Tea Party

[Steve Smith]

In followup to StephenT's request for my analysis (opinions?) regarding Colin Woodard's
"American Nations: A History of the Eleven Rival Regional Cultures of North America"  I found myself being distracted by the Tea Party which seems to be his main target for (mock?) instruction.  So I will deal with that separately here:

When they first stood up on their hind legs and began to bellow in outrage about invasions of privacy and personal liberty, I quietly approved, just as I did when the Hell's Angle-brackets, the Black Panthers, the AIM, the Israeli Defense Force (circa 1969) (and paradoxically?) the PLO stood up and let the world know that they "weren't going to take it anymore!".   But like all these others, a mean-spirited hatred and xenophobia was lurking inside the self-righteous indignation, which  grew to be a tumorous evil.

I have as much use today for the Tea Party as I do for the Hells Angels (or perhaps this entirely different new stripe of Hollywood Stuntz jokers?) or any of the other belligerent, self-important arseh*les who have taken a admirable cause or lifestyle choice ("Live Free or Die") and turned it into a focus of entitled, often hateful "Live Free and F*ck Everyone Else if that is what it takes"?), behaviour.  Oh, yes, and I can apply that to a radical faction of "politically corrects", "environmentalists" and similar as well.  It seems to be one of the many ways, we humans can "break bad".

- Steve

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[Stephen Thompson]

Steve:

Thanks for your insights, especially your characterization the Tea Party are demanding
"entitlements" for themselves while demanding cutting them for others.  I have considered
their motto to be "We got ours, devil take the hindmost".   More pointed I consider them
to be dogs-in-the-manger who, ...... um ...... "soil" the manger so no one else can use it. 

For 30 years I have been a finance officer for an investment house...DON'T mess with
the Full Faith and Credit of the USA.  However, on another note, my politics are liberal.

The most distressing of their behavior is they refuse to compromise.  Without that you can not
have a democracy.  The same for taxes.  Its the price of membership in a thriving, growing
economy. 

StephT

On 11/9/2013 10:37 PM, Steve Smith wrote:

In followup to StephenT's request for my analysis (opinions?) regarding Colin Woodard's
"American Nations: A History of the Eleven Rival Regional Cultures of North America"  I found myself being distracted by the Tea Party which seems to be his main target for (mock?) instruction.  So I will deal with that separately here:

When they first stood up on their hind legs and began to bellow in outrage about invasions of privacy and personal liberty, I quietly approved, just as I did when the Hell's Angle-brackets, the Black Panthers, the AIM, the Israeli Defense Force (circa 1969) (and paradoxically?) the PLO stood up and let the world know that they "weren't going to take it anymore!".   But like all these others, a mean-spirited hatred and xenophobia was lurking inside the self-righteous indignation, which  grew to be a tumorous evil.

I have as much use today for the Tea Party as I do for the Hells Angels (or perhaps this entirely different new stripe of Hollywood Stuntz jokers?) or any of the other belligerent, self-important arseh*les who have taken a admirable cause or lifestyle choice ("Live Free or Die") and turned it into a focus of entitled, often hateful "Live Free and F*ck Everyone Else if that is what it takes"?), behaviour.  Oh, yes, and I can apply that to a radical faction of "politically corrects", "environmentalists" and similar as well.  It seems to be one of the many ways, we humans can "break bad".

- Steve

============================================================
FRIAM Applied Complexity Group listserv
Meets Fridays 9a-11:30 at cafe at St. John's College
to unsubscribe http://redfish.com/mailman/listinfo/friam_redfish.com

============================================================
FRIAM Applied Complexity Group listserv
Meets Fridays 9a-11:30 at cafe at St. John's College
to unsubscribe http://redfish.com/mailman/listinfo/friam_redfish.com