So has the TEA “party” become just another bunch of liberals or not?
I know that many will of course think that Frank Knotts has once again gone off his rocker, but is it really just me? Or has anyone else noticed how much the current incarnation of the so-called TEA “party” resembles the Hippies and the leftist movements of the sixties?
Let us compare the TEA “party” with the Hippies of the sixties. In the sixties the Hippie movement was the face of the anti-establishment movement that was spreading across the nation. The Hippies, like the TEA people, were made up of many diverse sub groups. In the sixties some Hippies were out-and-out communist, some were simply free love adherents, some wanted only for the government to leave them alone and others wanted no government at all.
Starting to see the resemblance yet?
Okay, so I am not saying that the TEA people are communist, but they do share a similar mentality of requiring one hundred percent adherence to their views, or else you find yourself targeted for ridicule, or maybe worse. The TEA people are clearly the face of the current anti-establishment movement spreading across the nation.
In the sixties the Hippies were vehemently opposed to anything even resembling what they defined as being the “ESTABLISHMENT”, or “THE MAN”, much in the same way as the current TEA movement is. Of course like the TEA people, the Hippies definition of establishment was wide-ranging and ever-changing.
In the sixties the Hippies called the police, “pigs”, the TEA people are not so crude, they call them “tyrants” and the tools of tyrants. Simply allow a police officer to pull his weapon and defend himself and watch the TEA people come out of the shadows yelling police abuse, and shouting that the officer has somehow robbed you of your constitutional rights. It would seem that the only law enforcement that is acceptable to the TEA people are retired law enforcement, as long as they sign a loyalty oath to one of the TEA people sub groups.
Of course like Hippies, the TEA people reserve their greatest loathing for all things government. That is except for the Armed Forces, which they see as being a possible way to overthrow the hated government. But given time I believe that even the military will at some point become a target for the TEA people.
In the sixties the Hippies wanted to return to nature, to commune with nature. they would go west and set up places where they would have no need for electricity, they would grow their own food, they would have no need for the government’s money. The TEA people call this, “OFF THE GRID”, they want to move out west were they will have no need for electricity, well except for what they generate with their stockpile of gasoline and generators. They will grow their own food, mostly beans it would seem from some of the TEA group seminars. And they will have no need for the government’s money, since they cashed it all in, in exchange for the government’s gold!
Of course just like the Hippies of the sixties, there are members of the TEA movement who want nothing but to be left alone, to be allowed to smoke pot, to have no taxes what so ever. To love their brothers and sisters, as long as they speak English, and not as a second language. They want to be allowed to ride the roads without paying for those roads.
However, also like the Hippies of the sixties, there are more radical members within the sub groups. I see the potential, the possibility, I say there is a real chance, that some of the militia and patriot groups could, I repeat, “COULD”, become militant. Let’s face it we are already hearing rhetoric about overthrowing the government by force if need be. Is it such a far stretch to imagine the more radical of the TEA movement setting bombs in police stations like the Weather Underground?
I have always said, if the movement continued to move farther and farther to the right, it would eventually come back around on the left, and that is exactly what has happened. The once conservative movement known as TEA, has now become just another bunch of oppressive, judgmental, intolerant leftist, liberals!
Exceptional historical analysis and it will drive some them Bat S*** Crazy. The truth tends to do that to political purists with no sense of historical perspective.
Most guys became hippies because they thought hippie chicks were easy and they wanted to smoke weed.
There was no ideology involved. Going to anti war protests was just a great way to meet babes who were into sex,
Tony’s remark would explain Vance Phillips, if Tea Party is truly the Hippies of the Teens….
I don’t know what explains Vance Phillips, Ted Kennedy, Anthony Weiner et al.
Rush Limbaugh has the best explanation. He states that Politics is Show Business for the ugly.
Tony and Kavips may have tapped (no pun intended) into something I had missed.
I helped organize the successful Tea Party rallies in 2009 and 2010 and there was no extremism or purity. We saw a Democratic party beholden to many disparate extremist views and a GOP (Delaware and National) devoid of any principles whatsoever.
The many splinter groups who have formed outside of the De GOP confirm how disjointed and leaderless the DEGOP was and is.
The TEA Party believes a few things which make sense now and always. Freedom, Liberty and Opportunity are essential to for America to survive. We were not anarchists but we realize the limits of government by common sense and by the Constitution and while the social welfare state is imploding you can’t expand it.
In closing TEA Party people are 100% more tolerant of others than liberals who hail moral superiority as their divine right and those who differ from them must be destroyed and libeled.
Mr. Protack, you may want to take another look at some of the groups and people calling themselves TEA people now, tolerance is not in their vocabulary.
Tuxamus Maximus has little to offer on this subject locally. But nationally it seems that the Tea Party became an infection on the GOP as it had been known for many years and really decades. In time it became a disease and there may well be no real cure to the GOP now that there is no party left behind having been run over by a train with no tracks to ride. What once was exists no more with little hope of truly being the strong party it was just six years ago. When the name calling by the hard liners started within the ranks it was the beginning of the end. It’s become obvious that once the hardliners took the GOP over the edge the mainstream decided that they would wait it out. Maybe too much time has passed and they (being the old guard GOP) just don’t care anymore? It seems that things went way too far in Sussex but the learning curve is steep for Tuxamus Maximus and it may not be worth trying to figure it all out concerning what happened in Sussex County.
For what it’s worth what is seen here is that for the most part this site sees a usually give and take until the fringe elements get involved and rudely start calling other names and blatantly make things out to be fact that just aren’t true and when, and it seldom happens, they do offer up some kind of proof it’s some fringe site or biased ‘survey’. It’s just the way it’s seen by Tuxamus Maximus.
Apparently of recent it’s been a thing where the former Tea people decimated the GOP and then because nobody wanted to play with them they decided to take their ball and become Pod People hoping they can unite the independent voters. Just don’t see that happening because the independents everywhere seem to just vote as they want and don’t like being told what to think by any party. Maybe the GOP faithful that had dropped out will make it work again once the Tea People are completely gone? Will Tuxamus Maximus be here long enough to see that happen? If it doesn’t start happening soon it won’t at all both here in Sussex and nationwide. So many things have changed over the last few years and the Pod People must understand that it will never be what it was in the past because of the demographics that are changing and evolving.
Just a tip of the hat to Protack, his rallies were very civil, pertinent, and well attended. And it is true, the Tea Party was founded upon good principles I have previously commented on how the originators of the Tea Party in Florida were very similar in passion, ideas, and courage as were our founding fathers.
But as Federalism was once corrupted into being used to support slavery, the Tea Party became infiltrated by those disenfranchised with Obama. That included some racists, that included crazy Eileen, that included many who thought they themselves were around what the universe circled.
The Tea Party then, became identified as the party of obstruction. “Over my dead body” was the rallying cry… As we approach 2014 those dead bodies are starting to pile up, because most voters want improvement, not imprisonment by another’s philosophy. And that is where the Tea Party crumbled, I think. The enthusiastic ideas with which it originated, evaporated into leaving empty shells going through empty motions. For example how many “for show” votes have clouded the agenda to vote down Obamacare? There is no reality anymore.
Those of you in a fret, really don’t worry. Someone has to be the antithesis of the democratic party. If it is not the Tea, not the Republicans, not the independents,…. it will be somebody else. Something will always be there to counteract the Democratic Party.
Now, against the Democrats are two trains of thoughts; one is to be so extreme that one sends out a beacon for lost members to flock towards; the other is to analyze voting trends and see what people want, then become that thing. I’ll offer Ronald Reagan as an example of the latter train .
Until Republicans offer what voters want, they won’t get elected. Mike Protack, to use one example, does very well among Democrats and Independents. He was just never able to make it past the ideologues of the local Republican power structure to get on the ballot as a main party candidate.
had the party truly been interested in winning back power and chosen to do so instead of wanting only ‘their guys” to win back power, there would be more conservatism in government today.
Now, life is flexible. People can change. Voters have short memories. If the “new” repackaged Copeland would work with a ‘new” repackaged Protack, other offices on the state level might have a chance getting swept in on the tide, especially those in moderate Conservative districts…
Tuxamus Maximus offers a standing ovation to kavips! WOW that’s pretty cool way of putting it all in context for the national level. Only problem is that it’s new names and new work for Tuxamus Maximus.
Well said Kavips. I would add that the main stream media seems to be inflating the current status of the TEA to make it seem stronger and more influential than it really is now. Why you ask? To keep it around as the boogeyman to rally the liberal base of the Democrat Party against.
In my view both parties would actually benefit from ignoring the media and the TEA.
Having the Democrats fighting against a straw man enemy created by the media tends to cause that base to react even more radically than it might otherwise.
Having the Republican Party ignore the TEA would allow for a more clear headed response to the opposition, rather than trying to cater to the radicalized right of the TEA.
You were dropped on your head as a child weren’t you?
Every movement has its quirks and its “ideologues”, of that there can be no doubt. But let’s remember why anyone even reads your drivel Frank, because you were once associated with the TEA Party. Otherwise, you are just another blowhard idiot with too much to say and apparently way too much time. The only reason that you have THIS platform is because the waves that the TEA Party created, have left this ripple for you to call home.
In the Delaware blogosphere, amid the former semi-pro wrestlers, union thugs and moderates of every flavor, you may indeed be…appreciated? mocked less than others?…but in truth, I think that the folks who run this site, could do a hell of a lot better finding someone else (anyone else) to do their posting…then again maybe not since it seems like you’re pretty much the only one willing to spend all of your time writing about things you know nothing about…seems like the rest of the people are out…you know…doing things.
Tuxamus Maximus wonders what the point was with the rant that ‘Frank the tank’ was trying to make other than BLAH BLAH BLAH because whatever point ‘Frank the Tank’ was trying to make read like whine, moan, groan and I miss you so much please come back.
Tuxamus Maximus appreciates the people that at least try to be nice here. Such hate isn’t necessary. Maybe some missed the memo sent out by most good mothers that goes along the lines of ‘if you have nothing nice to say don’t say anything at all’.
And you Tuxamus are nice? I hear blah blah blah and whine moan and groan….is that a conversation or a very UN nice retort?
Tuxamus Maximus’s reply to Ruth Gibb is the response of BLAH, BLAH, BLAH really is nicer than “You were dropped on your head as a child weren’t you?” and most of what ‘Frank the Tank’ offered with his insult ridden commentary/tirade. Does a tirade like that get offered an ovation or a satirical follow up comment?
Tuxamus Maximus asks Ruth Gibb what comment she would provide to the topic provided by Mr. Knotts and the commentary/tirade provided by ‘Frank the Tank’. Please describe what useful purpose the comment/tirade provided by ‘Frank the Tank’ to the topic at hand other than BLAH BLAH BLAH. Others may not be interested but Tuxamus Maximus sure is awaiting your thoughts!
Tuxamus Maximus sees all this and is fascinated by the complete implosion of what apparently was a functioning ‘party’ not so many years ago.
To Frank The Tank, if when you say I was associated with the TEA, you mean I supported and voted for Ms. O’Donnell, then you may be correct. However I have long warned against the negative affects that the TEA would and is having on the real conservative movement.
As for your criticism of my writing, well everyone is welcome to their opinion, but thanks for reading anyway.