For some reason I am on the e-mailing list for a number of local Tea Party groups around the country. The first thing that jumps out is that every local mailing is written by the same person with only minor editorial adjustments to make each appear local. I’ve even had some reasonably cordial e-mail correspondence with a few of the local leaders. So the second thing that jumps out is their genuine fear of Obama and everything they believe he stands for, the federal government in particular, government generally, and their love of some unarticulated vision of a free America. They are Libertarians in the extreme combined with some of the historical characteristics of the old English Ludites and later American No-Nothings. In the mix is a complete lack of recognition that the previous administration trampled all over the constitution with near total disregard, indeed with almost gleeful public affirmation of the unlimited and unchallengeable power of the presidency. So it isn’t that they fear a strong executive leader with unparalleled power, it’s that they fear a certain kind of national leadership, whether democratically representative or otherwise.
A Tea Party America?
With that as a preface, I wonder what sort of America we might be if they were in control of the government they so dislike. Would representative democracy take on the form of the Long Parliament under Cromwell? One thing that’s obvious is that a great many people would be armed and self-authorized to uphold whatever standard of justice they deemed appropriate at the moment. That aside, what else would it look like? Libertarian philosophy certainly maintains a high place for defense, so we would probably have greatly beefed up armed forces and local police. Would there still be agencies to protect the food supply, certify medicines, finance highways, subsidize transportation systems, and the like? Would preferential tax treatment for the REA, TVA, and other power systems be eliminated? How about farm subsidies? Would the national parks still exist? Would Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid exist? What sort of tax structure would exist, who would pay them, and what would the distribution of income look like? What would happen to the constitution and two-hundred years of Supreme Court interpretations? What would happen to decades of civil rights and environmental laws now on the books?
I know they are rabidly anti-communist, but what pops into my mind is an image of a cold winter in 1919 Russia, or any one of the early Mel Gibson movies. More important, how has it come to pass that there are so many Americans so fearful of their own country and the world about them?
I wonder at the fear also. How can the idea of an American President addressing our school children be? We never cringed at the idea of Mr. Bush in the classroom – oh no, direct contact! – I believe that's where he was on the never to be forgotten date of 9/11. I'm not suggesting he should have been anywhere else that day – he was exchanging his honor and power with children and parents who felt his presence a blessing. I don't get the fear and hysteria now that surrounds Obama. You bring up lots of programs that I'm certainly glad our tax dollars pay for and someone smarter than I has the courage to tend and care for on \”their watch.\” Thanks for the post – it seems to have gotten me \”going.\”
adressing our children be……so scary that is – my fingers seemed to type a lot faster than my brain could articulate or is that the other way round?
A sad reply to your question,The state of Afghanistan under the Taliban would be closest. A \”moral\” theocracy with emphasis on personal behaviors rather than social ills. But instead of a perversion of Islam, ours would be a perversion of christianity and Hebrew bible laws. Pull yourself up by your own bootstraps would stand next to an eye for an eye. Men would rule and women would be silent on the streets and whores at home, property of the men in her life. We would be a danger to the world with our craving for 'Righteous war\” and freedom without responsibility for our neighbor or future generations would reign. The desire for \”end times\” would drive policy and the self fulfilling prophesy would come, after much pain and destruction, then those who thought they were the children of righteousness would wake to find that they were indeed the antichrist, too late.
When a person is reared with love and freedom to express feelings There may be some resentments but without a cargo of hate and deprivation. These fearful folk are also full of deprivation and desire to get back what the feel they were deprived of. They read of a god of love but only tak in fear of punishment and anger. When I was feeling very ill a window cleaner told me that I was going to die and fall into the hands of a very angry God who was eager to get his hands on me. Nowhere is this the worda of Christ nor the epistle of Romans. No God Of Grace.