- "Tea Party Economics" from Forbes
- "Live Tea or Die!" by the humorous Mark Steyn
- Andrew Klavan's personal view
- Were the tea parties more 1765 than 1773? The Bosque Boys and I basically think the same thing.
- A law professor looks at the Tax Day rallies.
~Mainstream media coverage was abysmal. ABYSMAL. People at MSNBC and CNN embarrassed themselves repeatedly. Exhibit A: the now-infamous CNN employee (I refuse to call her a "reporter" or "journalist") who apparently had no inkling either of what journalism is (the collection and objective analysis of facts) or that the First Amendment existed for people who didn't agree with her. Exhibit B: MSNBC and CNN "journalists" acting like sophomoric adolescents by constantly making jokes about "teabagging," which is a grossly vulgar expression in urban slang. Meanwhile, Fox News was an unabashed cheerleader for the tea parties.
~The MSM's and various leftists' open hostility to the tea parties was itself indicative. Hey, I guess dissent isn't patriotic anymore. Do you remember how Bush-bashers used to say that they were being patriots by opposing the president? I guess now we have "dissent for me, but not for thee." Media bias has become so blazingly obvious that I can hardly believe it. Am I the only person who remembers how devotedly the MSM covered anti-Bush rallies or Cindy Sheehan's camp-out in front of Bush's property in Crawford? It's the same MSM that's now openly sneering at the millions of common Americans who came out and exercised their constitutionally protected right to assembly, speech, and expression.
~Some people have said that the rallies are bogus because "where were these rallies when Bush was busy expanding government spending and deficit?" Well, I wasn't happy about THAT, either! And neither were lots of other people. But I think we've come to critical mass with the rapid presentation of TARP, the various bailouts, the mortgage plan, the stimulus bill, AND the Obama budget. The price tag has been eye-watering and mind-boggling, along with the sheer concept of the new debt and deficit, has pushed the long-frustrated American taxpayer to the breaking point. The grotesque amount of government spending, delivered with dubious spending policy, has now become impossible to hide, ignore, or mitigate with pretty words and slight-of-hand. (Listen to the Cassandras?)
~So, did the tea parties DO anything? I think it's premature to expect an agenda. In fact, it's rather good that there's not, because then the rallies would look too partisan and political. No, the parties were the first expression of unhappiness. Where do we go from here? It's time to turn passion into action. Elections are coming in 2010 -- it's time to vote out as many rancid spend-aholic incumbents as we can. I'm disgusted with the entire lot of career politicians in DC. Many career Republicans are just as guilty as career Democrats. It's time to demand accountability. I kind of like this. I kind of like it a lot! (Summary: a politician who supported the bailouts goes home and faces some very angry constituents. All politics really ARE local!)
~Thalia went to a tea party and said there was too much singing "Kumbaya" and nowhere near enough talking about real solutions. She's got a great point. The tea parties are a great first step. But it's time and past time to talk about common sense solutions. She reported a nice little feature of her tea party, though. The organizers had asked everyone who attended to bring a canned food item as the "price of admission." The goal: collecting donations for the local food shelf to help people hard-hit by the recession. Now I like that. I like that A LOT. It's a snapshot of the "common sense solutions" mentality: individuals freely volunteering to help other individuals -- with no stupid government involved.
~The DC talking heads have been busy fomenting or attempting to foment class envy, class hatred, wealth redistribution, and the "eat the rich" mentality. I don't think it's working. The tea parties were rallies against government overreach and its massive spending. The taxman cometh not only for the demonized "rich," but for all of us.
~Frankly, the entire tea party thing made my wicked little libertarian/conservative heart smile. I absolutely believe that the government that governs least governs best, and I am convinced that Reagan was right when he said that government was the problem, not the solution. Besides, there was something deeply moving -- even inspiring -- about millions of normal Americans in hundreds fof cities taking part in the political life of their country and asserting that they are active citizens, not passive subjects. It is a right of participation that previous Americans had fought and even died to obtain and preserve, and it's a wonderful thing. Oh, sure, there were a few inevitable crazies at the rallies (as there are at any rally of any type), but for the most part the folks behaved themselves. It wasn't a mob mentality (and must never become one).
~Some critics have doubted the sincerity and/or authenticity of the parties. "Oh, they can't be grass-roots. They've GOT to be part of some Vast Right Wing Conspiracy." This betrays a total lack of understanding about how information sharing has undergone a revolution in the last few years. Its called the INTERNET, people. From social networking sites like Facebook to instant communications like Twitter or text messages to (now-stodgy-sounding) email, it's now faster and easier to coordinate information than ever before -- among ever-increasing numbers of people who don't have to know each other personally (see the phenomenon of "flash mobs").
~The tea party rallies were the largest tax protests in recent history and memory. Admittedly I'm not very experienced, but I've never seen anything like it. But is anybody in DC "bubble" paying attention? Maybe they'll refuse to acknowledge grass-roots expressions of unhappiness until the grass-roots show up and hold a tea party on the Capitol steps. Tea, Earl Grey, hot!
~I'm rather tickled at how the tea partiers so often called on the memory of the Founding Fathers, used their words on placards, and even dressed in 18th-century garb. The demand: go back to the founding principles! (Note to self: Maybe get a tricorne hat if I go to a future tea party. Maybe my fellow girlish subversives and I will make a special effort to bring the hotness in honor of Martha Washington. You go, girl. After all, it is possible both to be a patriot and have some awesome shoes. Heck, yeah!)
~There is buzz already for another tea party on July 4. One of the witticisms: TEA = "Taxed Enough Already." Heh. You don't say!
The tea parties were a great start. But it's up to the concerned American citizen taxpayer to do something now beyond the world of tea and sympathy. It's time to take it to the ballot box. (Whom do YOU most want to see voted out of office? I have a whole laundry list of people!)
One last thought: I actually don't like talking about tax policy or government spending or things of that nature. I much prefer posting recipes or silly stories about Hello Kitty on my blog. But I feel that this is no time to be an ostrich. I've never gone to a political protest in my life. But you may very well see me at the next tea party. (Assuming that DHS hasn't hauled me away by then! Pfffft!)
Oh, more here, including this fabulous quote about newspapers from someone at the Boston Tea Party: "If Obama had been the king of England, the Globe wouldn’t have covered the American Revolution." Ha!
UPDATE 1: A bailout supporter wonders, "Maybe those tea party protesters were right about the bailouts."
UPDATE 2: The rallies seem to have struck a nerve.
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