As South DaCola has discussed before, the Koch brothers have funneled millions into the teabagger movement;
The Kochs are longtime libertarians who believe in drastically lower personal and corporate taxes, minimal social services for the needy, and much less oversight of industry—especially environmental regulation.
This is a fantastic article. I encourage every teabagger to read it, and to learn where their movement got started. Not on the backporch of some hillbilly pissed off at the government. It got started by a check from a couple of billionaire silver spoons who look down on people like you. You are merely chess pieces in their game.
I think you mean “another liberal publication.”
I can really only conclude from what you’ve written here that you’re either (a) a liberal propaganda artist so desperate to to malign American patriots that you don’t give the slightest care about the accuracy of what you’re saying, or (b) not too bright.
Now I admit there’s a lot of evidence for both contentions, and it’s entirely possible that both are true.
For instance, I have tracked the Tea Party movement since it began last year and have founded two Tea Party groups…and I’d never heard of the Koch brothers until you liberals started blathering on about them. I suspect you liberal drones are so centralist and collectivist-thinking, you can’t grasp the reality that average Americans actually think and do for themselves. You can’t conceive of something happening that isn’t directed by great powers or wealthy socialists like George Soros (apparently wealth is okay, so long as some of it is being spent promoting Marxism for the unwashed masses) from on high…yet thinking and doing for ones self is just how our country began.
No group I’ve been involved with has received anything from them, and I’d venture that’s the case with the overwhelming majority of the Tea Party groups around the country, since this was a spontaneous grassroots movement that caught fire after Rick Santelli’s comments on the floor of the Chicago Mercantile in Feb. 2009. Thousands of patriots around the country realized, as the patriot movement of 200+ years ago, that enough was enough and something had to be done.
You sound as if you loathe everything our founders believed in and fought for: lower taxes, free enterprise, personal responsibility, and freedom. Pathetic. Absolutely pathetic. You could make yourself and real Americans happy by packing your bags and moving to one of the socialist enclaves around the world that you find so laudable, but no, on some level you realize it would suck to actually have to live in a country where you actually had to live with the consequences of the Marxism you so love. So you remain here, leeching off the blessings of liberty that patriots strive so hard to maintain, even as you run down the very source of those blessings.
I find idiocy on the scale you’ve promoted here as laughable as it is deplorable, but beyond that, it doesn’t affect a single thing I or any other Tea Party patriot is doing. So by all means, waste your time and energy blathering on about Koch brothers. I’m glad they’re spending their own money the way they want to (it’s the American way, after all) where ever they’d like–but little to none of it is getting spent filling the coffers of the thousands of local Tea Party groups across this great nation.
Meanwhile, like the Tea Party patriots of 200+ years ago, we’ll be busy thinking and doing for ourselves as we bring freedom back to these American shores and give the boot to oppressive government once again.
It’s a good article!
My, my Bob,
hitting close to a little touchy region are we?
Apparently some people are not well read because the Koch brothers have been written and talked about by a lot of people and certainly by Rachel Maddow a great deal. But if one only watches Fox news then one does not get the news.
That’s a pretty good hit piece.
The Kochtopus hysteria does point out that the left in this country doesn’t actually give a crap about the arts, ending the drug war, getting rid of the surveillance state, ending war, gay marriage, legalizing immigration, stem cell research, open and accountable government, access to abortion, police misconduct & illegal searches or any of the other civil liberty causes that they pretend to care about.
If they did, they’d appreciate the money that the Koch brothers give to further these causes. But instead they are made out to be villians because they oppose labor unions, excessive regulation (which their businesses would greatly benefit from), excessive taxation and stifling entitlement spending.
But, it’s good to see you’re just as worried about Soros as you are the Koch’s.
Bob Ellis: Thousands of patriots around the country realized, as the patriot movement of 200+ years ago, that enough was enough and something had to be done.
With all due respect Bob… you’re an ignorant tool (and I mean that in the most sincere way possible).
The Tea Party crowd are not patriots and should not IN ANY WAY be associated with the term as it merely waters down what is meant when someone uses the word. What these tea party types are doing and what the original REAL patriots did during the Boston Tea Party are not even remotely similar.
The men who acted that day back in 1773 did so with the knowledge if they were caught they would face death for treason. They knew they could likely be killed that very night and yet they acted without haste because they felt the rewards far outweighed the risks. The modern teabaggers aren’t doing anything illegal (at least most of the time) and surely nothing that would even warrant serving time in prison much less the threat of personal harm or death.
So no Bob, you don’t get to blur the line between real patriots and self-proclaimed windbags who feel that buying a “Don’t Tread on Me” flag for $15 while listening to a speech from a right winger somehow makes them in any sense a patriot.
Don’t ever insult our American history by even trying to suggest these people are in any way patriots… because they aren’t. They are no different than any other protesters for any other cause – at the end of the day they haven’t risked anything to voice their opinion, they have not protected any rights, they have not influenced the direction of the nation, and they will never and can never be considered in any sense of the word to be patriots.
Whats next – passing out purple hearts to any teabagger who sprains an ankle while marching in a parade?
Costner. Bravo
So by your logic Costner, anyone who isn’t explicitly risking their lives, freedom & their fortune does not rise to the level of the term “Patriot”? How come you gave Biden a pass by letting him frame the tax debate as “Patriotic” for those making more than $250K to pay more?
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26771716/
How about Obama using the term to describe both his & Bush’s view of the Iraq war?
http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-503544_162-20015262-503544.html
At the very least, the Tea Party would be on par with Civil disobedience as professed by the likes of Ghandi or MLK. Both of whom were assasinated for their respective levels of political advocacy. Maybe the Tea Party foot soldiers aren’t risking their lives per se, but anyone who rises up to assume a leadership role certainly will face some level of retribution, not the least of which is facing the barrage of personal attacks and insults from the likes of which you just demonstrated.
BTW, perhaps you’d like to unleash some of your wrath on Merriam-Webster while you’re at it, as their working definition of the word undoubtly is as insulting to you as the other poster’s use of the term:
pa·tri·ot noun
\ˈpÄ-trÄ“-É™t, -ˌät, chiefly British ˈpa-trÄ“-É™t\
: one who loves his or her country and supports its authority and interests
http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/patriot?show=0&t=1284566354
Bob Ellis just makes me laugh. Him and Sibby should take their teabagger rants on a comedy tour. They could call it, “A swinging pair of nuts.”
You can’t conceive of something happening that isn’t directed by great powers or wealthy socialists like George Soros (apparently wealth is okay, so long as some of it is being spent promoting Marxism for the unwashed masses) from on high…yet thinking and doing for ones self is just how our country began. – Bob
Damn you’re dumb, Bob.
Nobody here gives a shit what Soros does.
You and your teabagger friends are nothing but useful idiots for people who don’t give a shit about you.
You could make yourself and real Americans happy by packing your bags and moving to one of the socialist enclaves around the world that you find so laudable, but no, on some level you realize it would suck to actually have to live in a country where you actually had to live with the consequences of the Marxism you so love. So you remain here, leeching off the blessings of liberty that patriots strive so hard to maintain, even as you run down the very source of those blessings.
And here Bob channels Jach Nicholson’s character from “A Few Good Men”.
Again, Bob, damn you’re dumb.
Sy: So by your logic Costner, anyone who isn’t explicitly risking their lives, freedom & their fortune does not rise to the level of the term “Patriotâ€?
I don’t recall saying that Sy, but there quite simply is a vast gaping difference between the true Patriots associated with the Boston Tea Party, and a bunch of people who believe patriotism means crafting a witty slogan and carrying it to a rally organized by politicians or wealthy infotainers.
Trying to act as if there is some level of similarity between the two (other than the ‘borrowed / stolen’ name Tea Party itself) is insulting to American history.
As to your examples of Biden or Obama or anyone else using the term, did you see me defend them? No you didn’t, so take your partisan blinders off for a second as this isn’t about them. Had someone come in here and tried to associate anything Biden or Obama has done with being a true patriot I would have given the same objection because it has nothing to do with political affiliation and everything to do with respect.
And no Sy, what the Tea Party has done is in no way on part with what Ghandi or MLK did. Ghandi and MLK were primarily concerned with human rights and were both willing to sacrifice their personal freedom for their cause (and both spent time in prison/jail for those beliefs not to mention eventually being assassinated).
Hell Ghandi was even willing to sacrifice his own body via fasting and starvation if it helped further his cause while it appears the vast majority of Tea Party participants have likely never missed a meal in their lives.
But hey – if some leader of the Tea Party gets assassinated for their viewpoints or stands up against the government on a point of value such as human rights as opposed to merely complaining that the government spends too much while they commute to their protest on mass transit and march on public roads while being protected by police officers while they hold their rally in a public park… then maybe I’ll be willing to associate them with the term as well.
Until then – sorry… they are in no way similar to the original Boston Tea Party Patriots. Period.
Costner:
“vast gaping difference between the true Patriots associated with the Boston Tea Party,”
Sure there is, like over 230 years of history. We don’t do things the same way now as we did then. But there’s also a striking similarity to the message, that’s why only the true partisan hacks like yourself only focus on the messengers and attacking the supporters.
Take MLK’s case for example; there were rallies held by both sides. Both supporting a different message. One said “equal rights for all”, the other said “keep things the way they are”. If this was 1962 and you were out there calling MLK’s supporters simliarly disparaging things in support of “keep things the way they are” than it would be a pretty easy call to label you a racist POS.
Just like today, in attacking the Tea Party as you seem compelled to do, you have given de facto support to the opposing message: “Higher taxes, bigger Government, and less freedom for all.” The primary difference today is no one is holding rallies calling for that, becasue they know it goes against our founding principles. So what else do they & you have? Attack the messenger, ignore the message.
J Edgar Hoover would be so proud of you.
I’m turned off the minute anybody starts proclaiming those that reflect their opinions as patriots, “real Americans”, etc.. That goes for both parties.
Costner,
You’re saying the tea party isn’t legitimate until is starts breaking laws, destroying property and one of them get killed?
I think the fact that there hasn’t been the violence in the tea party that you see from the left is reason enough to call them patriots. You don’t have to MLK Jr to be a patriot.
If the tea party groups of today did what the original tea party did, they’d be all over the news labeled as terrorist groups and there would be a 24/7 orgy of celebration on MSNBC.
With all of that said, I think Ellis is a self-important fool. He doesn’t give a crap about smaller government, he just sees the tea party as a vehicle to fight his culture war from.
Sy: “Sure there is, like over 230 years of history. “
Therein lies the problem. You think that is the primary difference between men who risked their lives and men carring signs that say “Nobama”.
I guess that’s one way to go.
By the way Sy, I never attacked the tea party “supporters” or “messengers”. I merely said they are not patriots. You can twist and manipulate that in any partisan way you choose…. you’re typically pretty good at modifying the message to attack the messenger.
DDC: You’re saying the tea party isn’t legitimate until is starts breaking laws, destroying property and one of them get killed?
Where did I say they weren’t legitimate? I respect their right to do what they do and I do think they are bringing some issues to the attention of a certain sect of the public who would otherwise never bother to learn what is happening. Yet I still don’t consider them in any way to be patriots. Surely not in the sense the original Boston Tea Party members were patriots.
By the way, I didn’t think Cindy Sheehan was a patriot either and she did pretty much the same thing any tea party protester did. She found an issue she didn’t like and she marched and protested against it. She gained media attention for her cause, and in the end nothing really changed. Does that make her a patriot too? I don’t think so, but some may disagree.
DDC: I think the fact that there hasn’t been the violence in the tea party that you see from the left is reason enough to call them patriots.
Well first I’m not sure what you mean about “that you see from the left” but I’ll just gloss over that one. I’m just a little shocked that you feel an absense of violence makes someone a patriot.
Awesome. I attended a Pheasants game about a month ago and nobody broke out into a fight the entire time I was there! We are all patriots!
Thanks for clearing that up. It is good to know the bar has been set so low that a toddler could jump over it.
Listen – I’m not saying there isn’t some value in making your voice heard or forming a group to display unity in a message. The issue I have is the association between the modern day Tea Party and those who risked life and limb at the original Boston Tea Party.
Personally, I feel the term “Patriot” is tossed arround a bit too much these days. You have talk radio pundits calling themselves patriots, you have politicians calling themselves patriots, you have protesters claiming they are true patriots… I just don’t buy it.
I’ve said the same about the term hero being tossed around after 9/11. Were the men and women who ran into those burning towers heros? You bet. However does that mean every firefighter or police officer nationwide is a hero? I don’t think so… some of them surely are, but some are probably just doing their jobs too.
I just think we need to be careful about the words we choose to use as labels, because soon enough they lose their importance and it waters down the entire concept.
Thank you, Costner. I agree with every word you said.
Costner:
“By the way Sy, I never attacked the tea party “supporters†or “messengersâ€. I merely said they are not patriots”
Go read your own post again, how is calling them “teabaggers” X 2 and “windbags” not an attack?
and as usual, you one up yourself by ending your tapdance with this:
“I just think we need to be careful about the words we choose to use as labels,”
That’s some good comedy right there, friendo.
Sy: Go read your own post again, how is calling them “teabaggers†X 2 and “windbags†not an attack?
I’m honored and humbled you would take the time to re-scan every one of my posts to find the number of times I used such a term.
That said, I guess I don’t really consider the term “teabagger” an attack since so many of the “Tea Party Participants” use that term to describe themselves. Consider it the opposite of the term liberal. It really isn’t an insult, but some people who are called by that name are insulted.
I suppose you’re right though – when the teabagger thing first popped up and the tea party was flush with people walking around with tea bags taped to their hats and only then people started realizing there was a sexual connontation to the term, I suppose maybe people should have stopped using it.
As far as windbags… well I don’t have a defense for that one. I could clarify I didn’t mean to suggest it applied to everyone who ever goes to those rallies but I wasn’t very clear so I’ll just chalk that one up to an error on my part.
I still don’t think I attacked them though, yet I’m still disgusted that people try to associate them with real patriots. We can nitpick back and forth all day long, but that remains my entire point.
Tea party patriots, please stop beating off. Please!
Costner,
Here you go. Violent protests from the left:
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/washington/2008/09/rnc-protests.html
http://www.businessweek.com/news/2010-06-27/police-arrest-224-g-20-protesters-day-after-violence.html
http://www.thepittsburghchannel.com/g20/21121306/detail.html
http://www.reuters.com/news/video?videoId=56114
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704124704575064011426595220.html
http://www.seattlepi.com/local/wto042.shtml
Go ahead and gloss right over it.
My point was that you said not to compare them to the protest in 1773. I was pointing out that if they did the things that happened in the original tea party, they wouldn’t be portrayed as patriots, they’d be portrayed as terrorists.
I think peaceful protest does make one a patriot. You don’t have to kill people, break or blow stuff up to be a patriot.
Anon- You gotta it all wrong. I would prefer they masturbate and not copulate.
What a bunch of idiots.
DDC: Here you go. Violent protests from the left
Oh I understand now. It is just the left that gets violent during protests. Thanks for clearing that up. Thankfully I can fully trust the links you have provided are not in any way cherry picked and it was a mere coincidence you forgot to mention any of the violence that has occurred from the “right”.
I guess all of those anti-healthcare reform protests that ended with violence and arrests, and all of those militia members who were carrying guns and causing altercations last year were all pesky liberals.
Thanks for the clarification – that makes much more sense than the idea that both sides can and do get violent from time to time. The more you know I guess.
DDC: was pointing out that if they did the things that happened in the original tea party, they wouldn’t be portrayed as patriots, they’d be portrayed as terrorists.
That is a bit of a stretch. If someone went on to a ship, tossed the cargo into the sea, and rallied against unfair taxation today they might be arrested, but I don’t think anyone would call them terrorists provided they didn’t strap C4 to their bodies and try to blow up the ship and innocent bystanders at the same time.
Yes they would likely be charged with trespassing, theft, destruction of property and perhaps even the random case of assault or battery etc, but terrorism? I think not.
DDC: I think peaceful protest does make one a patriot.
You’re obviously entitled to your view, but I think the bar is set pretty damn low if that is your standard. I guess all of those people camped out in front of Planned Parenthood every other week are patriots just as are the guy who was holding the anti-Thune sign in front of his campaign office a few years back.
God Bless those real patriots -they deserve a medal for NOT beating the crap out of someone or throwing rocks at police officers.
Hey – come to think of it, I remember flushing my toilet a few weeks back when we were told to restrict water usage. I did so in protest as I didn’t want to be told what I could and could not do, and since I didn’t resort to violence… you guessed it.
I’m a Patriot!
(Where can I get my free bumper sticker to advertise that fact to everyone else?)