{"id":42,"date":"2009-04-10T15:51:08","date_gmt":"2009-04-10T15:51:08","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/localhost\/?p=42"},"modified":"2018-11-27T01:12:42","modified_gmt":"2018-11-27T01:12:42","slug":"21st-century-tea-bagging","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/rant.godshell.com\/?p=42","title":{"rendered":"21st Century Tea Bagging?"},"content":{"rendered":"

As the saying goes, there are only two certainties in life. Death, and taxes. There’s not much you can do about the former, but you can fight, somewhat, against the latter. Apparently that’s exactly what the Citizens for a Sound Economy<\/a> is doing. They’re calling it … er… tea-bagging.. Yes, I said tea-bagging. No, please don’t google it, unless you want to see both graphic and explicit examples.<\/p>\n

Graphic and explicit? Yes. Tea-bagging<\/a> has been a sexual term for a number of years. I’m not entirely sure why a conservative group such as the CSE is using the term. I find it hard to believe that they would willingly associate themselves with a term for a sexual act, so I can only guess it was an accident. What makes it even funnier is that Republicans, who seem to be embracing this movement, are “generally” religious, so I would expect them to find such an act offensive.<\/p>\n

While it makes really good fodder for commentary<\/a>, what’s really going on here? Why is Senator Vitter trying to make this a national holiday<\/a>? Well, to start, the protest is being compared to that of the Boston Tea Party<\/a>, which protested taxation without representation. The difference here is that this “tea party<\/a>” is to protest higher taxes. However, the CSE, while claiming to represent consumers, actually<\/a> gets<\/a> most of its funding from major corporations. In fact, it was originally formed by parties associated with Koch Industries<\/a>, a massive private corporation dealing in oil, fibers, paper products, and more. It appears, at least to me, that the CSE has the corporate interest at heart, rather than the consumer.<\/p>\n

But what about the movement itself? What are these guys fighting against? Big spending? Bailouts? High taxes? These are all things worth fighting, and I agree that something needs to be done about them. You have to remember, however, that we are currently going through a unique period in history. Banks are failing, industries are falling, and the world economy is in turmoil. Blame for the current crisis is being bandied about, falling on both the current<\/a> and former<\/a> presidents. Personally, I believe that while a lot of the blame falls on our former president, it goes back even further than him. I can’t say there’s a lot of blame for the current situation that should fall on Obama, though. And before you label me a liberal socialist, let me explain.<\/p>\n

First of all, this crisis started before Obama was elected. Once it started, it gained momentum and the economy continued to crumble after Obama took office. If you remember, Bush really didn’t do much<\/a> beyond the bailout to help the situation. In fact, it appears that the bailout itself was a joke. Regardless, since Obama has been in office, things have gotten progressively worse, as expected. Since he’s been in office, he has made some missteps, but overall, I think he’s done one hell of a job of getting things under control. There’s still a lot more to be done, but I think we’re generally headed in a positive direction now. The economy will not fix itself overnight, though. We’re in this for the long haul and I don’t expect things to get better for at least another year or two.<\/p>\n

In the meantime, we need to keep an eye on what’s happening. Protests are, to be sure, a great way of making lawmakers and citizens aware of the issues. I’m not sure that these “tea parties” are all that useful, though. For starters, the only tax increases<\/a> I’ve see thus far are on businesses and people who make a lot more money than I do. I don’t make $250,000+ a year, but I’d be willing to pay higher taxes if I did. Of course, I’m sure those that do will be quick to point out that I’m only saying that because I make less. Regardless, I don’t see a problem with higher tax rates for those with a higher income. It only seems fair to me.<\/p>\n

So before you start sending<\/a> tea<\/a> bags<\/a> to the white house, or protesting in the street, make sure you know who you’re helping out if you do.<\/p>\n

EDIT: Rachel Maddow<\/a> barely held it together reporting on this.. I have to provide video:<\/p>\n