A Taste for Tea?

Well, here I go.  I said this Blog was to be a discussion board of sorts, so I'm going to dare to delve into the sinister and murky world of U.S. politics, where every word seems to have double meaning and all motives must be questioned, while every voice claims to represent all the rest of us by virtue of being loud. 

Talking about claiming to represent all Americans, I bet you've heard of the Tea Party, those grass-roots folks who live in every small town of America, who drive Chevy's and Fords, go to church and own several U.S. flags, whose favorite colors are red, white & blue, who have personally met the founding fathers, have all memorized the constitution and yes, claim to speak for the rest of us.


Now before I go further, let me just say that I have long hoped for a third, independent party to arise in America.  I would have called it "The American Party," and it would seek to truly bring about a reconciliation between the right and the left.  This party would not require anyone to abandon one's current party affiliation, but would ask adherents to be dedicated to the ideals of compromise, dialogue and good-faith negotiating to move America forward.

An example of a "normal" bell curve

This ideal is based on the assumption that America is not as politically polarized as the press (and the two parties) would have us believe.  Rather, I believe the political inclinations of all Americans would appear as a normal bell curve with the great majority of us holding a pretty centrist position on most issues.  When we have an election that results in something close to a 50-50 vote, the TV voices love to shout about how divided we are as a nation.  That's not true!  Most of us are just a few degrees either side of center and could easily cross over that line at any time.  This is why we put one party in office one year and switch to the other party the next election.  We are much more united than the loud voices would have us believe.


That brings me back to the Tea Party, which claims to not be a party and isn't in the formal sense.  Actually, they claim to be an "all-inclusive American grassroots movement," according to one website I found.  I wanted to learn just what the TP stands for, and I discovered there really is no single set platform, no single leader, no real national organization.  It is a collection of local groups, loosely organized under one name, each pursuing what it's followers want to see changed in the American political scene.  I did, however, locate one website that clearly listed 10 core beliefs for the Tea Party Movement. So I am using that site to develop my understanding of the TP phenomenon, realizing that it may only be the actual tenet of one group, or even a single individual.  But at least it's well organized and seems like a good place to start.  The site is located here.  The site is peppered with quotes from founding fathers and other American heroes, or with anything that supports the point being made.  I'd like to copy one of them, though, which I had never heard before but is poignant and relevant for our age.  


“If there must be trouble, let it be in my day, that my child may have peace.” --Thomas Paine, 1776


Mr. Paine, of course, spoke those words in anticipation of revolution.  The TP site uses these words in reference to the crushing national debt accumulated by our generation's overspending, which will be left for our children to settle unless we have the will to do something about it now.  I like the quote in any context, and I agree with the application in the Tea Party site.



Now, the problem with the Tea Party as I see it is that, though they claim to be "all-inclusive," they have not so positioned themselves by their views.  In the bell curve example above, most Tea Party followers would be in the green or blue sections on the right, a long way from the majority of Americans.  So, rather than bringing together both major parties, they have camped out on the far fringes of one party, causing plenty of friction within that party, and in almost total opposition to the other.


Well, I had hoped to actually address some of the 10 core beliefs, most of which I basically agree with.  However, that may have to wait for another posting, as I don't want to force readers to endure too many lengthy tirades from me.  So, for now I'll just say, "Thanks for reading."  Feel free to post your own thoughts on the TP, and also feel free to forward this on to anyone you think might be interested in reading or commenting.