Tea Parties expose intellectual inconsistencies
Abel Tomlinson
Issue date: 4/22/09 Section: Opinion
Immediately, I must declare that this is a nonpartisan critique because I see intense corruption in both parties.
However, America just witnessed politically important nationwide Tea (Taxed Enough Already) Parties centrally organized by partisan Republican lobbyists and the FOX "News" corporation. Most importantly, this "movement" exposed numerous intellectual inconsistencies within Republican politics.
The spearhead for Tea Parties was former Republican Congressman Dick Armey and FreedomWorks, his corporate lobbying firm. Interestingly, the Tea Parties were a plastic grassroots - or AstroTurf - movement that was falsely advertised as truly grassroots. Typical grassroots movements originate with average citizens and are funded by average citizens from the bottom up, but in the case of FreedomWorks, the "movement" was organized by corporate lobbyists and funded by millionaires with a top-down approach.
In addition to the efforts of FreedomWorks, Tea Parties were incalculably aided by millions of dollars worth of free promotional propaganda and coverage through FOX News.
This Tea Party rallying cry exposes the blatant, mind-numbing intellectual inconsistency inherent within Reagan-forward Republican politics.
Since Ronald Reagan declared "government is the problem," Republicans have preached about deficit hawkishness, small government, corporate deregulation and anti-taxism. But it is factually incoherent to simultaneously oppose taxes for the wealthy and debt while vastly increasing military spending.
Trickledown economics and deregulation have proved an abysmal failure. Massive tax cuts led to massive deficits and catastrophic economic inequality. Massive military spending also led to massive debt and vastly bigger government.
Moreover, banking deregulation proved to be a central cause of our economic collapse, which, according to Bloomberg News, is currently costing nearly $13 trillion when secret Federal Reserve bailouts are included.
However, America just witnessed politically important nationwide Tea (Taxed Enough Already) Parties centrally organized by partisan Republican lobbyists and the FOX "News" corporation. Most importantly, this "movement" exposed numerous intellectual inconsistencies within Republican politics.
The spearhead for Tea Parties was former Republican Congressman Dick Armey and FreedomWorks, his corporate lobbying firm. Interestingly, the Tea Parties were a plastic grassroots - or AstroTurf - movement that was falsely advertised as truly grassroots. Typical grassroots movements originate with average citizens and are funded by average citizens from the bottom up, but in the case of FreedomWorks, the "movement" was organized by corporate lobbyists and funded by millionaires with a top-down approach.
In addition to the efforts of FreedomWorks, Tea Parties were incalculably aided by millions of dollars worth of free promotional propaganda and coverage through FOX News.
This Tea Party rallying cry exposes the blatant, mind-numbing intellectual inconsistency inherent within Reagan-forward Republican politics.
Since Ronald Reagan declared "government is the problem," Republicans have preached about deficit hawkishness, small government, corporate deregulation and anti-taxism. But it is factually incoherent to simultaneously oppose taxes for the wealthy and debt while vastly increasing military spending.
Trickledown economics and deregulation have proved an abysmal failure. Massive tax cuts led to massive deficits and catastrophic economic inequality. Massive military spending also led to massive debt and vastly bigger government.
Moreover, banking deregulation proved to be a central cause of our economic collapse, which, according to Bloomberg News, is currently costing nearly $13 trillion when secret Federal Reserve bailouts are included.
Viewing Comments 1 - 8 of 17
Bman
posted 4/22/09 @ 9:25 AM CST
It brings a tear to my eye how much Abel has grown through the years of becoming a bonafide wacko propagandist.
Seriously, how many more years must the Traveler subject its readers to Abel? Do they not get enough letters?
If you listen real hard right now, do you hear the sound of no one caring what Abel has to say anymore?
Jacob Holloway
posted 4/22/09 @ 3:27 PM CST
In Response to the Bman.....
You're full of yourself! You had nothing intellectual to say to combat anything that Abel had to present to the readers of the Traveler. (Continued…)
eLwood
posted 4/22/09 @ 6:11 PM CST
Wonderful work Abel. Great content and analysis.
Plastic grass roots, all faux and viola! You have a Republicon.
Look forward to your next post.
. (Continued…)
Bob Tiberius
Jeremy
posted 4/22/09 @ 7:49 PM CST
...*sigh*...ok...
Error 1: He explicitly states and implicitly carries on that his comments and attitudes are to be taken in the realm of ideas and nonpartisanship whilst simultaneously lumping participants in the tea parties into the republican party and/or far right. (Continued…)
Jeremy
posted 4/22/09 @ 8:28 PM CST
Error 6: "Trickledown economics and deregulation have proved an abysmal failure. Massive tax cuts led to massive deficits and catastrophic economic inequality. (Continued…)
eLwood
posted 4/26/09 @ 3:44 PM CST
. The truth is that tax cuts at the levels that they occurred with Reagan precipitated a large increase in tax revenue. <<
Jeremy
.
Raygun increased gubbermint revenues by increasing Social Security contributions. (Continued…)
Bob Tiberius
Jeremy
posted 4/27/09 @ 5:38 PM CST
Let me clarify.
Reagan cut the federal income tax in half over the course of his presidency, roughly 40 points if memory serves. Federal income tax revenue increased by about 50%. (Continued…)
Brotha
posted 5/11/09 @ 10:35 PM CST
Bravo Jeremy. I'm so sick of seeing Tomlinson's baseless arguments and conspiracy theories but I never have the energy to go point by point with him.
Where is the socialist rebuttal? Let's hear it!
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