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I was reading some articles on Huffington Post (a site I rarely visit) and was surprised that most of the comments I read were anti-Obama. They felt that Obama was not nearly liberal enough and was looking out for corporate interests over the middle class. There was a lot of "I can't believe I fell for that marketing campaign" type of Obama regret posts. There were some Obama defenders, but they were in the minority. As a tea party conservative I enjoyed reading the posts...mostly because of the Obama bashing but I also could understand their frustration, I felt some type of kinship with them.
Reading those comments made me realize that in some ways the far left and the tea party have some things in common (they are polar opposites in other ways) While at the same time Dems who still support Obama have some things in common with moderate Republicans such as those attracted to politicians like Mike Castle.
The biggest common ground I can see between the tea party movement and the far left (besides being anti-Obama) is a belief that the establishment is working in the interests of the elite over the average American. They both share a passionate anger that the status quo is unacceptable. I read many comments from far leftists criticizing TARP and other bailouts as only benefitting the banks at the expense of the shrinking middle class. So much that I read reminded me of what tea partiers have said.
At the same time, Democrats who still support Obama and moderate Repubicans seem more trusting of the ruling class.. On bailouts for example they are more likely to accept it at face value when politicians say they are needed to save the economy from getting even worse. It is also my impression that these two groups as a whole are less interested in political issues and are generally satisfied with the status quo.
As a leftist anarchist, nothing would satisfy me more than the complete destruction of the GOP and Democratic Parties and the special interest favor system that rules the US government. But there are glaring differences between the Left and the Tea Party (leaving out philosophical debate).
1. The Tea Party Movement has money. Billionaire conservative families are bankrolling Tea Party organizations. The libertarian message sits well with corporation executives and Wall Street. The Left can't count on billionaires for obvious reasons (i.e. the removal of capitalism from society and the elimination of private property). And George Soros doesn't count because he finances mainstream liberal groups such as Center for American Progress. Trust me...Soros would not drop a dime on socialist or environmental-oriented political parties and non-profit organizations because they would destroy his wealth in a heart beat.
2. The media hypes up the Tea Party while ignoring dissent and growing anger from The Left. Again, this goes back to Point #1 because the Tea Party movement has powerful public relations allies. Money buys media access. The Leftist base consists of wage workers, college professors, students, and starving artists. They don't have millions for PR support in Washington, DC and beyond. But corporations, Chambers of Commerce and wealthy families have $$$$$ to spend on lobbying and media relations.
3. The tea party movement has less diversity than The Left. I have seen enough Tea Party rallies on TV and in person to realize that the followers tend to be:
White
Christian (Evangelical, Baptist or some other more conservative Protestant branch)
Suburban and Rural residence.
Much higher concentration of supporters living in "red states" as opposed to the coastal "blue states".
Long-time supporters of Republican candidates.
Something tells me that Tea Party people like country music than any other say Hip-Hop, Jazz, or alternative rock.
Economically more advantaged than the average US citizen.
The typical Tea Party supporter is older than 40 years of age and most female activists tend to be married with children.
Demographically speaking, the Tea Party represents a narrow base but the movement has a potent base when it comes to the financial strength of its members. The bad news for the Tea Party movement is that America is getting browner, more religiously diverse, more ethnically diverse, and more integrated with other worldly cultures thanks to globalization. Oh...and rural populations in the Red States will continue to decline as younger people head for the big coastal cities in search of jobs; with that relocation comes exposure to different races, cultures and political beliefs.
Although I don't agree with the Tea Party supporters, I understand their frustration with how we are governed today. I don't view Tea Party people as the "enemy"; the real struggle is against greed and corruption that infests the halls of Congress and in our White House. Wealthy families and corporations have bought the United States and the politicians cup their hands for more campaign contributions. The GOP and Democrats are guilty as charged and they should be forced out of power. I prefer removal through the electoral system but I would not hesitate to resorting to violence if things don't change.
This coming from an Anarcho-Socialist.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jay F
I was reading some articles on Huffington Post (a site I rarely visit) and was surprised that most of the comments I read were anti-Obama. They felt that Obama was not nearly liberal enough and was looking out for corporate interests over the middle class. There was a lot of "I can't believe I fell for that marketing campaign" type of Obama regret posts. There were some Obama defenders, but they were in the minority. As a tea party conservative I enjoyed reading the posts...mostly because of the Obama bashing but I also could understand their frustration, I felt some type of kinship with them.
Reading those comments made me realize that in some ways the far left and the tea party have some things in common (they are polar opposites in other ways) While at the same time Dems who still support Obama have some things in common with moderate Republicans such as those attracted to politicians like Mike Castle.
The biggest common ground I can see between the tea party movement and the far left (besides being anti-Obama) is a belief that the establishment is working in the interests of the elite over the average American. They both share a passionate anger that the status quo is unacceptable. I read many comments from far leftists criticizing TARP and other bailouts as only benefitting the banks at the expense of the shrinking middle class. So much that I read reminded me of what tea partiers have said.
At the same time, Democrats who still support Obama and moderate Repubicans seem more trusting of the ruling class.. On bailouts for example they are more likely to accept it at face value when politicians say they are needed to save the economy from getting even worse. It is also my impression that these two groups as a whole are less interested in political issues and are generally satisfied with the status quo.
Might want to try a different country, maybe iran, venezuela or maybe north korea. Just take a hike near their border and they'll gladly welcome you there!!
Yes Coldbliss, regarding your point #2. You are right that the media totally ignores the anger on the left. Until I read these blog posts I was under the impression that all of the left was united behind Obama and was perfectly satisfied with the status quo. Or if they had anger it was only directed at Republicans (even if Dems had the majority to pass whatever they pleased).
BTW,I don't fit your stereotype of tea partiers taste in music. I do like country music but also just about every other musical genre. I was one of the first whites I knew of that became a fan of rap music in the early 80s. I still keep up with it today but feel the quality of hip hop has gone downhill in recent years. It has become stale, too focused on themes like shopping for expensive material goods.
As a leftist anarchist, nothing would satisfy me more than the complete destruction of the GOP and Democratic Parties and the special interest favor system that rules the US government. But there are glaring differences between the Left and the Tea Party (leaving out philosophical debate).
3. The tea party movement has less diversity than The Left. I have seen enough Tea Party rallies on TV and in person to realize that the followers tend to be: White
Christian (Evangelical, Baptist or some other more conservative Protestant branch)
Suburban and Rural residence.
Much higher concentration of supporters living in "red states" as opposed to the coastal "blue states".
Long-time supporters of Republican candidates.
Something tells me that Tea Party people like country music than any other say Hip-Hop, Jazz, or alternative rock.
Economically more advantaged than the average US citizen.
The typical Tea Party supporter is older than 40 years of age and most female activists tend to be married with children.
Demographically speaking, the Tea Party represents a narrow base but the movement has a potent base when it comes to the financial strength of its members. The bad news for the Tea Party movement is that America is getting browner, more religiously diverse, more ethnically diverse, and more integrated with other worldly cultures thanks to globalization. Oh...and rural populations in the Red States will continue to decline as younger people head for the big coastal cities in search of jobs; with that relocation comes exposure to different races, cultures and political beliefs.
Although I don't agree with the Tea Party supporters, I understand their frustration with how we are governed today. I don't view Tea Party people as the "enemy"; the real struggle is against greed and corruption that infests the halls of Congress and in our White House. Wealthy families and corporations have bought the United States and the politicians cup their hands for more campaign contributions. The GOP and Democrats are guilty as charged and they should be forced out of power. I prefer removal through the electoral system but I would not hesitate to resorting to violence if things don't change.
This coming from an Anarcho-Socialist.
Imagine that, the Tea Party mimics the population of the United States... isn't that odd. I do wonder how you can tell all of those things about people just by looking at them though, besides the color of their skin how can you tell all that stuff? Magic?
The only thing I can agree on with the far Left is that both parties are corrupt to the core. The huge difference between our 2 sides is that the far Left think capitalism is the problem, whereas the Libertarians think capitalism is not the problem, but corporate fascism is. I believe we have had a corporate fascist government for many decades, starting with the Progressive Era when Wilson signed the Federal Reserve Act. However coldbliss, the demographic of the tea parties are what the MAJORITY of Americans are. I know you feel bad knowing that white Christians make up the majority of the country, but please get over yourself. You're showing your partisan colors already with BS like that, when you claim to want to be non-partisan
Interesting to see Jay perspective with no anger intended just a thoughtful look at both sides. I appreciate you sharing your analogy. Then I look at Coldbliss the leftist anarchist and feel his anger at the right and in general mostly everything. Why, should it matter to you if I am a multi-millionaire or person on minimum wage. When was the last time you were ever happy in life? Maybe a quiet island alone and away from all the stress of the country would lead you to some happy life.
I'm a moderate democrat. I can't speak directly for the more liberal end of the party, but I think the problem isn't that they don't like Obama or what he stands for--it's that they think he hasn't gone far enough on the issues that are important to them. They feel betrayed. That's completely different from the tea party stand that anything he does is evil or wrong. I see nothing in common here.
I was floored when some right wingers took Velma Hart's statement (I'm exhausted of defending you) as indication that she disagreed with his policies because they were wrong--as I said--she's fed up because they haven't gone far enough. To give him credit, he's faced stiff opposition from republicans who have tried to block every single effort to do anything to help this country. All they seem to care about is not giving him credit because of the upcoming elections, vs. doing the right thing for the country.
I'm disappointed in him as well--not because I think his policies will hurt this country, but because I think he needs to step up to the plate and lay out a long term strategy to get us out of this mess, and he needs to lay it out in a way that people understand. He has to explain why the Republican plan would be a disaster--cutting taxes and government right now could do exactly what it did under Hoover--throw us into a depression. After putting in place dramatic tax cuts, even Hoover raised taxes on the upper class in 1932, and increased government spending after a failed attempt to balance the budget, but it was too little too late. We have a double mess because on top of everything else, we're in the middle of a costly war.
I'm a moderate democrat. I can't speak directly for the more liberal end of the party, but I think the problem isn't that they don't like Obama or what he stands for--it's that they think he hasn't gone far enough on the issues that are important to them. They feel betrayed. That's completely different from the tea party stand that anything he does is evil or wrong. I see nothing in common here.
I was floored when some right wingers took Velma Hart's statement (I'm exhausted of defending you) as indication that she disagreed with his policies because they were wrong--as I said--she's fed up because they haven't gone far enough. To give him credit, he's faced stiff opposition from republicans who have tried to block every single effort to do anything to help this country. All they seem to care about is not giving him credit because of the upcoming elections, vs. doing the right thing for the country.
I'm disappointed in him as well--not because I think his policies will hurt this country, but because I think he needs to step up to the plate and lay out a long term strategy to get us out of this mess, and he needs to lay it out in a way that people understand. He has to explain why the Republican plan would be a disaster--cutting taxes and government right now could do exactly what it did under Hoover--throw us into a depression. After putting in place dramatic tax cuts, even Hoover raised taxes on the upper class in 1932, and increased government spending after a failed attempt to balance the budget, but it was too little too late. We have a double mess because on top of everything else, we're in the middle of a costly war.
Bolded statement: you really are delusional aren't you? How can the Republicans have blocked ANYTHING, when the Democrats have had a filibuster proof majority in the Senate and a majority in the House, and a Democratic president that would rubber stamp anything coming out of the Pelosi/Reid Congress?
The Leftist base consists of wage workers, college professors, students, and starving artists.
And billion dollar unions, Lawyers, Judges, Hollywood, professional athletes, the poor people of Berkley and the Hampton’s, yes it is truly the party of the poor.
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