A Clarification on the Tea Party Movement

It’s quite clear that the left is angered and concerned about the tea party participants who demonstrated across the nation on April 15th. Over the past few days, we’ve heard left-wing commentators like Keith Olbermann accuse FOX news of overestimating the amount of participants. To add insult to injury, his guest Janeane Garofalo said the following: “a bunch of tea bagging rednecks….this is about hating a black man in the White House. This is racism straight up.” We all know how low Olbermann stoops to distort reality, but this is a new record.

Not to be outdone by Olbermann, other far-left sites such as “Media Matters” and the “Huffington Post” made sure to cherry pick demonstrators that carried offensive signs that had nothing to do with the matter at hand. They chose to ignore mainstream folks who were there for very legitimate reasons. While FOX news chose to simply cover the event as any news station should, the network has been accused by NBC and CNN of being “right-wing.” It’s comical that networks that don’t even attempt to hide left-wing bias accuse another network of bias on the other side. It seems that there is a great deal of confusion between commentators and reporters. Commentators like Sean Hannity are not to be confused with reporters who are supposed to report the news. The difference is that networks such as CNN and NBC have their commentators report the news and try to pass it off as “fair and balanced.” For example, the following video shows CNN reporter Susan Roesgen caught “red-handed” in the act:

What CNN Didn't Show

Instead of adhering to the concerns of constituents like any elected official should do, Washington politicians made sure to join in the act of distortion. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said the following: “This tea party initiative is funded by the high end – we call it Astroturf, it’s not really a grassroots movement. It’s Astroturf by some of the wealthiest people in America to keep the focus on tax cuts for the rich instead of for the great middle class.”

So there you have it, and the drivel from the left continues…

The bottom line is the left is afraid because they know the real underlying reason behind these movements, and is clearly not driven by racism or the rich elite. I suppose we can excuse Nancy Pelosi’s comment. After all, she doesn’t know it’s possible to have a real grassroots protest as almost all left-wing protest groups are backed by 501(c) groups like “moveon.org.” Union workers are actually PAID to protest. It’s impossible for her to believe that people can use the power of the internet and organize across the country to oppose her policies.

The bottom line is people have had enough. Libertarians like me are tired of not having a voice in government. This is what networks like NBC and CNN didn’t report. Many of the protesters there believe the following:

First, there is not much difference between Democrats and Republicans. Both parties are funded by the same lobbyists and large corporations. People are tired of the lack of a limited government option when they go to the voting booth. There were plenty of signs and people who acknowledged George W. Bush’s failed economic policies that actually paved the way for the Obama Administration to pick up where Bush left off.

Second, there is much hatred and discontent for the Federal Reserve and large centralized banking. People realize that the FED’s policy has a direct impact on their purchasing power. While elected officials like to center tax policy around class warfare, they conveniently ignore what hyperinflation can do to middle class folks. In addition, the “rich” folks that they like to “soak” are not the power elite. Many are small business owners who provide jobs to people and are forced to pay the same tax rates as billionaires.

Third, people are strongly opposed to corporate bailouts which were supported by both Democrats and Republicans. This goes back to the first issue where these same corporations are buying our elected officials. Failure is a necessary part of capitalism. Without it, we are seeing the monopolized effect of large corporations that are “too big to fail.” They have grown in size primarily because they have been propped up by political connections. Without competition, choice is limited, and the power for abuse is great. Capitalism is not about Washington, the FED and a few large corporations having the power to make or break an economy.

Finally, people are paying close attention to the kind of debt the country has sunk itself into. It is estimated that the federal deficit will exceed $1.2 trillion this year, and total debt is approaching $11 trillion. Regardless of what political party is in control, reckless spending continues.

In summary, “IT’S ECONOMIC POLICY STUPID!!” I’ve been writing about bad economic policy for years, and finally people are beginning to see it for themselves. It’s comical that the Bush Administration touts the fact that Americans were kept safe after 9/11. There may have not been another attack on American soil, but what about the dangers of a weak economy? Bush’s economic policy did not center on a strong U.S. dollar. How vulnerable is America in a weakened economic state? How dangerous is it for the leader of the free world to say that the principles of the free market should be put aside in order to save it?

If Bush’s policies weren’t bad enough, we now have the Obama Administration and a Congress that has spent money in ways never seen before in American history. Elected officials do not read the bills they sign into law. There is no transparency, as the stimulus measures were not made available for public inspection until AFTER it was signed into law. This was not consistent with Obama’s campaign promise of transparency.

In the meantime, individual states are raising taxes on everyone. Property taxes have dramatically risen in many states along with sales tax and various fees. States have been forced to raise taxes in order to comply with many federal mandates aimed at growing entitlement programs. If Obama thinks he can quell angry crowds by giving people a few dollars more in their paychecks, he is mistaken. The chump change he is offering pales in comparison to rising state taxes and the inflationary threat America faces due to his policies along with Congress and the FED.

If economic policy doesn’t become “change we can believe in,” these tea parties will only give way to an even larger populist revolt.