Friday, February 12, 2010

this ain't your grandma's tea party

I do not intend to make politics the major focus of this blog. (I have issues with both ends of the political spectrum, and can not fully embrace the agenda of either party.) However, radicalism, especially that with significant political potential, poses a very real threat to democracy.

The radicalism that I would like to discuss in this post is that of the tea party movement. Now, maybe some would question whether this movement is truly radical. Let's allow the words of Sarah Palin, a prominant figure in this movement, to give us an indication of the nature of this movement. At the first Tea Party Convention, which took place last month, Palin stated: "America is ready for another revolution." Sound radical? I thought so.

The fiscal policies supported by this movement do not concern me as much as the social policies. Although there is a definite libertarian element to the movement, many in this movement would like to see an American theocracy. Here is a video that covers a tea party that took place in September of last year (it includes an interview with a man wearing a shirt that reads: "Christian, American, Heterosexual, Pro-gun, Conservative"):



Speaking of tea parties, check out this amusing commercial for Firefly Sweet Tea Flavored Vodka (I haven't tried it, but hear it's quite good).

2 comments:

  1. Like religions, political groups are hard to evaluate when they carry some elements you can agree with and many you don't.

    And since all groups carry compromises to our own values, how do we choose?

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  2. "Like religions, political groups are hard to evaluate when they carry some elements you can agree with and many you don't."

    Good point. It's always hard to appreciate the good when it's mixed with the bad (as it often is). The complexity of "good" and "bad" is a reality that many would like to avoid. . .

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