Sorry for this addition. I forgot to add the link to another good article that helps to explain the "tea party".
The next-to-last paragraph really hits the target in my opinion.
Well worth your time. The comments are quite good as well.www.washingtonmonthly.com/archives/individual/2010_09/025733.php
semper fi
24 September 2010
More random thoughts
Just some more of my "just thinking" after reading the "usual" web sites plus a few links to other information.
What has got the "left" all excited is the win by Ms. O'Donnell in Delaware recently. Yes, she is even nuttier than falin' Palin. Still we need to take a serious look at what drives the "tea parties" today.
They say they are angry, but it seems to me, their anger is either mis-directed or it is not directed at all. I don't see much of this anger being directed in any useful way.
Why are they so angry? Well, for one thing they see the world and particularly, America is changing. Change is frightening to them. Hell, change is sometimes scary to all of us at times. Change isn't always easy either.
A very good article on the change facing America is the article by Mr. Dilip Hiro over at the always outstanding TomDispatch web site. You can find the article here; www.tomdispatch.com/post/175299/tomgram%3A_dilip_hiro%2C_the_waning_of_america_#more
The "tea party" folks see this sort of thing, the loss of American influence in the world and it frightens them. It shakes their core belief of America as the "indispensable" nation, as a certain "Madass" Albright has said of our country. OK, I admit, I mis-spelled her name, on purpose. Her comment that the deaths of the Iraqi children from the god-awful sanctions imposed by her, at the time boss, Billy Bob Bubba still make me sick. Anybody who could say, on a national TV program that those deaths were "worth it" has to be a total "madass" in my book.
Back to the decline of America as the "sole superpower", the "tea party" people see this and they don't like it one bit. They bought into the lies about our great "strength" as a nation. They bought into the "idea" that America had some sort of "god given" right to rule the world. That "we" could make the world in our image as it were.
Well, that is not working out so well for us now. True, they refuse to see that it was their "hero" W. Shrub who made the current mess. They DO, for the majority, see somebody "other" occupying "their" White House now. That "other" doesn't look quite like them either. Change. Big time change. Frightening change even.
They don't even need to read sites like TomDispatch to see the changes. Even their "precious" Faux Noise has let them see that the US economy, or what passes for an economy today, is in bad shape. Again, they don't see, don't even want to see, that it all really got the start downhill fast for them began with "saint" Ron of Raygun. They refuse to admit that W. Shrub increased the national debt even more and spent the country into the poor house.
They are willfully blind to the truth. This is due mostly to Faux Noise, where the elephant gang will never be held to account. The TV channel where the donkey gang can do no good. Well, that isn't too far from true as I see it. But the "idea"(??) that the elephant gang is blameless is beyond belief. Or it should be if you have a functioning brain.
The "tea party" folks see how things are not going well for themselves or their family members. They see few decent paying, high skill jobs available here at home. They know that much of the good paying manufacturing jobs have been sent off chore. No, they don't get the truth that the big corporations did this to them, and those same corporations fund their "beloved" elephant gang more than they fund the donkey gang. That is something Faux Noise holds back.
Faux Noise being to real news what the WWF is to real sport, well, that is just those of us who are the "professional" left see things. Yeah, a friend told me that I am a part of that "professional" left. And here I had thought I was more middle of the road. Can I still be any sort of "professional" since I am permanently disabled?
The folks like Limburger, Beck, Hannity, falin' Palin, etc all prey on this fear. They feed the fear of these folks. Yes, the Koch brothers are behind the "tea party" or so I have read more than once. With the win by Ms. O'Donnell, they just may be wondering if they can maintain control over the creature they created though. So far, her strategy(?) seems to be to follow the "advice" of falin' Palin and only speak on/to Faux Noise. Well, Ms. Angel out in Nevada has used that channel as a fund raiser. Now, I am not a lawyer, don't even play one on TV, but I don't think that is legal. It sure does not seem ethical. But, then, ethics is a foreign language to the likes of Beck, et al. Just ask all the folks who fell for the "Gold Line" commercials that run on his TV show.
The "tea party" people are very frightened. Hell, they have a right to be so. The country is still in a very deep recession, with no real relief in sight. The influence of America in the world is in decline. Iran still is defying our demands regards their nuclear reactors. China and Russia have deals with Iran. Even India has defied our demands for stronger sanctions against Iran. Hell, India is supposed to be on "our side". Remember, W. Shrub made that sweetheart nuclear deal with them and got our bought and paid for Congress to approve. Pushed it through the international nuclear regulatory agencies even. Now India is making energy deals with Iran! Holy crap Batman.
Look at Pakistan. We provide them with all sorts of aid. True, the aid is mostly military, but even so, they don't exactly shoot every Taliban they come across. In fact, Pakistan has long term agreements with the Afghan Taliban.
Home foreclosures are still setting records in America. Jobs are leaving still. People are having to depend on food stamps in ever larger numbers. Homelessness is increasing. Sure, people are very frightened today. With good reason.
If only the progressives could channel this fear and anger into something for good. Oh, wait, yes, I know, stop dreaming. Well, sorry, I will continue to dream. We need to talk with the "tea party" folks and tell them the truth. It may not be easy, they have been indoctrinated by Faux Noise. Not all these folks are out in the far fringes though. Don't get discouraged if you don't succeed the first time either.
On a more positive note. I found out that some places in America DO have an "instant runoff election" this year even. The story on that is at the following web site.www.inthesetimes.com/article/6434/instant_election_reform
See, there IS some good news out there people. You just need to look for it.
semper fi
What has got the "left" all excited is the win by Ms. O'Donnell in Delaware recently. Yes, she is even nuttier than falin' Palin. Still we need to take a serious look at what drives the "tea parties" today.
They say they are angry, but it seems to me, their anger is either mis-directed or it is not directed at all. I don't see much of this anger being directed in any useful way.
Why are they so angry? Well, for one thing they see the world and particularly, America is changing. Change is frightening to them. Hell, change is sometimes scary to all of us at times. Change isn't always easy either.
A very good article on the change facing America is the article by Mr. Dilip Hiro over at the always outstanding TomDispatch web site. You can find the article here; www.tomdispatch.com/post/175299/tomgram%3A_dilip_hiro%2C_the_waning_of_america_#more
The "tea party" folks see this sort of thing, the loss of American influence in the world and it frightens them. It shakes their core belief of America as the "indispensable" nation, as a certain "Madass" Albright has said of our country. OK, I admit, I mis-spelled her name, on purpose. Her comment that the deaths of the Iraqi children from the god-awful sanctions imposed by her, at the time boss, Billy Bob Bubba still make me sick. Anybody who could say, on a national TV program that those deaths were "worth it" has to be a total "madass" in my book.
Back to the decline of America as the "sole superpower", the "tea party" people see this and they don't like it one bit. They bought into the lies about our great "strength" as a nation. They bought into the "idea" that America had some sort of "god given" right to rule the world. That "we" could make the world in our image as it were.
Well, that is not working out so well for us now. True, they refuse to see that it was their "hero" W. Shrub who made the current mess. They DO, for the majority, see somebody "other" occupying "their" White House now. That "other" doesn't look quite like them either. Change. Big time change. Frightening change even.
They don't even need to read sites like TomDispatch to see the changes. Even their "precious" Faux Noise has let them see that the US economy, or what passes for an economy today, is in bad shape. Again, they don't see, don't even want to see, that it all really got the start downhill fast for them began with "saint" Ron of Raygun. They refuse to admit that W. Shrub increased the national debt even more and spent the country into the poor house.
They are willfully blind to the truth. This is due mostly to Faux Noise, where the elephant gang will never be held to account. The TV channel where the donkey gang can do no good. Well, that isn't too far from true as I see it. But the "idea"(??) that the elephant gang is blameless is beyond belief. Or it should be if you have a functioning brain.
The "tea party" folks see how things are not going well for themselves or their family members. They see few decent paying, high skill jobs available here at home. They know that much of the good paying manufacturing jobs have been sent off chore. No, they don't get the truth that the big corporations did this to them, and those same corporations fund their "beloved" elephant gang more than they fund the donkey gang. That is something Faux Noise holds back.
Faux Noise being to real news what the WWF is to real sport, well, that is just those of us who are the "professional" left see things. Yeah, a friend told me that I am a part of that "professional" left. And here I had thought I was more middle of the road. Can I still be any sort of "professional" since I am permanently disabled?
The folks like Limburger, Beck, Hannity, falin' Palin, etc all prey on this fear. They feed the fear of these folks. Yes, the Koch brothers are behind the "tea party" or so I have read more than once. With the win by Ms. O'Donnell, they just may be wondering if they can maintain control over the creature they created though. So far, her strategy(?) seems to be to follow the "advice" of falin' Palin and only speak on/to Faux Noise. Well, Ms. Angel out in Nevada has used that channel as a fund raiser. Now, I am not a lawyer, don't even play one on TV, but I don't think that is legal. It sure does not seem ethical. But, then, ethics is a foreign language to the likes of Beck, et al. Just ask all the folks who fell for the "Gold Line" commercials that run on his TV show.
The "tea party" people are very frightened. Hell, they have a right to be so. The country is still in a very deep recession, with no real relief in sight. The influence of America in the world is in decline. Iran still is defying our demands regards their nuclear reactors. China and Russia have deals with Iran. Even India has defied our demands for stronger sanctions against Iran. Hell, India is supposed to be on "our side". Remember, W. Shrub made that sweetheart nuclear deal with them and got our bought and paid for Congress to approve. Pushed it through the international nuclear regulatory agencies even. Now India is making energy deals with Iran! Holy crap Batman.
Look at Pakistan. We provide them with all sorts of aid. True, the aid is mostly military, but even so, they don't exactly shoot every Taliban they come across. In fact, Pakistan has long term agreements with the Afghan Taliban.
Home foreclosures are still setting records in America. Jobs are leaving still. People are having to depend on food stamps in ever larger numbers. Homelessness is increasing. Sure, people are very frightened today. With good reason.
If only the progressives could channel this fear and anger into something for good. Oh, wait, yes, I know, stop dreaming. Well, sorry, I will continue to dream. We need to talk with the "tea party" folks and tell them the truth. It may not be easy, they have been indoctrinated by Faux Noise. Not all these folks are out in the far fringes though. Don't get discouraged if you don't succeed the first time either.
On a more positive note. I found out that some places in America DO have an "instant runoff election" this year even. The story on that is at the following web site.www.inthesetimes.com/article/6434/instant_election_reform
See, there IS some good news out there people. You just need to look for it.
semper fi