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Two Lumps of BitternessWhy we should throw the Tea Party movement overboard.By SUSAN ZHUMarch 4, 2010
Usually, when the phrase “tea party” shows up in the news, it’s relatively harmless. Maybe the President is meeting with the Queen of England (à la beer summit) and is need of some cucumber sandwiches, or Bostonians, in a fit of outrageous patriotism brought on by an excessive lack of sunshine, are re-enacting (for some reason) the 1773 tea-dumping incident. But no. Although the Tea Party movement (see, it’s capitalized, so it’s different) does involve some little old ladies and some professed patriotism, it is actually an anti-federal government movement egged on by one of my least favorite people in the world: Glenn Beck. These Tea Party activists are not necessarily party-specific: they think President Obama is going to destroy America, democracy, and freedom as much as Sen. John McCain will. They don’t really have a leader, though many would call Glenn Beck a guide, and they have no central organization. But what else would you expect from people who hate the federal government? Most Tea Party activists are opposed to universal health care, stimulus packages, bailouts, the federal income tax (and therefore, Social Security and Medicare), and the Federal Reserve. For people who are terrified of socialism, Americans sure do have an interesting way of embracing capitalism and the principles of free market economies. Hating on the Federal Reserve is like saying you don’t believe in the relationship between interest rates, inflation, the money supply, etc. They reject the idea that the government should provide services for the people, and, presumably, would put private companies at the forefront, never mind that such private companies helped cause this lovely little period of economic doodoo we’re in now, and never mind that they also wouldn’t want to bail these companies out. I will admit that the government may not be the most efficient, as evidenced by the United States Postal Service, but I really don’t trust people to take care of themselves. The income tax forces them to set aside money for their future by taking away some money now; without it, I see a good deal of manipulation and exploitation by private companies, and a whole lot of bankrupt, health care-less elderly citizens. Instead of the federal government, a good lot of the Tea Party activists promote secession, nullification of federal laws, citizen militias, and tax boycotts. They like privacy, and they love the Constitution. They would die to protect it from harm (aka Obama). I think they’re advocating for anarchy, but I’m not entirely sure. I would say that these Tea Party-ers remind me of an earlier age in the history of the American republic: an age when John C. Calhoun suggested that South Carolina had a constitutional right to nullify federal laws, when Andrew Jackson killed the Bank of the United States, when western vigilantes patrolled the land. Then there’s secession — why does that sound familiar? Could it be because we fought a bloody civil war to keep the union together? Oh yeah, and they also had slavery then, and killed off Native Americans like it ain’t no thang. Health care? A stable economy and money supply? The chance for higher education? Yeah, good luck with that. Before you cast the Tea Party movement off as a group of bored, bitter, and uneducated people participating in some fringe movement, consider this: 46 percent of them have at least a college diploma. They do tend to be older and white, which basically means they’re likely to be conservative. And in fact, 78 percent of them are “very positive” on being an ideological conservative (64 percent get their news from Fox News). They’ve read the Constitution, and they honestly believe that it spells out the death of the federal government. Never mind that the Federalist Papers, another one of their handbooks and in part penned by the creator of the first Bank of the United States (Alexander Hamilton, what up!), argues in defense of just such a system. With the economy in its current state, a couple of wars, and a slow-moving government, it’s no surprise that people are having fits and flinging tea. With that in mind, I sincerely hope that this movement dies out soon. I wouldn’t be surprised if it makes a dent in the 2010 elections, but let’s be perfectly honest: the federal government is written into the Constitution. There’s no logical way to love the Constitution if all you’re going to do is rip it up and write a new one for each individual region, state, or person. For that reason, I’m not worried about the existence of the federal government. But I am worried about the short-term implications for policy and the general psychological health and logical ability of the American people. I sure hope they take two spoonfuls of sugar with that tea. Susan Zhu ’11 (szhu@fas) wants a bit more sweetness in her life. 8 Responses to “Two Lumps of Bitterness”Leave a Reply |
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It always saddens me to see a “Child Left Behind” – all grown up. Glenn Beck would be a text book case. Back in the spring on his unintentionally uproarious FOX Noise program, Beck told his television audience:
“First they came for the bankers, and I did not speak up because I was not a banker. Then they came for the A.I.G. executives, and I did not speak up because I was not an A.I.G executive.”
He then looked the camera dead in the eye and ominously told his clueless viewers that eventually “they” (He never specified exactly who “they” were) would be coming for them. It was a gross perversion of the famous Martin Niemoller poem. It was a none-too-subtle effort to compare the Obama Justice Department’s prosecution of corporate criminals to Hitler’s persecution of the Jews seventy years ago. Nice.
Recently he has been trying to pump up his brain dead masses by flatly stating that Barack Obama is a racist who hates white people. The fact that our president’s lineage is fifty percent European and that he was raised by his very white mother and grandparents apparently never occurred to this jackass. Fill the people’s minds with hate and fear; that’s all that matters. Incredibly, it’s working. An alarming percentage of the American people actually believe that Obama’s goal is to turn the United States into a Socialist police state.
MEMO TO THE REST OF THE PLANET EARTH:
Most of us here in the states have an I.Q. higher than that of your average half-eaten box of Milk Duds – Really, I promise!
http://www.tomdegan.blogspot.com
Tom Degan
Goshen, NY
“Oh yeah, and they also had slavery then, and killed off Native Americans like it ain’t no thang.”
It wasn’t the South that tried to exterminate the Indians. As a matter of fact, the Cherokee, Chickasaw, Choctaw, Seminole, and Creek nations allied with the Confederacy, fully aware of what the consequences of a Northern victory would mean. The highest-ranking Indian of the WBTS was Cherokee General Stand Watie, who was also the last to surrender.
Yes, they lost, and yes, Union generals Sherman and Sheridan pursued a policy of genocide against the Western Indians.
As for your arguments against secession, the last time I checked, the Declaration still affirmed that as the basic right of all peoples. Even Southerners.
Dear Old Rebel,
The Declaration of Independence is nice, but it’s not the US Constitution. Each state is represented in the federal government, unlike the 13 colonies in British Parliament.
Native American/Western Indian removal and genocide was official US policy long before the Civil War started, before Sherman marched through Georgia. Andrew Jackson famously said for Chief Justice John Marshall to go enforce his own decision, which ruled that the Cherokee could not be forcibly removed from Georgia. They later were, in the Trail of Tears, almost 30 years before the Civil War/War of Southern Secession/War of Northern Aggression, if you’d like. Here is John Ross’ letter protesting the move in 1836: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aia/part4/4h3083t.html
Cheers,
Young Obedient One
OK, Miss Zhu, since the Federal government is spelled out in the Constitution, can you cite for me the article and section authorizing the Feds to make us buy health insurance? How about the section authorizing sending money to other countries? The section giving the Feds the right to tell me what substances I can eat, drink or use as medication? Don’t pull out the commerce clause, that has been distorted beyond all bounds of reasonable thought.
See Miss Zhu, I don’t trust you or anyone else to decide what is best for me. Why should I pay for your college education? Why should my children pay for your health care? And you are wrong, the states haven’t been represented in the Federal government since the direct election of senators was implemented. Why have the current wars, economic and social problems because the Constitution was NOT followed. It is telling you sign the above post as “young obedient one”. I for one am no longer young and I have never been obedient to government.
Susan and Tom:
Let’s make a deal. You can have New England and New York and run it your way. We’ll take the rest of the country and run it our way. We’ll see which country has more freedom and prosperity ten years from now.
Harold Thomas
Columbus, Ohio
Mr. Thomas – DEAL! Mind if we also take California? They’re liberal and bankrupt anyway, wouldn’t be of much use to you guys. Oh, and the mid-Atlantic, please, so we wouldn’t have to move the White House. I don’t think we’re defining “freedom” in the same way … I’ll take my civil liberties, but it’s totally okay with me if the government wants to make sure I have money and healthcare when I’m 90 years old. But if you’re defining freedom as “the ability to not have to pay for any other kids’ educations or old people’s health” then yup, I’m gonna guess that your hypothetical country will be more free than mine
Mr. Mallory, the Constitution really isn’t specific enough to mention substances, drinks, medication, etc. It’s more a guide for how to lay out the structure of government, how the division of the branches would work (who gets to do what?) and then it’s more a “negative” document – it specifies what the government CAN’T do (e.g. search your house without a warrant). If you’re looking for POSITIVE rights of the government, I don’t think you’ll find it there. So points to you for asking, ’cause you’re right – they’re not listed!
But just as it doesn’t tell you that you have to lend your neighbor some sugar if he asks, that doesn’t mean that you can’t be nice about it. We’re all Americans, and why shouldn’t we help each other out? What is the purpose of government if not to help its people? Not just the rich and those who can afford private health insurance and private tuitions, but everyone? If one day you lose your job and are out on the streets – as many people have become recently – where will you turn? Is it not a nice thought that if anything should happen to you, that your government can temporarily aid you?
You’re not only paying for my public school education – I’m paying for your kids, too. If you don’t take advantage of what is offered, that’s not really my problem. It’s about cooperation and sharing our resources. Humans have evolved to be able to form group structures. (See: “altruism”)
At the heart of it is a difference in our value systems. I like sharing. Some (Tea Party activists included) don’t. It’s okay. I have my beliefs, and you have yours. The political pendulum will swing often enough to make both of us angry and satisfied at some point in life.
By the way, you should be glad to know that you’re not paying for my college education (yay!). Harvard is a private university with a whopping price tag. Thankfully we have financial aid – but I don’t think you would like the idea of financial aid … it helps people :O
And I don’t see what the Constitution has to do with the economic crisis. It doesn’t really talk about housing bubbles. That was just because people are stupid and speculative. If anything, more government oversight would have prevented it from happening. Over-zealous capitalism.
p.s. “young obedient one” was just playing around with “old rebel”’s name. Consider it the playfulness of a youngin’. For instance, I don’t agree with the fact that gay marriage is not legalized in the United States. (But it is in Spain, a Catholic country?!)
p.p.s. The House of Representatives still represents each state by population. The Senate was meant to ease small states’ fears of being overlooked. I also don’t understand how the states haven’t been represented since the Amendment regarding direct election of senators. =/
Hi Susan, Just want to say that i enjoyed your article even in my blanket disagreement of its premise. You see, I do like the IDEA of the tea party being around and gaining – gives me the feeling that we still live in a republic where the citizen still has the right to protest and raise a voice to counter the actions of any singular ideology, especially when the result might just might be the destruction of our system of government. It has been a good system up until today, not perfect maybe, but one that the entire world turns to when in need. I happen to be a conservative altruist and, yes, I want less government in my life but it doesn’t mean i “hate” the Federal Government. The Tea Partiers are doing what Americans do, excercising their freedoms(they would likely be shot down in the streets of China). Mr. Beck is just bringing us up to date on history – not a bad thing but extremism of any kind is destructive and wishing a section of the citizenry to “disappear” and typecasting them is a form of extremism. I agree that a bit more involvement in the Housing/Mortgage market a few years ago would have gone a long way to preventing the mess we are in now but over zealous regulation can be as deadly to our failing economy; this, I believe, is what is happening now. You are dead right – the pendulum has swung – I pray that it will not swing so far and fast as to snap off at its apex. Thanks for caring!
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