about the issues presented by undocumented immigration. Certainly there's some very good ideas being put forth, but there's also irrational fear-mongering (predominantly from the right wing) that pits poor and middle class white (and even black) Americans against the immigrant population, the targets of whom are mostly Latino and Asian. There's a really ugly racist and xenophobic dynamic at work here.

    well said

    It's really frightening....I can't believe some of what I hear from people...even some of my family members

    The GOP has convinced many blue collar workers that they should vote GOP simply because the GOP is the "anti" (insert favorite racial and or class status here)

    My brother in law was all worked up about these "lazy people on welfare that have HDTV's and suck off the system and he doesn't have an HDTV blah blah blah". I mean come on.....they create this fictional enemy to rally against and all rational thought is out the window. It isn't easy to get welfare or public assistance. These people that receive it aren't someone to envy.
    Remember the Thomas Nine !! (10/02/2018)
    The Golden Age is 2 months away. And guess what….. you’re gonna love it! (teskeinc 11.19.24)

    1998: Noblesville; 2003: Noblesville; 2009: EV Nashville, Chicago, Chicago
    2010: St Louis, Columbus, Noblesville; 2011: EV Chicago, East Troy, East Troy
    2013: London ON, Wrigley; 2014: Cincy, St Louis, Moline (NO CODE)
    2016: Lexington, Wrigley #1; 2018: Wrigley, Wrigley, Boston, Boston
    2020: Oakland, Oakland:  2021: EV Ohana, Ohana, Ohana, Ohana
    2022: Oakland, Oakland, Nashville, Louisville; 2023: Chicago, Chicago, Noblesville
    2024: Noblesville, Wrigley, Wrigley, Ohana, Ohana; 2025: Pitt1, Pitt2
  • WaveCameCrashinWaveCameCrashin Posts: 2,929
    Starfall wrote:
    You DO realize that the CBO rated the new health care bill as actually CUTTING the deficit by $130 billion, right? Or are you willing to concede that we need a single payer system that would actually SAVE us a lot more money, instead of continuing to fund the private insurance system?


    :roll: :lol: Really ?
    http://blog.heritage.org/2010/03/17/oba ... -and-debt/

    Obamacare will come at the expense of the American people as it would grow the federal debt, increase premiums, and stifle economic growth.

    The Senate bill would have disastrous effects on the economy and federal spending. CDA shows that the bill:

    Increases the federal deficit and national debt. The Congressional Budget Office shows deficit neutrality for the Senate bill—however, this is based on static analysis which ignores the effects new taxes and an individual and employer mandate would have on economic growth. These provisions would decrease investment in the economy, resulting in lower wages and salaries. This means less taxable income, lowering federal revenues and growing the debt. Increased borrowing puts upward pressure on interest rates causing some private sector productive investment opportunities to be foregone. This also increases the interest owed on the national debt, such that the government would pay, on average, $20 billion more in interest between 2010 and 2020. By the end of the decade, CDA estimates the publicly held debt would be $755 billion dollars more than under current law.

    DAMN. When are you leftist gonna wake up ?
  • StarfallStarfall Posts: 548
    LOL, the Heritage Foundation? Really?!

    Right, who am I going to believe, the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office, who correctly predicted the disastrous $1.3 trillion dollar disaster that was the Bush tax cuts, and the $350 billion deficit of Medicare Part D, among others, or the notoriously right wing Heritage Foundation, who kept trumpeting the virtues of tax cuts and deregulation even after the economic disaster we just went through?

    And you're asking "leftists" to wake up? Oh yeah, that's precious. :lol:
    "It's not hard to own something. Or everything. You just have to know that it's yours, and then be willing to let it go." - Neil Gaiman, "Stardust"
  • aNiMaLaNiMaL Posts: 7,117
    Tea baggers, here is your self appointed leader Pam Stout:

    Part one
    Part two
    Part three
  • __ Posts: 6,651
    scb wrote:
    So do they consider themselves to be an actual, distinct political party? And, legally, are they? Or are they a subset of another party? Or are they made of members from all the parties? And is there some official Tea Party membership status or can anyone just say they're part of the group? Do they have an official or unofficial leader or spokesperson? How long have they been around? What is their history?

    Specifically, what are they upset about regarding the spending of their tax money? Is it just certain issues and, if so, why? Or are they against taxes altogether? Do they feel that they are being taxed without representation? Or why the tea party reference? And what, specifically, are the individual freedoms they think they have lost & why do they feel that way? Are they against our de facto two-party system? What actions do they promote/condone for affecting change?

    Anyone?? I'm trying to actually learn about you people here. Now's your chance to set the record straight. You have the podium. You can't expect people to actually understand you and fairly represent you if you don't explain yourselves. (Thanks, unsung, for at least trying to answer a couple of my questions.)
  • dpmaydpmay Posts: 643
    Gern Blansten wrote:

    My brother in law was all worked up about these "lazy people on welfare that have HDTV's and suck off the system and he doesn't have an HDTV blah blah blah". I mean come on.....they create this fictional enemy to rally against and all rational thought is out the window. It isn't easy to get welfare or public assistance. These people that receive it aren't someone to envy.

    a-fucking-men! i wanted to start a fight with someone the other day who was telling me about 'people not willing to work' living on 'government handouts.' i wanted to mention that there's really not THAT much money, and people getting it certainly are NOT off living the high life...

    (but we were on a small cramped plane, and i actually like the person, so...)
  • unsungunsung I stopped by on March 7 2024. First time in many years, had to update payment info. Hope all is well. Politicians suck. Bye. Posts: 9,487
    If you wanted to start a fight with someone over that I'd suggest a nice anger management class for you.
  • dpmaydpmay Posts: 643
    unsung wrote:
    If you wanted to start a fight with someone over that I'd suggest a nice anger management class for you.


    haha - yeah i guess i meant, like, a discussion. i definitely wasn't going to come to blows...haha...
  • __ Posts: 6,651
    scb wrote:
    scb wrote:
    So do they consider themselves to be an actual, distinct political party? And, legally, are they? Or are they a subset of another party? Or are they made of members from all the parties? And is there some official Tea Party membership status or can anyone just say they're part of the group? Do they have an official or unofficial leader or spokesperson? How long have they been around? What is their history?

    Specifically, what are they upset about regarding the spending of their tax money? Is it just certain issues and, if so, why? Or are they against taxes altogether? Do they feel that they are being taxed without representation? Or why the tea party reference? And what, specifically, are the individual freedoms they think they have lost & why do they feel that way? Are they against our de facto two-party system? What actions do they promote/condone for affecting change?

    Anyone?? I'm trying to actually learn about you people here. Now's your chance to set the record straight. You have the podium. You can't expect people to actually understand you and fairly represent you if you don't explain yourselves. (Thanks, unsung, for at least trying to answer a couple of my questions.)

    Aerial, would you care to answer my questions? Please.
  • WaveCameCrashinWaveCameCrashin Posts: 2,929
    scb wrote:
    scb wrote:
    scb wrote:
    So do they consider themselves to be an actual, distinct political party? And, legally, are they? Or are they a subset of another party? Or are they made of members from all the parties? And is there some official Tea Party membership status or can anyone just say they're part of the group? Do they have an official or unofficial leader or spokesperson? How long have they been around? What is their history?

    Specifically, what are they upset about regarding the spending of their tax money? Is it just certain issues and, if so, why? Or are they against taxes altogether? Do they feel that they are being taxed without representation? Or why the tea party reference? And what, specifically, are the individual freedoms they think they have lost & why do they feel that way? Are they against our de facto two-party system? What actions do they promote/condone for affecting change?

    Anyone?? I'm trying to actually learn about you people here. Now's your chance to set the record straight. You have the podium. You can't expect people to actually understand you and fairly represent you if you don't explain yourselves. (Thanks, unsung, for at least trying to answer a couple of my questions.)

    Aerial, would you care to answer my questions? Please.


    SCB I will do my best
    No they are not a political party. They are a movment and There are members from all parties.
    http://www.gallup.com/poll/127181/Tea-P ... phics.aspx


    http://teapartypatriots.ning.com/Tea Party Patriots
    Mission Statement and Core Values


    Mission Statement
    The impetus for the Tea Party movement is excessive government spending and taxation. Our mission is to attract, educate, organize, and mobilize our fellow citizens to secure public policy consistent with our three core values of Fiscal Responsibility, Constitutionally Limited Government and Free Markets.

    Core Values

    • Fiscal Responsibility
    • Constitutionally Limited Government
    • Free Markets

    Fiscal Responsibility: Fiscal Responsibility by government honors and respects the freedom of the individual to spend the money that is the fruit of their own labor. A constitutionally limited government, designed to protect the blessings of liberty, must be fiscally responsible or it must subject it's citizenry to high levels of taxation that unjustly restrict the liberty our Constitution was designed to protect. Such runaway deficit spending as we now see in Washington D.C. compels us to take action as the increasing national debt is a grave threat to our national sovereignty and the personal and economic liberty of future generations.

    Constitutionally Limited Government: We, the members of The Tea Party Patriots, are inspired by our founding documents and regard the Constitution of the United States to be the supreme law of the land. We believe that it is possible to know the original intent of the government our founders set forth, and stand in support of that intent. Like the founders, we support states' rights for those powers not expressly stated in the Constitution. As the government is of the people, by the people and for the people, in all other matters we support the personal liberty of the individual, within the rule of law.

    Free Markets: A free market is the economic consequence of personal liberty. The founders believed that personal and economic freedom were indivisible, as do we. Our current government's interference distorts the free market and inhibits the pursuit of individual and economic liberty. Therefore, we support a return to the free market principles on which this nation was founded and oppose government intervention into the operations of private business.




    Our Philosophy
    Tea Party Patriots as an organization believes in the Fiscal Responsibility, Constitutionally Limited Government, and Free Markets. Tea Party Patriots, Inc. is a non-partisan grassroots organization of individuals united by our core values derived from the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution of the United States of America and the Bill Of Rights as explained in the Federalist Papers. We recognize and support the strength of grassroots organization powered by activism and civic responsibility at a local level. We hold that the United States is a republic conceived by its architects as a nation whose people were granted "unalienable rights" by our Creator. Chiefly among these are the rights to "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness." The Tea Party Patriots stand with our founders, as heirs to the republic, to claim our rights and duties which preserve their legacy and our own. We hold, as did the founders, that there exists an inherent benefit to our country when private property and prosperity are secured by natural law and the rights of the individual.
  • __ Posts: 6,651
    prfctlefts wrote:
    SCB I will do my best
    No they are not a political party. They are a movment and There are members from all parties.
    http://www.gallup.com/poll/127181/Tea-P ... phics.aspx


    http://teapartypatriots.ning.com/Tea Party Patriots
    Mission Statement and Core Values


    Mission Statement
    The impetus for the Tea Party movement is excessive government spending and taxation. Our mission is to attract, educate, organize, and mobilize our fellow citizens to secure public policy consistent with our three core values of Fiscal Responsibility, Constitutionally Limited Government and Free Markets.

    Core Values

    • Fiscal Responsibility
    • Constitutionally Limited Government
    • Free Markets

    Fiscal Responsibility: Fiscal Responsibility by government honors and respects the freedom of the individual to spend the money that is the fruit of their own labor. A constitutionally limited government, designed to protect the blessings of liberty, must be fiscally responsible or it must subject it's citizenry to high levels of taxation that unjustly restrict the liberty our Constitution was designed to protect. Such runaway deficit spending as we now see in Washington D.C. compels us to take action as the increasing national debt is a grave threat to our national sovereignty and the personal and economic liberty of future generations.

    Constitutionally Limited Government: We, the members of The Tea Party Patriots, are inspired by our founding documents and regard the Constitution of the United States to be the supreme law of the land. We believe that it is possible to know the original intent of the government our founders set forth, and stand in support of that intent. Like the founders, we support states' rights for those powers not expressly stated in the Constitution. As the government is of the people, by the people and for the people, in all other matters we support the personal liberty of the individual, within the rule of law.

    Free Markets: A free market is the economic consequence of personal liberty. The founders believed that personal and economic freedom were indivisible, as do we. Our current government's interference distorts the free market and inhibits the pursuit of individual and economic liberty. Therefore, we support a return to the free market principles on which this nation was founded and oppose government intervention into the operations of private business.




    Our Philosophy
    Tea Party Patriots as an organization believes in the Fiscal Responsibility, Constitutionally Limited Government, and Free Markets. Tea Party Patriots, Inc. is a non-partisan grassroots organization of individuals united by our core values derived from the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution of the United States of America and the Bill Of Rights as explained in the Federalist Papers. We recognize and support the strength of grassroots organization powered by activism and civic responsibility at a local level. We hold that the United States is a republic conceived by its architects as a nation whose people were granted "unalienable rights" by our Creator. Chiefly among these are the rights to "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness." The Tea Party Patriots stand with our founders, as heirs to the republic, to claim our rights and duties which preserve their legacy and our own. We hold, as did the founders, that there exists an inherent benefit to our country when private property and prosperity are secured by natural law and the rights of the individual.

    Thank you.
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