The American Tea Party Revolution (American Spring)

[Diirez]

I stumbled upon the letter Colonel Riley the other day. He's arguing for "all patriots", but its safe to assume it'll only be Tea Party members, to form a non-violent revolution in Washington D.C. They plan to protest and stand outside the white house until Obama, Biden, Reid, McConnell, Boehner, Pelosi and Attorney General Holder are removed. The Tea Party and Save America Foundation hold the firm belief in the Constitution (despite the fact that they want to make mandatory Christian prayer in school) yet they contradict themselves already! The Constitution allows only one way to remove a president and that is through impeachment. Also, I have no idea how good they plan to protest but I seriously doubt that standing in front of the White House will force the president, vice president and everyone else out. Lastly, this would be the worst, since their political views are solely on exploiting the workers and giving money to the CEO's.

What do you think of this?

[IBleedRed]

Here's a question I have for people: is it true that any sort of activism, by virtue of the fact that it is activism, is better than apathy?

Is apathy on the part of workers worse than membership in the Tea Party? I am being serious, and I don't have an answer for this.

[Lily Briscoe]

What do you think of this?

I think it is totally irrelevant to anything, will probably turn out a lot like this (http://www.revleft.com/vb/conservative-revolution-against-t185190/index.html?t=185190), and people on this forum will most likely end up being the only people even talking about it.

[Ethics Gradient, Traitor For All Ages]

I thought this already happened, like 100 people showed up for some speeches and then went home.

Activism is not necessarily better than apathy. A tea party rally could be mistaken as a leftist rally at this point based on how few people show up to them. Their message really doesn't attract many people at this point, so they are basically larping, same as left wing groups that can't connect with anyone.

[Geiseric]

The tea party are fascists and need to be opposed politically. It's nonsense to think that our and their goals have anything in common.

[Trap Queen Voxxy]

During this polar vortex? What a phenomenal idea.

[TheWannabeAnarchist]

According to one major Tea Party website (my comments in bold):

1. Illegal aliens are here illegally. Hmm, isn't it telling that their first principle listed is a desire to remove an undesirable ethnic group?
2. Pro-domestic employment is indispensable. Great. And I'm assuming that this will mean tax cuts for billionaires and minimum wage slashes to bring the "job creators" back from China and Bangladesh?:laugh:
3. A strong military is essential. Seems like that's already happening considering our military is stationed in bases around the world and receives more funding than all ten of the countries behind the U.S. in military spending. Combined. Clearly, this isn't enough for them.
4. Special interests must be eliminated. We should be funding all lecherous corporste bigwigs equally!
5. Gun ownership is sacred. I agree, absolutely. They might have to be used some day if the Tea Party takes over:laugh:
6. Government must be downsized. I thought you said you wanted a bigger military:ohmy:
7. The national budget must be balanced. Now here's the thing...the military is the biggest part of the national budget.
8. Deficit spending must end. Hey Teabaggers, you like the Founding Fathers, right? Here's a quote by Alexander Hamilton: "A national debt, if not excessive, will be to us a national blessing.
9. Bailout and stimulus plans are illegal. Yeah, just let the private sector screw people over withoutfederal help!
10. Reducing personal income taxes is a must. If you combine that with food stamps, I'm sure hungry poor people will do even bett--oh, wait, you cut food stamps. Damn.
11. Reducing business income taxes is mandatory. Look at all the suffering millionaires! See 10!
12. Political offices must be available to average citizens. Translation: political offices must be available to all straight, white, Protestant, male business owners.;)
13. Intrusive government must be stopped Okay, good idea. By the way, invading other countries is intrusive government, so you should probably erase this..
14. English as our core language is required. Cause what would American liberty be like if everyone wasn't forced by angry bigots to speak the exact same way?
15. Traditional family values are encouraged. Bu-bu-but that's BOURGEOIS!:( Why would Tea Partiers want that?:ohmy:

The Tea Party has pretty much no redeeming qualities whatsoever. It's a giant scam funded by racists, theocrats, and corporations.

[A Psychological Symphony]

These guys are about as conservative as it gets. They are in no way a benefit to any sort of revolutionary leftist movement no matter which tendency you adhere to. Some angry white bourgeoisie fighting against some other slightly more diverse bourgeoisie. Only way this should be of interest is if they succeed by some fluke standard and then our enemy has a new face.

[IBleedRed]

These guys are about as conservative as it gets. They are in no way a benefit to any sort of revolutionary leftist movement no matter which tendency you adhere to. Some angry white bourgeoisie fighting against some other slightly more diverse bourgeoisie. Only way this should be of interest is if they succeed by some fluke standard and then our enemy has a new face.
Many Tea Partiers are working class, though.

[A Psychological Symphony]

Many Tea Partiers are working class, though.

Their "Revolution" would be just another bourgeois one though

[Le Socialiste]

Many Tea Partiers are working class, though.

Being working-class doesn't preclude one from holding reactionary ideas or biases. To answer your earlier question, faux-activism of the Tea Party variety isn't any better than apathy simply because it motivates people to show up and protest. Many of these people are (or were, the Tea Party movement lost momentum a long time ago) harboring views that remain antithetical to the goals of a mass, working-class movement predicated on the liberation of all social groups. The Nazis, building off the electoral blunders and defeats of Social Democracy and the left, were able to harness anti-establishment sentiment and channel it in an establishment friendly direction that was amiable to the interests of big business. If little else, historical examples like these speak to the urgency, much less necessity, of building working-class solidarity and resistance alongside an organized left.