Thursday, September 09, 2010

You Don't Know Me

But I know you.  From the discussion on ECW, we find this comment: 
The tea party isn’t a bunch of racists or homophobes, they just believe that Obama was born in Kenya, that Islam is an inherently violent religion, that Muslims shouldn’t have the same constitutional rights that we do, that illegal immigrants (all 11 million) should be shipped back across the border, that poor black people caused the housing crisis,and that gay people are gay by choice.
And they get angry on command. Jump, doggies, jump!
 Sniff, sniff.  Can you smell it?  It's their fear.  Their utter panic as they realize that they are going to lose power.  Maybe even for the rest of their lives.  That is what is causing this sort of nonsense.  They cannot stand toe to toe on ideas, because each and everyone of theirs has been discredited.
But let's take a look at what those who are about to fail think.  Looking at his comment, you see that we have the "Birthers" listed first,  Tea Partiers and Birthers are not necessarily the same, but the author of the comment needed to conflate them  As I have said before, Birthers are no different than the lunatics that claimed George Bush stole the election.  Both seek to deligitimize the President.  If more Republicans than Democrats believe Obama is foreign borm why does it matter?  Does it matter that more Democrats than Republicans believe Bush stole the election?  The writer is unable to reconcile the two because he lacks an open mind and cannot appreciate the nuance of the issue having had his opinions formed and handed to him by others. Let me help him.  The difference is that both groups dislike the President of the party they oppose. It has nothing to do with skin color and everything to do with policies.  Obama was well admired until he started implementing policies and laws that the people do not want.  Even aside from his policies, his arrogance earns him an honest enmity.
Next our commenter moves on to items of religious interest.saying that we believe that Islam is an inherently violent religion.  I would not categorize an entire religion as violent, but when that religion is used to justify violence, when people flying airplanes into buildings to kill innocent civilians, or cut off the head of some poor contractor, or a newspaper reporter and scream Allahu Akbar while they do it, well, I have a tough time understanding how their practice of that religion is peaceful.  No, the better understanding of this comment, is the desire to surrender, a sort of Sonderkommando who hope that they will be beheaded last.  And that's not counting stoning a woman for adultery, or requiring four male witnesses to prove a rape.  Or, let's all go out as a family and watch the beheadings and amputations in the public square in Riyadh.  Isn't that fun kids?
Yeah, I can see the attraction of non-violence toward that religion.
Next, our constitutional scholar commenter decides that the Tea Party wants to take away constitutional rights.  I am sure that it is just his anger and fear that makes him recognize that 6 out of 10 people don't want the Ground Zero Mosque built there, even though 7 out of 10 agree that it is their Constitutional right.  It's sort of like the commenter's right to burn an American flag, although I would advise him against doing it in front of a VFW meeting.  It may be legal, but it is still pointlessly provocative, just like the GZM Iman.
Next, our intrepid commenter thinks that the 11 million illegals should not be allowed to remain here.  Finally, he has hit on something close to the truth.  The very definition of a nation is the ability to control its borders and who you admit to your country.  If you don't do that, you are not a country, just a really big Wal Mart parking lot.. The 11 million are called illegal for the reason that what they have done is ILLEGAL.  I know that the Democrats are looking to get 11 million more votes, but voter dilution through non-citizen voting is an attack on your legal right to vote.  Oops, never mind, laws don't matter when it comes to staving off the impending destruction of the Democrat Party.
And he claims that the Tea Party blames poor black people?  Do I detect a latent racism here?  Has anyone else made this claim?  No, I think  our commenter is channeling his inner KKK.  Get help!  No, the people I blame for the housing crisis are Barney Frank and Chris Dodd, who used Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac as a parking space for out of office Democrat politicians until they got back in the game, ala Rahm Emanuel.
Finally, he makes the comment that gays are that way by choice.  So, just for fun, let's take a look at what the principles of the Tea Party are as proposed by them, instead of their opponents: 

Mission Statement

The impetus for the Tea Party movement is excessive government spending and taxation. Our mission is to attract, educate, organize, and mobilize our fellow citizens to secure public policy consistent with our three core values of Fiscal Responsibility, Constitutionally Limited Government and Free Markets.

Core Values

  • Fiscal Responsibility
  • Constitutionally Limited Government
  • Free Markets
No matter how many times I read this, I don't see any reference to Gays, minorities, Democrats or any other group that is being marginalized.
But their issues, My God:  Fiscal Responsibility?  Why aren't all the people who like to point out how Bill Clinton created a surplus also not Tea Partiers?  And Constitutionally Limited Government?  Okay, I could see where the statist Leftist nanny-staters who want to control my life could never belong.  Might just explain our friend the commenter. And lastly, Free Markets - What a dangerous thought, especially since command economies work so well. 
Maybe this explains our commenter's fears.  If you believe in control of the government, economy and individuals as he does, you cannot fathom why anyone would not want the warmth and safety of the Government's loving arms,  Initiative?  Ambition?  Hard work?  None of those are possible for him to understand.  But he doesn't need to fear, the Tea Party will not be able to completely remove the loving jail that supports him with their money.

14 comments:

Anonymous said...

Maybe part pf the problem is movie script thinking, where everything must be one way or another. Steve hit on many themes for the 'movement' but failed to say that many are trapped in these impressions because cameras are following you.

The problem lay in the search for intelligent life. We are offered only two choices and must participate in the exchange, crazy as it is. Democrats are mocking you, I am mocking Democrats, and there you have it. We have the illusion that our opinions mean anything.

There used to be car seats that sat beside the driver where the child could pretend to drive while the grown-up was taking care of business. Welcome to American politics.

Steve said...

Actually, I think Steve was very specific in what he was saying, whether or not there are cameras. But I do believe that he is sincere in his fear. Not that he is right, because his fear is driving him into false beliefs that comfort him.
But the most interesting thing about the original post, is that there is no such thing as a Tea Party leader, whether kicked out or not. Tea Party is the advance beyond conventional politics to what is essentially tailor made politics.

Steve T. said...

Projection is key for you. I'm not afraid of Muslims, I'm not afraid of illegal immigrants, I don't give a shit if a mosque is built 3,000 miles away from me. I'm not afraid of a mostly useless health care bill, of a big stimulus package, financial "reform," or anything the party with a D after its name is going to pass.

But most of all, I don't fear the tea party. I don't give a shit if Democrats or Republicans win in this next go-around. I won't be voting anyways.

I live in Astoria, Oregon. There ain't much to fear here except for the occasional violent winter storm. But the house I'm in has withstood many of those. I'll be fine, and at the end of the day, so will you.

Well, as fine as someone as dim-witted as you can be. You are, after all, one of the dumbest people I've ever encountered.

GeeGuy said...

I don't know if Steve fears the Tea Party's ascendancy or not. I do think, though, that he is convinced that his opinions are not just his subjective selections of beliefs out of a basket of available beliefs, but that he is truly "right" and everyone else is "wrong." (Gee, I wonder where he learned to think like that.)

His comment on my blog, then, was merely inflammatory comments to demonstrate that he holds those he disagrees with in contempt.

Turn his words around:

"The left doesn't really consist of a bunch of self-righteous appeasers and communists who align themselves with ideas responsible for the death and subjugation of tens of millions of people. They just believe that anyone who disagrees with Obama's health care plan is racist, that 9/11 was an 'inside job,' that we should put the interests of other countries above our own, that nationalism is evil, that anyone in the world should be welcome to come here and receive government benefits paid for by US taxpayers, that everyone has a right to own a home, and tolerance only includes tolerating the ideas they agree with.

See how easy that is? Fun, too.

Steve T. said...

Gregg & Steve-

Which positions in my comment did you disagree with? Seriously... I want to know.

And it's funny, Gregg, your pretend rant looks exactly like any given blog post here at Steve's blog.

Steve said...

Seriously? You can't be that dense can you? Have you read anything here or at ECW?

Steve T. said...

Oh, I wasn't lumping ECW in with your blog. They're actually pretty bright over there.

But I would like to know which of the positions I so unfairly attributed to tea-partiers you guys disagree with.

Steve said...

Nothing in your screed is related to the Tea Party. Did you read beyond your quote? If you had, you would see what the principles of the Tea Party are. Are there some people in the Tea Party who believe some or even all of the nonsense that you wrote? I am sure there could be, but that is not what the Tea Party is about.
Yours is the same as saying that because there are communists, murderers and pedophiles in the Democrat Party, that is what being a Democrat is. It flunks basic logic and a Venn diagram.

GeeGuy said...

Well, Steve, I don't consider myself a racist or a homophobe; I wouldn't refuse to hire someone on either basis. By the modern definition, you would probably call me both, though.

I don't believe that Obama was a Kenyan, and I agree that there are many interpretations of Islamic tenets that are peaceful.

I think that Muslim Americans have the same rights as the rest of us.

I do agree that illegal aliens are illegal and therefore have no 'right' to remain in our country, although deporting them might be an impractical solution to an intractable problem.

I don't think blacks caused the housing crisis. I don't think the vast majority of homosexuals are gay by choice.

I do think our federal and state governments need some fiscal sanity, and I think government should be limited, not expansive in its scope. I am opposed to government handouts not because I hate poor people, but because I think 40 years of entitlements have created more problems than they have solved, and they just don't work. (Not that I expect pro-government leftists to respond with anything other than "but we haven't funded them with enough money yet).

I guess I'm a tea partier.

Steve T. said...

Thanks, Gregg. If only all tea partiers were more like you. But then again, it would be a LOT less entertaining. And, for that matter, a lot smaller.

Yeah, I'm painting with a broad brush. Yes, there's nuance to everything. Believe it or not, I get that. But when you have a movement where the majority of its members believe certain things - for instance, that Obama is not a U.S. citizen - a belief with clear racist undertones - it gets easier to paint with that broad brush. Gregg, don't take it personally. Steve, please do take it personally.

Hey BTW Steve - is Obama a U.S. citizen or not? I don't believe you've actually answered that question.

Steve said...

You're a funny guy.

Steve said...

"But when you have a movement where the majority of its members believe certain things - for instance, that Obama is not a U.S. citizen - a belief with clear racist undertones "

It is not a majority, it is at the most one in four, so once again you lie. Then equating a question about his birth certificate with racism? You are projecting your own fears. Face it, you hope that they are right because you secretly hate teh fact that Obama rules over you, don't you?

You racist fuck.

Steve T. said...

The last poll, conducted by CNN on August 5th, found that 41% of Republicans believe that Obama was not born in the U.S. I think it's probably fair to add 9 points for tea partiers... but you'd probably disagree, understandably.

But then again, you're part of that 41%.

You're even dumber than I thought.

Steve said...

I don't find it useful to discuss things with people as racist as you are. If you prove that you aren't a racist, I would be willing to resume the conversation.