The Tea Potty Epidemic
There's a nifty little web page teaching you how to organize one of those protest tea parties set for Tax Day this week. I suppose that out of respect to net protocol I will provide the link. But I can also summarize it for you more succinctly. Here's the recipe:
Go to the hardware store.
Buy 1lb. ball peen hammer.
Go to the hobby story and buy a 1/32 model of a One World Government Black Helicopter and tube of glue.
Brew a strong cup of Lipton Tea and drink it slowly.
Turn on Fox News, preferably during Glenn Beck's show.
Get out your 1/32 model of the Black Helicopter. Throw the kit away but sniff the tube of glue.
Hit yourself in the temple as hard as you can 787 times with the hammer.
You're all set.
There are only two times in recent history when I can recall a similar --if rather contained-- outbreak of such collective insanity. First time was at the onset of the Clinton admin when Telemarketer Christians were stoking the tale of Big Bill having murdered a bunch of folks in Arkansas. Second time when was a bunch of congressional ding-a-lings redeyed into D.C. to pass a special law to revive the long brain-dead Terri Schiavo.
So here we go again. These tea parties sounds like such outlandish lunacy I might just don a tin foil hat and show up!
I guess if conservatives --(and to call these folks conservatives is a form of defiling the memory of a Goldwater or a Buckley)-- have a perfect right to organize mass protests against the Obama administration. But, personally, I'm having just a bit of trouble figuring out the tea party angle. How they got started is easy enough. They are a media stunt manufactured by the media -- in this case Fox News.
The original Boston Tea Party had a rather simple premise: Americans refused to be taxed by a government that was not constituted by the people's elected representatives. They fixed that a few years later with a struggle that stretched from Concord to Yorktown.
Okay. Now we have a government -- both a White House and a Congress-- that was freshly elected in a high-turnout election. The new president is supporting a program that CUTS taxes for the near entirety of the population -- including the dittoheads planning to protest on Wednesday.
I don't see what protesting tax hikes has to do with the upcoming tea parties UNLESS these folks are taking to the streets because about 2% of the richest Americans are going to have to pay about 3% more in taxes to help provide more services for the same tea-rattled demonstrators!
Or maybe they're protesting the trillion dollar corporate bailouts. Funny, these aren't the same folks who protested a trillion dollars being pissed down the rathole of a needless war in Iraq. And while none of us are very happy out about the economic fix we are in, the costly stimulus program is a necessary evil created by the accumulated effects of 25 years of right-wing, free-market economic policies -- the same ones supported by these same protestors. Let one of these modern-day Paul Reveres lose their job and they will be down at the state unemployment office 6 a.m. the next morning filing to receive some of that government-tainted blood money.
The best part of all this is to watch the few, remaining rational elements of the Republican Party twist and grimace as this nuttiness progresses. Someone said it on the TV last night (I was too distracted by hammering my own temples to remember who) but I like the phrase he came up with -- the GOP now risks becoming the Talk Radio Republican Party.
Put the kettle on, Marge.
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April 11th, 2009 at 1:34 pm
I encourage you to talk to some of the organizers of the tea parties. Most of these folks have never organized anything political before. It’s quite an interesting phenomena, and I think the left is wrong in its interpretation, Marc.
April 11th, 2009 at 1:36 pm
“phenomenon” – Sorry.
April 11th, 2009 at 1:49 pm
You can follow their twitters via twitterfall with these tags #tcot #teaparty http://pajamasmedia.com/ and Red State blog have alleged a Leftist Provocation is coming via infiltration by HuffPo citizen reporters and ACORN rent a mobs on Weds.
April 11th, 2009 at 1:51 pm
Heh! jmp5329 Is ACORN gathering information at #teaparty ‘s to send to Timmy Geithner for tax investigations? #tcot (via twitter, 6 minutes ago)
April 11th, 2009 at 2:14 pm
Maybe next time Glen Beck will use real gasoline – on himself.
April 11th, 2009 at 2:28 pm
Conservatives are organizing ‘tea parties?’
Must be time to rotate my canned goods.
April 11th, 2009 at 2:51 pm
Too bad 42nd street got cleaned up. They could probably sell videos of these guys teabagging each other.
April 11th, 2009 at 3:36 pm
The fact that Charles Johnson of LGF thinks Glen Beck and the teabaggers are fringe wacko wingnuts is just one more bit of evidence of, well, just that. In other words, if you’re to the right of LGF, you’re officially a loon. Pretty simple.
April 11th, 2009 at 3:55 pm
Obama raised tobacco taxes! Sin taxes hit the poor and the dumb the hardest!!!!! Where’s the outrage? Why aren’t you holding smoke-in’s in protest?
These tea bag protests are drawing in some interesting radicals – ACORN and Huffington Post’s out-of-left-field journalists.
Why would community organizers attempt to disrupt community political gatherings? Well, Congress authorized something like $3 or 4 billion for “community stabilization,” and ACORN isn’t going to let any conservatives get in the way of their handout. See if ACORN and union goons go wacking tax protestors on the heads with ax handles?
One protest will be on Wednesday at the Santa Monica pier so, Marc will be there Leave your ax handle at home.
Why aren’t you people watching the Masters?
April 11th, 2009 at 5:16 pm
You guys act so appalled that people would actually protest taxes — protest keeping the money that they earned.
Keep in mind it’s not just the increases in the current income taxes, but it’s also the increased taxes on future generations with the current and irresponsible deficit spending; and, don’t count on the definition of “rich” to remain where it is.
I’m not so worried about the tax rates as I am concerned that this “spreading the wealth” is not consistent with American ideals.
April 11th, 2009 at 6:11 pm
Incredibly, Woody reinforces the nutjob position. Such spreading of the wealth has never before been seen in America! At least not since Bill Clinton or FDR!
I think the teabaggers have something here. I’m definitely going to protest the increase of taxes I’m not seeing this year and going to ask to keep the money that I earned that they’re not actually taking from me!
April 11th, 2009 at 6:32 pm
Rachel, here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=19jfGsvk40A
Interesting that Brendan Steinhauser, arguing that teabagging is being organized primarily by ordinary folks with no political experience links to “FreedomWorks” which appears to be TEABAGGING Central – headed by…guessed who ? Dick Armey and Steve Forbes, two creepy old recycled tax cranks. With FOX News weighing in, the cast of cranks and kooks is complete. And if you go to the New American Teaparty website, it’s the same old gang, with Grover Norquist, Ken Blackwell, et. al. leading the charge. Nothing new here. Actually, nothing much at all. Just a bunch of incredibly gullible and stupid people venting with the same old crowd of ideological rejects and Beltway bloviators pulling the strings.
April 11th, 2009 at 6:38 pm
“I’m definitely going to protest the increase of taxes I’m not seeing this year and going to ask to keep the money that I earned that they’re not actually taking from me!”
Right on !!! We are confronting the worst threat to our freedom since we eliminated the WMDs that Saddam Hussein didn’t have.
April 11th, 2009 at 7:31 pm
Incidentally, “Beltway” Brendan Steinhauser is a paid organizer for the Dick Armey/Steve Forbes operation “FreedomWorks” (with HQ in Washington DC) –
http://www.freedomworks.org/brendan-steinhauser-biography
Note: “Brendan lives in Alexandria VA although he says his heart remains in Texas.” Just like http://www.famoustexans.com/karlrove.htm
April 12th, 2009 at 8:18 am
Our forefathers fought for freedom, including freedom from unreasonable taxation — not for gay marriage and global warming, causes that you guys think top the list.
Have a Happy Easter.
April 12th, 2009 at 9:10 am
The big news on Meet the Press today was the Obama puppy, so I cut it off immediately. However, I did learn the the dog’s name is Bo, which sounds somewhat like slang for boy. It would fit right in with a female dog for the Obama’s that they would logically name Ho.
April 12th, 2009 at 9:53 am
They named the dog Bo? That’s great! Very classy move by the Obama’s.
I love all things Bo:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nnSOwvj24M0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HICsPNm2ARY
All things Woody, not so much:
(evil nutjob) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HmoIjMr1BZs
May his noodly appendage touch his all
http://www.crackedpixels.net/files/images/fsm.jpg
April 12th, 2009 at 10:13 am
Don’t forget Bo Jackson.
April 12th, 2009 at 12:48 pm
” I did learn the the dog’s name is Bo, which sounds somewhat like slang for boy. It would fit right in with a female dog for the Obama’s that they would logically name Ho.”
Woody the racist, in a nutshell. Black man == “boy”. Black woman == “ho”.
April 12th, 2009 at 3:54 pm
No, you misunderstand. Putting ho and bo together gives you hobo.
April 12th, 2009 at 4:47 pm
It should be no surprise that a man named Dick Armey is into teabagging.
April 12th, 2009 at 7:31 pm
Here, ya go.
Tax Day Tea Party
Find a location near you. I think maybe I’ll go just to observe, ya know. Where else could could you get entertainment like this for free.
April 12th, 2009 at 7:41 pm
I hope this isn’t racist, but another thing that bothers tax protestors are the people connected to Obama who cheat on their taxes.
Likely story.
April 12th, 2009 at 7:48 pm
Re. Listener’s link. For those who can’t make it, eat your hearts out.
If you need a place to stay, let me know.
April 12th, 2009 at 8:13 pm
No, Woody, I understood you quite well.
April 12th, 2009 at 8:45 pm
Thanks for being Johnny-on-the-spot, Woody.
If I get done with this complicated merger in time, I’ll be there for the protest. Otherwise, I’ll send my maids — God I got a couple hot ones, just in from Russia. Gorgeous, they are. Anyways, I can’t wait to see Sean Hannity.
Oh, one more thing: Will there be valet service to the protest?
April 12th, 2009 at 10:44 pm
Wish I had more frequent flyer miles so I could wing into Atlanta with a kettle of tea. What a COMPLETE CLOWN SHOW:
Joe the Plumber — The Dumbest Man in America
Dick Armey — The Most Irrelevant Pol in America
Sean Hannty– The Least Talented Talk Show Host in America
Btw.. one should read the remarks Mr. Armey has made to several non fiction book authors (now all in print). Turns out that Armey says he NEVER believed the admin snow job on Iraq and was opposed to the war. Cheney called him and gave him the full dog and pony show, Armey still didnt buy it. But the next week he went on to the House floor — and WEEPING– he voted for war authorization.
He is missing his calling. He should be the keynote speaker not at a Tea Bag arty– but rather at a JellyFish Convention. What a pathetic, loathsome and despicable creep awash in the blood of others.
April 13th, 2009 at 6:10 am
There are a few conservatives left who aren’t completely deluded and dishonest:
http://www.beautifulhorizons.net/weblog/2009/04/conservatism-we-can-believe-in-.html
On Armey and Iraq (and I’m assuming he’s not the only one and that more than a few pols in both parties made the same dirty calculation), this Dick committed something that, if not parallel in some sense to treason, is about as immoral an act as one can imagine and certainly on par with treason in disregard for one’s country, for people serving in the military, for innocent lives and for the integrity of those who will be called upon to demonstrate genuine physical and moral courage rather than C-SPAN theatrics designed to bamboozle voters back in the district. There is nothing more disgusting and morally degenerate IMHO than enabling a war one knows in one’s heart and one’s mind is unnecessary and outside of the bounds of national defense and/or the burdensome and somber moral calculations of a “just war” – which is premised on the reality that all war unleashes inevitable evil and exacts a terrible price upon innocent people.
April 13th, 2009 at 6:32 am
Marc’s filter doesn’t allow links to some sites, so I’ll have to explain this rather than link it.
At a tax professor’s site, the Bartlett story was covered. Here are the three comments so far, with the third one the best:
- – -
There is nothing ironic at all about these protests. At the time of the Boston Tea Party, the tax burden on the colonists was not particularly high either. Taxation approaching 30% of GDP (and soon to be rising much higher) is only “relatively low-tax” when compared with Europe.
Posted by: WilmotProviso | Apr 12, 2009 9:46:00 AM
- – -
Two quick notes:
1. The federal tax bite is lower than 1950 but it doesn’t say the overall bite is lower. I’m guessing that it’s not.
2. Is 28 percent of overall GDP–almost certain to increase under Obama–really that low, or is it merely not as high as some European countries? Wouldn’t you also need to consider the economic performance of the countries with higher tax rates, as well?
In other words, isn’t Bartlett being just as selective about the evidence as the “right-wing” groups?
It appears so.
Posted by: mike livingston | Apr 12, 2009 4:22:48 PM
- – -
It’s obvious that Bartlett doesn’t understand the tax protests and is selective in picking statistics that have nothing to do with them. Frankly, I couldn’t care less what taxes are paid in socialist countries and other nations or that government may be playing games with projections.
Tax protestors are concerned about “spreading the wealth,” which is giving tax “refunds” to people who never paid taxes by taking from others who do. You have to stand against that plan and for principle, because the thresholds for higher taxes will change, and soon any families making over $75,000 will be “rich.”
Also, the irresponsible deficit spending will have to be made up by someone, and that “someone” is going to seriously impact my kids. Aren’t liberals concerned about “the children?”
People who want to make fun of the tax protestors are poor historians and have liberal biases.
Also, when protestors demand their wants for more government spending, you don’t see journalists identifying them as “left-wing groups.” Bartlett should leave off his labels.
Posted by: Woody | Apr 12, 2009 9:38:52 PM
April 13th, 2009 at 6:50 am
To suggest Bruce Bartlett has a “liberal bias” proves what a disingenuous sack of shit you are, Woody. You’re desperate, dishonest and remarkably dumb.
I’d post a photoshopped picture of you shining Bartlett’s shoes, but you’re not fit.
April 13th, 2009 at 7:09 am
Maybe you should post a picture of Bartlett shining the shoes of the liberal press, as he’s desperate for approval from them. His analysis was pathetic, but someone with no college education wouldn’t be able to know that.
Do you give spit shines or do you swallow?
April 13th, 2009 at 7:19 am
“Do you give spit shines or do you swallow?”
One day after the celebration of my resurrection, and you’re making references to obscene sexual acts? You make me weep, my crusty child.
The lord Jesus blessed me with a “Jesus Job” today, now he has passed his holey-ness upon to me.
crucifuck
1. Sexual penetration of the hole in Jesus’ side.
2. Getting a handjob from Jesus via the hole in his hand.
April 13th, 2009 at 8:08 am
When we start posting random commenters from an unnamed blog as my “argument”, you can suggest that others are as tupid and utterly embarrassing in their inability to engage in serious discourse as you are. Bartlett made an argument about the US tax bite compared to every other modern economy in the world and you have done nothing more than disparage his motives. That’s just pathetic. Even coming from such a dishonest, analytically incompetent, racist, bigoted little bore.
April 13th, 2009 at 8:36 am
reg, in your post, you provided Bartlett’s motives as thus: So it’s instructive to read his latest column up at Forbes questioning the “Teabagging” hysteria being stirred up by such as Michelle Malkin, Glenn Beck and Sean Hannity, encouraging tax protests and “teabagging” congress on April 12.
If his motives were honest, then he would have done a decent job in addressing the real concerns of tax protestors, which go beyond what others pay in Iceland.
I, in turn, said that Bartlett’s analysis lacked application to the tax protests and explained why.
BTW, the site link will not post on Marc’s site, but the people who go to that site are more than your casual observers. Let me try it this way: The Site
Once again, you try to discuss something about which you have no knowledge.
April 13th, 2009 at 10:58 am
How do you know if his motives weren’t honest? Do you believe you’re omnipotent?
April 13th, 2009 at 11:15 am
There’s no “motive” implied in that quote you ripped from me, incidentally. It merely states that he “questions” whether the Teabaggers are making a point that makes any sense. He then provided the evidence that, by rational standards, they don’t. Taxes aren’t out of control, compared either to our own historical tax rates and federal taxes as share of GDP, nor by the standards of the civilized world. You’re a complete idiot. Wave your accounting degree and tell us what a genius you are about a subject – economics – about which your ignorance is on steady display.
Oh yeah…and go to hell. You’re a boor and a bore.
April 13th, 2009 at 2:45 pm
Accounting can be boring when you don’t understand it. reg, you parse words and think that no one gets it?
April 13th, 2009 at 11:24 pm
A week ago, some idiot called me at my home about this whole tea bagging thing, and just chattered for about 10-seconds straight in a hyperventilated stream that began with the words, “America! Wake up!” . Then before I could say or ask anything, the line went dead. I guess it was meant to be a sort of live person Robo Call.
I found it exceptionally uncharming.
Maybe there are hallucinogens creeping into the drinking water. That’s the most generous excuse I can find for this utterly psycho behavior.
April 14th, 2009 at 8:51 am
Woody has kids? “Also, the irresponsible deficit spending will have to be made up by someone, and that “someone” is going to seriously impact my kids.”
Be afraid…be very afraid.
Woody also says–to those who can’t make it to the Mad Hatter’s Tea Bagging Party: ” For those who can’t make it, eat your hearts out.”.
Its these type of remarks that catapult one into outer irony.
Marc, I have mentioned this time again…keep Woody’s comments and SELL them to comedy writers. You could deliver a bag a week. The proceeds will leave a trust for your grandchildren.
April 14th, 2009 at 6:36 pm
Go to the link that I provided on April 13th at 8:36 am, and read the comments from that post, which have been greatly expanded. Most of these come from tax law professors, and they don’t give Bartlett high ratings for his analysis.
Sorry about the call, Celeste. I thought I was calling Marc.
April 16th, 2009 at 6:37 pm
Well at last he acknowledged that he’s an idiot.