Prejudice

[geezer_also]

Thinking about the discussion the other day on how the tea party is: bad, evil, bigoted, ignorant, etc (choose your favorite adjective). Accepting, for the moment, the general consensus, that there is no ism without power (the idea that there can be no reverse discrimination, since there is no power on the other side). Accepting also that it is

Comments

[sealwhiskers]

The Tea Party isn't necessarily evil, bigoted, ignorant etc etc (all your examples and more), but what they are, and should be seen as, without any doubt, is the adversary. There is no bipartisanship to be found there for a progressive and any time wasted on such matters is time which will be spent by those same groups to undermine any progressive goals.

Even time analyzing the Tea Party is sort of wasted time for a leftie. ;)

[geezer_also]

I can understand that posistion, but if it's such a waste of time, why do so many do it? :P (note: I ask my friends on the right the same question)

[sealwhiskers]

I believe a large part of the Tea Party "issue" was a certain form of disingenuity on their partisanship in the beginning. They were honestly pushed as a bipartisan sort of group for a while there, and so, lots and lots of scrutiny was spent on analyzing them. In all honesty that analysis should have stopped a long time ago on the left (leaving the libertarians to whine and moan over their lost names and slogans).

For my part, I just chime in with what I learned form being to many meetings, when the subject comes up (I don't bring it up on my own, ever), because there is plenty of misconception and/or denial out there.
While the left should occupy their minds and campaigns elsewhere, there is nothing wrong in adding a few cents of my own to something started by someone else.

(and mind you, there are bigoted and ignorant elements in the Tea Party campaigns, as in signs and shouted opinions. It is not all of it, but there is nothing supporting it being "just a fringe" either. It's actually impossible to say, how much it is comprised

[sandwichwarrior]

Load-mouth assholes always get the most attention.

While I tend to agree with a large part of thier Stated platform, there are elements of the Tea-Party that make me nervous. They're harmless as long as they remain the "opposition" but I get the sense that quite a few of them would be all too eager to enforce thier own form of despotism if they thought they could get away with it.

In the mean time its seems to me that both the Democrats and Main-Stream Republicans are intent on driving the national economy off a cliff. So pardon me while I stock up on food water and ammunition.

but, but but.......

[geezer_also]

If you like one part of the tea party, you must support everything...I read that somewhere ;)

Re: but, but but.......

[sealwhiskers]

The key word is "support". You can like parts of something, just fine, (I "like" libertarian social thinking to some extent, but I would never support the movement) support however can only come in a whole package.

[sandwichwarrior]

Funny cause that's the same way that I feel about a lot of progressives.

More specifically the ones who honestly believe that "From each according to his ability, to each according to his need" is in anyway workable on a national scale, and the Hard-core Greens who seem to care more about (issue of the week) than human lives.

I really have nothing to say to them other than "I will oppose you."