I have been to a couple Tea Party events. I do not participate more than have a humorous sign of something benign and really just went to observe. (my favorite sign that I made said 'Rabble' and that's it)

People that go to Tea Party events are all over the political map. From free-staters, libertarians, Glenn Beck conservatives, anarchists, socialists and other Lyndon LaRouche followers, liberals, Reaganites, gun rights activists, fair taxers, free marketers, populists, antiwar people, along with a host of other things.

The Tea Parties are not a cohesive group. They are not really a group at all. Anyone who has ever been to one can back me up. The Tea Parties themselves have, likely, close to a thousand or more groups that have taken part. Every group has its own agenda and every person in those groups is different.

To say that the Tea Parties are racist is a complete fabrication. They can't be, simply because they are not even a cohesive group on any particular issue. Any and all accusations of racism is partisan character assassination. Accusations of racism, like racism, have no place in philosophical discourse.

Now lets get something clear about people, in general. Liberal or conservative, people generally want something better for all humanity. Its time to stop arguing over what people perceive others motivations to be. We all want to end human suffering and make a better tomorrow for all mankind, its time we start talking about that rather than bigoted accusations of malevolence.

Conservatives, Liberals, Muslims, Evangelicals, Libertarians, Socialists, and Federalists are not evil.... government is ....

Cheers

Yep.

It's not a party. It's a bunch of disenfranchised people. That much has been clear for a very long time now.

There is absolutely no foundation for a party here or even for clear communication. All most do is repeat certain buzzwords and talking points and call it a party. That is not communication...it's chaos.

Sorry, but this is a failed experiment. The Tea Party would be better advised to reform along several different party lines, if parties are the paradigm they insist on.

[edit on 7/29/2010 by ~Lucidity]

You hit the ball out of the park with this thread OP! Thanks for starting this thread.
Second line.

Originally posted by ~Lucidity
Yep.

It's not a party. It's a bunch of disenfranchised people. That much has been clear for a very long time now.

There is absolutely no foundation for a party here or even for clear communication. All most do is repeat certain buzzwords and talking points and call it a party. That is not communication...it's chaos.

Sorry, but this is a failed experiment. The Tea Party would be better advised to reform along several different party lines, if parties are the paradigm they insist on.

[edit on 7/29/2010 by ~Lucidity]

Disenfranchised. Nice subdued and slightly condescending way to say Pissed Off?

Damn right. They should be pissed off. Every good citizen who has a tiny modicum of sense should be pissed off at both parties.

Americans ARE disenfranchised.

These people are all different but they see the fact that our right/left/black/white/up/down/dem/rep political system doesn't do what it is supposed to do. They are fed up.

Why should many different groups be forced to separate and form along some "party" lines? As you so ironically put it. So they can be classified and dealt with? So they can be more easily quantified and put in their place?

These are people from all walks of life who AGREE on something. That something is obviously not what you agree with so they are wrong and should "be advised to reform"????

Failed experiment?
I don't see a failed experiment.
I see a group of people that have nothing in common except the fact that they know the established political base is corrupt and self serving.

I didn't really care about the 'tea parties' because I really believe our system is beyond help and the only way to fix it (in my blunt opinion) is to let it collapse and start from scratch. Maybe if that happens we can get another 200 or so years before it does the same again.

I pretty much wrote Tea parties off as a flash in the pan. The interesting thing is, all of the anger, vitriol and disdain for these people seems to be coming from the ones who have their hands on the political wheel.

Seems to me that if the disturbingly corrupt establishment hates them so much, maybe there is something there worth watching.

I think the one thing that the partizans are really scared of is a group made up of every type of person that America has to offer. And that group needs to be as big and diverse and pissed off as possible.

When you can't divide the citizens with rhetoric, and they stick together despite their differences, that will be the day that America has a fighting chance.

Disenfranchised.

I'll support that all day long.

That is the T.E.A. Party, to a "t".
Yes, there are some clowns, but what is a party without entertainment.
Good thread.

First of all, I don't believe the TP as a whole to be racist, however have noted some racist elements to it. I do believe they are a bunch of pissed off people, and probably a very large collection of them. However, here is my problem with the TPM, they seem to be very very negative. They are not offering any alternatives except cutting social services, cutting taxes, and shrinking the federal government. The groups, especially the candidates they are supporting need to have answers to the problems we are facing in the USA, however all they offer is anger.

Well said OP.

The tea party, hmm well it could be the "I have an Issue with -X- party" but that doesn't sound good. Tea party evokes a Patriotic image, yet the guy/gal next to you may be "dumping the tea" for a very different reason then you are. In the end I guess they just all agree to dump some tea. Honestly anything the inspires people out of their apathy is to be applauded.

Originally posted by BubbaJoe
First of all, I don't believe the TP as a whole to be racist, however have noted some racist elements to it. I do believe they are a bunch of pissed off people, and probably a very large collection of them. However, here is my problem with the TPM, they seem to be very very negative. They are not offering any alternatives except cutting social services, cutting taxes, and shrinking the federal government. The groups, especially the candidates they are supporting need to have answers to the problems we are facing in the USA, however all they offer is anger.

You say among other things they are for, cutting social services, cutting taxes, shrinking the federal government.
Are most people for that?

Originally posted by sweetliberty

You say among other things they are for, cutting social services, cutting taxes, shrinking the federal government.
Are most people for that?

Most people that work and pay their taxes are.

Originally posted by DINSTAAR

Liberal or conservative, people generally want something better for all humanity

Somewhat agree, I think people more want what is best for their friends and family but have not much care for anyone outside of that.

As far as for us sticking together, it is a lot easier for 1 person to throw a wrench into the works than for 1000 people to reach into the gears and pull it out.
A lot of good hands are lost in the process.
As long as we have big government we cannot watch all of the wrench throwers.
Just my .02 Ameros.

I have not been to a Tea Party yet, so as someone who hasnt been there, who am I to judge what they are and what they are not?
From all the video I have seen on the Tea Parties, I have yet to see any negativity towards OTHER PEOPLE; The govt on the other hand, well, I see plenty of negativaty thrown their way, and rightfully so. Thats the WHOLE POINT of the TPM. They are there for accountability of government, just like the rest of us on this site. To hate a group of people that want nothing more than to clean up the governments act is not only ignorant, but based purely off of hate that you inherited from someone elses' talking point.
I dont need to go to the tea party to know that what these people are doing is right, but it has also given me reason to give them my full support and that hopefully one day I will be able to attend one of them.
I just HOPE that they are not fooled into electing someone that the MSM tells them to, but to tell you the truth, I really dont think I have to worry about it that much. At least these people are getting off their asses and trying to do SOMETHING to show the Govt that what they are doing is pissing a lot of people off, and thats the whole point.

Racists? The only racists I see are the people saying these people are racists.
"Those who smelled it dealt it". ::coughMSNBC.CNN.WP.k.o-C.Mcough:::

Originally posted by sweetliberty

Originally posted by BubbaJoe
First of all, I don't believe the TP as a whole to be racist, however have noted some racist elements to it. I do believe they are a bunch of pissed off people, and probably a very large collection of them. However, here is my problem with the TPM, they seem to be very very negative. They are not offering any alternatives except cutting social services, cutting taxes, and shrinking the federal government. The groups, especially the candidates they are supporting need to have answers to the problems we are facing in the USA, however all they offer is anger.

You say among other things they are for, cutting social services, cutting taxes, shrinking the federal government.
Are most people for that?

I would believe that most people, both right and left, up and down are for those things. However, how do we respond to people's needs? Right now there are no jobs to be found, how do we allow those people to survive? Do we let them starve, let them die in the streets? Before those cuts can be made, we have to answer those questions, or the TPM comes accross as "I've got mine, so I don't care"