The Tea Party Movement - Research Paper Example

The “Tea Party” Movement The “Tea Party” movement is defined as a quasi grassroots movement in America that is actually very loosely constructed, yetvery definite in goals. They are many small diverse citizen activist groups united under one ideology; largely libertarian and conservative, with their overall objectives aiming to draw attention to and work on getting rid of big government, big business, big taxes, and big national debt. It is a populist political movement that essentially began in February, 2009. The Tea Party claims to be in favor of strict adherence to the original interpretation of the United States Constitution. Their acronym - T.E.A. – also has connotations to their stance on taxation; Taxed Enough Already. While there is no central leadership, per se, they have caucuses in both the House and Senate with varying agendas. Though they don’t offer a particular candidate for election, they endorse selected candidates, mostly Republican, though supposedly 87% are opposed to the current GOP leadership. Their overall agenda is not so much oriented toward any particular position; rather they attempt to block votes as oppositionists. They use both overt and covert methods to support their endeavors which usually involve opposition propaganda as opposed to a real stance on issues. Their claim to fame is their need to speak out about what’s being done across the nation, while not yet offering viable solutions; claiming to be the voice of the people. A survey in March, 2010 revealed that approximately 28% of Americans agree with the Tea Part Movement’s approach. (Rowen, 2011) The actual launch of the Tea Party Movement is credited by CNBC commentator, Rick Santelli, who made an announcement at the Chicago Mercantile Exchange on February 19, 2009 in response to the bail out program for mortgages to prevent a collapse of the housing and banking industry. He drew an impassioned response by shouting through the crowd about the validity of the US government and taxpayers picking up the tab for saving the mortgages on ‘losers who can’t pay their mortgages.’ This was recorded and posted on YouTube with support rolling in almost instantly, setting off a national reaction. (Rowen, 2011) Earlier protests were aimed at taxation, the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, as well as at various health care reform bills. Keli Carender was credited with setting off some of the earlier protests, notably regarding the stimulus package, from Seattle. She is a blogger, non-profit local math instructor, and improvisational comedienne who enjoys bringing her audience to action. (Kaste, 2010) Although not actually supporting one party over another, most of the freshmen Republicans in the House of Representatives are closely aligned with the Tea Party Movement. So much so that prior to introducing a budget package to prevent the government shutdown in March, 2011, House Leader John Boehner and the Republican leadership met with the 87 freshman members to discuss the package in order to get their support. Another gain was from the Contract From America, a Tea Party manifesto requiring proposed legislation to be posted online for three days prior to vote in order to demonstrate transparency to the constituent base. (Time Topics, 2011) The typical profile of Tea Party Movement supporters is described as usually white, male, married, over 45 years of age, and, wealthier and better educated than the general population. Nearly 18% is Republican, with almost all being very dissatisfied with what is occurring in Washington, D.C. They are especially focused on the Obama administration and describe themselves as being angry. Their protests are well aimed at drawing attention to the negative direction in which they feel the country is headed with out of control spending due to programs and policies that are focused more on alleviating poverty; particularly for minorities rather than a balanced approach to benefit all Americans. (Of Thee I Sing, 2010) Some of the challenges for the Tea Party movement are that they lack clear mandates for progress, dislike any form of legislative compromise, and relate loosely to the Republican Congressional leaders. They intend to continue opposition of the GOP leadership that is not conservative enough with regards to financial matters and spending. They also plan to use the supporters in the House to block Democratic votes and agendas on the environment, health care, and the economy. While they do not agree on all things, they are largely united on fiscal conservativism and reducing the government interference in the rights of the people. Their platforms tend to be racially diverse, though the crowds attending protests and rallies mostly fit the traditional profile as listed above. (Times Topics, 2010) The intended political impact of the Tea Party Movement is to continue to exert major pressure on Republicans in both the House and the Senate to carry out their election campaign promises for decreasing spending and taxes, as well as to force repeal of the health care reform of 2010. They want to continue permanently the Bush tax cuts, eliminate estate tax entirely, and replace income based progressive taxes with either a flat tax rate or national sales tax initiatives. Tea Party movement supporters advocate abolishment of the IRS and implementation of a balanced budget amendment. They oppose financial regulation with regards to cap-and-trade and carbon emissions. They seek to overthrow all the New Deal policies and social programs that have kept this country going during the difficult times. It is agreed that police and public safety should be provided for through national taxation; however, they feel that health and human services should be left up to each individual to provide for their families and themselves. They pledge their support to the candidates who follow the strictest interpretation of the original Constitution and seek to remove those who do not. (Times Topics, 2010) What the Tea Party movement doesn’t understand when it uses history to support its outcry is that the reason the colonists threw the tea into Boston Harbor in the first place is because the King, having bailed out the British East Indies company from going under, forced the colonists to buy only that kind of tea, with exorbitant taxes that went back to the crown to offset what was owed by the company in the first place. It was not that the prices were so high; it was that the government was placing taxes on the colonist without the consent of the people or their representatives. It was actually 19th century writers who dubbed it the “Boston Tea Party”, not the colonists themselves. The colonists were not opposed to taxation, they felt it was their duty to support their country, so long as they were informed and agreed to the changes through majority voting by representatives. Actually, the Tea Party’s values are far removed from the Revolutionary Americans who insist on the minority opinion, (theirs) over ruling the majority vote. This type of thinking actually undoes what the Revolution stood for; freedom and equal representation with a voice for all. They attempt to confuse the general population by misrepresenting the intentions of historical events through ignorance-based fears. (Stern, 2009) (Christiansen & Sullivan, 2010) The Tea Party movement is dangerous for several reasons. If left unchecked, it will take America back to the days of slavery and the good ole boys. First of all it is very racist. Not only is the profile of most Tea Party supporters white, male supremacist, some of the early protests involved using racial slurs when talking about presidential candidate Barack Obama with regards to tax legislation; the tax burden at that time was the lowest in over 60 years. The Tea Party supports harsh immigration legislation and reform as well as banning the teaching of ethnic studies. America under the Tea Party influence would be similar to the fear based philosophies of the 1840’s except that the focus would be on the Muslims and Hispanics, not the Germans and Irish. It has also been compared to the John Birch Society, with many of their supporters also joining the Tea Party, as well as the KKK. More than a dozen states already have proposed legislation supporting cultural fear and falsities by banning all Muslim activities as a way of preventing Sharia law. They have gone so far as to ban the formal gathering of Muslims for their mandatory prayers as well as the traditions involved in preparation for those prayers. What they don’t take into consideration is that radical Christian religious groups here have always done the same thing, especially at certain feast days such as Easter and Christmas. The Tea Party movement is definitely headed toward ethnic cleansing. (Appleton, 2011) Secondly, the Tea Party Movement is theocratic, purporting that the US Constitution is divinely inspired with capitalism being required by the Holy Scriptures. They insist on unquestioning support of Israel, as well as supporting Christian Imperialism with “crusades” into Iraq and Afghanistan. They believe that social justice is the work of the Anti-Christ and send lobbyists to Africa to push for the death penalty for homosexuals. (Appleton, 2011) The Tea Party movement is repressive; committed to authoritarianism and suppression of women’s rights. They support cutting taxes and deregulation of business, as well as cutting the funding for health care and education. They are actively involved in degrading public officials and threaten the judiciary authority in many states. They propose that judiciary officials should all be elected directly by the people instead of through congress. (Appleton, 2011) Worst of all, through the auspices of the Christian right wing groups and legislative supporters, they demand that history books be rewritten to prove the Founding Fathers as all being staunch Christians, that slavery was not a bad thing because the Confederacy depended on it, and science should deny evolution as a controversial and invalid approach to creation. (Appleton, 2011) The proponents of the Tea Party movement say that they are only given a token voice in Congress because they are once again being subjected to taxation without their express consent for programs not specifically listed in the original Constitution. They fear the tax burden will eventually collapse the free enterprise system; as taxation increases, consumerism will decrease. They insist that their mission is not revolution, but restoration of the original values of the Constitution whereby people should reap the benefits of the fruits of their own labor and not benefit falsely by receiving from others what hasn’t been earned. They feel that their presence will undermine the Socialist agendas and the left regime that prevents our country from fulfilling the Rule of Law as set forth by the original Constitution. The Tea Party movement uses impassioned cries of patriotism and liberty to promote their agendas, hoping to gain greater momentum and a stronger voice in Congress. What they really promote is irrational fear and survival of the fittest mentality which can lead to violence and civic unrest. (Alexander, 2010) What lies ahead for the Tea Party movement? There are mixed results on the answer to this question. On one hand, if they actually take over to become the Republican Party, then their independence will be short-lived. If they continue without central leadership, they may become disheartened and fizzle out, feeling that they can’t make a difference. Although polls show they are increasing in strength as more Americans become disillusioned with the collapse of the economy, they still have a long way to go to be a viable contender as an independent party in future elections. Political scientists feel that once the economy recovers somewhat, that this movement will fade as the country returns to the original division of Republicans and Democrats. While many see attention seeking personalities such as Sarah Palin and Michelle Bachmann, the self-acclaimed leaders of the movement; in reality most people view them as stirring up passion with little else involved. Neither one is informed with regards to economic, social policy, or history to be able to lead a large organization; their main claim to fame is that they know how to get a response from people by perpetrating impassioned pleas for values such as liberty and justice which Americans hold dear and feel they are losing touch with as the current system appears to be imploding. Interestingly enough, when they held their organizational Tea Party Convention dinner in Nashville, February, 2010, the tickets were sold by the Tea Party Nation for $549 each. Sarah Palin was their keynote speaker and gained $100,000 from the venture; she assured the press it went back into the cause. (Huseman, 2011) (Rowen, 2011) There have been some positive outcomes of the movement. For one thing, people have become generally more aware of the political process than previously. They have come to discover they are not alone in their feelings of concern for the country and where it is headed, however; they’ve also become more divided politically. It is predicted that the Tea Party movement will go on to further divide the Republican Party; with the highly united Democratic Party able to watch the eventual self-destruction. (Huseman, 2011) (Erickson, 2011) If the Tea Party movement will actually be able to move beyond where it currently is, it will have to drop the moniker and begin to see itself for who it truly is, comprised of every day citizens; American taxpayers and voters. Instead of isolating themselves to form something new, they need to put their focus and energies more behind whatever they actually stand for instead of just trying to block what they oppose. It is not so much that the Tea Party members need to centralize and show up in force, but rather that they should become politically active in their own cities and towns in an effort to bring about much needed change at the local level, which will affect change on the national level. (Erickson, 2011) Does this sound like a movement to which rational progressive individuals capable of making independent, fact-based choices should belong? Does it sound like a movement where all people could live in safety having equal opportunity for life and the pursuit of happiness? Only a Tea Party supporter would say “yes”; the rest of us would remember how far we’ve come from the days of the good ole boys and their paternalistic, self-serving practices that so many fought hard to liberate us from. We would think back to the days of the Civil War and the abuses of slavery. The women would remember just how far they’ve come in being able to have an equal voice in making choices for their lives. The one truly glaring mistake the Tea Partiers make is they forget that there are human beings involved in what is happening in this country. Not everyone has had the opportunities they have had. It is easy to see the Tea Party movement for exactly what it is; a case of the “haves” feeling superior and not wanting to share their world with the “have nots.” They act as though others are beneath them because they have managed to accumulate much from life; as though it has been only their hard work and perseverance that has placed them in the current position they enjoy. Their fear of losing status as well as survival of the fittest mentality pushes them to defend their position with an attack against government bureaucracy, yet absolutist thinking has never solved any human condition. It is assumed that America, in general, has much to gain from the Tea Party movement. After all, the freedoms guaranteed us by the original Constitution were part of our heritage for the remainder of time. Somewhere along the way, as government expanded, we got lost in the process. Now it seems that we have fewer rights than ever before, with more responsibility for carrying the load others refuse to assume. What happens with the Tea Party focus is that the human side of politics is left out; it becomes a question of the absolute Rule of Law. When humans are reduced to nothing more than their ability to obey or disobey the rules, everyone loses. It becomes more a situation of those who have what they need, of course, are happy; while those who do not have what they need, feel enslaved. There has to be a happy medium somewhere; our forefathers were able to see it and legislate for it, but somewhere along the way our nation grew too large for its original vision. There are so many more factors involved in liberty and justice for all than just being free from the monarchy. There is nothing simple about our current government. The Tea Party approach won’t work any more than an absolute Socialist approach will. It is our challenge, literally a fight for survival, as we watch our nation struggle to survive the current economic conditions, that we somehow find a way to bring balance to every area of government. There must be social programs; but within reason. There must be health care; also within reason. There must be a balanced budget; as well within reason. Independent task forces must tackle each area out of balance and perform think tank operations that will include a comprehensive, multi-faceted approach to resolve spending issues as well as delivery of services in an effective and cost contained manner. This must happen soon to prevent a total collapse of what we know as America. The Tea Party has their reasoning behind immediate knee jerk reactions or returning to normalcy; however, the path for success will be a blend of discipline as well as compassion so that there will truly be liberty and justice for all. References Alexander, Mark. The “Tea Party” Movement: what it is --and isn’t. Patriot post. June 24, 2010. Web. April 18, 2011. http://patriotpost.us/alexander/2010/06/24/the-tea-party-movement/ Appleton, Mike. Why the Tea Party is Dangerous. JonathanTurley.org. April 17, 2011. Web. April 18, 2011. http://jonathanturley.org/2011/04/17/why-the-tea-party-is-dangerous/?amp Christiansen, Erik, Sullivan, Jeremy. The Tea Party Challenge. Inside Higher Ed.com. April 23, 2010. Web. April 18, 2011. http://www.insidehighered.com/views/2010/04/23/christiansen Erickson, Erik. Tea Party 2.0. Redstate.com April 14, 2011. Web. April 18, 2011. http://www.redstate.com/erick/2010/04/14/tea-party-movement-20/ Huseman, Jessica. Tea Party Movement’s Uncertain Future. SMU dailycampus.com. January 30, 2011. Web. April 18, 2011. http://www.smudailycampus.com/news/politics/tea-party-movement-s-future-uncertain-1.1949016 Kaste, Martin. Tea Party Star Leads Movement on Her Own Terms. Npr.com. February 2, 2010. Web. April 18, 2011. http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=123229743&ps=cprs Of Thee I Sing 1776. The Tea Party Movement, What is it? BreitBart. 2010. Web. April 18, 2011. http://biggovernment.com/oftheeising/2010/04/26/the-tea-party-movement-what-is-it/ Rowen, Beth. The History of the Tea Party Movement. High Beam Research. 2011. Web. April 18, 2011. http://www.infoplease.com/us/government/tea-party-history.html Stern, Jeremy. The “Tea Party” Movement and It’s Misuse of History. History News Network. 10/11/2009. Web. April 18, 2011. http://hnn.us/articles/118029.html Times Topics. Tea Party Movement. New York Times. March 2, 2011. Web. April 18, 2011. http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/subjects/t/tea_party_movement/index.html Read More