Like hundreds of thousands of other Americans, the Hollywoods enjoyed a tea party this past Wednesday. "Tea party" (wink wink). Nothing subversive about sipping a little Darjeeling, eh wot? Nothing to see here, Miss Napolitano.
Anyway, our local festivities were held at Veterans Memorial Boulevard in Metairie. There were literally thousands of people crammed into the neutral ground (though on that day, the ground was anything but...), as cars and trucks poured by the busy boulevard laing on their horns in support.
Here are pictures.
And like every such gathering in our environs, there was even a brass band and an improptu "second line" parade. It was a "party" after all. But it was a party with a serious reason.
The crowds were so overwhelming that it was hard to hear the speakers, and unfortunately, we did have a few politicians speaking, trying to glom onto the spontaneous citizen outcry. But overall, it was an inspiring time, a wake-up call for big-government politicians and bureaucrats who have forgotten for whom they work and the law which they are bound to obey.
The tea parties all over the country were a great blessing and at least demonstrate the idea that Americans haven't rolled over in their defiance. However, there are a few things to be watchful about, and here is an excellent analysis of the tea party phenomenon.
And here is an illustration of how messed up the country has become. Notice how the protester invokes Lincoln (the cornerstone of Big Government and centralized Washingtonian control), and notice how the "reporter" picks a fight with him (amazing!), openly defending a political position, and then concludes that this is an "anti-CNN" demonstration.
Don't flatter yourself, lady. CNN is a joke, and she proved it by this kind of "coverage." This is about something far bigger than her insignificant job.
The tea parties used the federal tax deadline as a convenient day to rally. But this is not primarily about taxes. The government will not be able to tax enough to cover its expenses. It will resort to the printing press - especially when China stops buying our increasingly worthless treasuries. And what good is this "reporter's" laughable $400 tax credit when the government is destroying the value of the dollar and putting generations into debt?
Another canard is that this is about "losing an election" and that the American Revolution involved only "taxation without representation." It demonstrates how few people have actually read the Declaration of Independence - which enumerates a litany of reasons for the separation - many of which are being done to us today and in far greater numbers - not by George in London, but by George and Barack in Washington.
These tea parties are not about the Republicans vs. the Democrats (as both are culpable for where we are today). This is about the need for the government to be severely curtailed and limited by the Constitution and by the need for both parties to renounce Socialism and to embrace free markets, free thoughts, and free people.
The press and the politicians don't get it yet. But hopefully they will. A free America has much to offer not only her own citizens, but people all over the world. But a fascist and imperial America will be as destructive as any other tyranny in history.
We're at a crossroads in our history.
Tea anyone?
4 comments:
I'll be having a cuppa to-morrow at the Fort Wayne Courthouse. I've invited several people to come and enjoy the scones. :D
These tea parties annoy me. These are not tea parties! I assume, per their title, that they are meant to be a bit reminiscent of the Boston Tea Party. However, these tea parties did not actually do anything. When I first heard about them, I thought it sounded cool, like people would not pay their taxes and burn their tax forms or something. Instead, they (rich white people) just paid their taxes, and gathered in places like Metairie (rich white suburb) and talked about how its a bad idea that they are to be taxed so much. Come on. If you really think the taxes are bad, do something about it and dont pay your taxes. Instead, maybe all of these tea party folks should send envelopes to the IRS with messages like 'I will not pay my taxes' or something like that.
Simply put, these folks had nothing to lose by taking part in these tea parties. Its a pretty tame version of any sort of protest which our nation was birthed out of. I can only imagine what the new American 'revolution' will be... rich white people standing around in uppity parks 'declaring' a new republic or something.
Even during the Vietnam War, people burned their draft cards in protest. They didnt just complain about how lame the war was... they put their butts on the line and did something illegal. Real protest. When are we going to get that?
Dear Emp:
I hear what you're saying, and as for me, I wish there was more talk about the Federal Reserve and the bill to audit it, and the need to abolish it, more talk about the boom and bust cycles, and more talk about states rights.
But I wouldn't describe most of the people at the tea party as "rich" - in fact, I found them mostly to be blue-collar people who were tired of bearing the brunt - as the middle class typically does.
I think the tea parties are a good start. Typically, the only way to get thousands of people together is to entertain them somehow. But these were a lot of people who were angry about the bailouts, about the increasing role of government, about the loss of freedom - as well as taxes. And they came anyway with no rock and roll, no basketball, no pyrotechnics, and no celebrities.
I'm encouraged by what I saw. I think there are a lot of people who would like to hijack the anger and use it for partisan purposes - but the anger is really out there - and that's better than the typical American glassy-eyed look you usually get when you bring up the topic of liberty and free markets.
People who have had enough are far more likely to read, to organize, and to frighten the politicians.
I'm sure when crowds began to gather in the waning days of the Soviet Union it probably seemed like a waste of time, but governments fear these kinds of movements - especially in this day and age of the Internet.
For the most part, your average American doesn't know about protests, non-violent resistance, and civil disobedience - since most of them are too busy working. The worst thing that can happen for the feds is for the rank and file Americans to learn how to do these things, and then to do them.
I do enjoy a good protest/demonstration. I do also agree with these folks as to the matter of taxes and government. So yes, maybe its not all that bad of a thing. Weve got to start somewhere I guess.
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