Tea Party- please explain

[Anonymous]

I don't understand what they stand for and who they are. I googled and got more confused. Can someone please explain this to me in child like terms? I am not American, in case that excuses my ignorance somewhat.

[Anonymous]

They are a mix of folks with various interests. I think the huge common theme there is very anti-government. Anti big government. They don't want to pay taxes in general, but in any event want to pay the very minimum. They don't like any hint of income redistribution (helping the poor or otherwise vulnerable though social welfare programs).

Hopefully that's an objective description of them. I really, really don't like them at all.

[Anonymous]

Part of the problem is they generally represent an inconsistent ideology. While originally founded upon a generally libertarian bend, opposing the shrinking/localizing of government as much as possible (particularly with regard to tax policy and social services), they have largely become a party diametrically opposed to anything labeled "liberal", "democrat", or "progressive".

It is why, for example, they are part of the argument faulting Obama for failing to contain the BP oil spill, which is essentially calling for government intervention, something far from their original platform.

What started as a potential legitimate third party representing libertarian values has become a sounding board for people upset with the current regime. What is particularly scary is that much of the opposition to Obama is not policy based but racially based. This is certainly not an original or core tenet of the movement but has been brought in by people looking for a venue to sound off. This is evidenced by some of the signage now popping up at rallies that is pretty explicitly racist.

So, yea, it's easy to be confused because there hasn't been a consistent, unified ideology. This is generally true of any political party (not all Democrats or Republicans are the same obviously), but the Tea Partiers, falsely portraying themselves as a grass roots group, shun a centralized leadership which has allowed the group to be corrupted by fringe extremists.

[Anonymous]

Sorry, that first paragraph should say they SUPPORT the shrinking/localizing of government.

[Anonymous]

Is the Tea Party named after the Boston Tea Party where the Sons of Liberty who were domestic terrorists destroyed private property by trespassing on a ship and then dumping tea into the harbor?

The Boston Tea Party makes for interesting folklore and the British response was excessive which then eventually led to the American Revolution, but the original event was criminal.

I wouldn't think that the members of today's Tea Party would want to be specifically identified with that act of lawlessness. Maybe the Tea Party alludes to some other event altogether or maybe it's just the idea of meeting to discuss important political issues locally over a cup of tea or whatever ones favorite beverage might be???

[Anonymous]

I am pretty sure the name Tea Party was picked up because of what the Boston Tea Party was meant to protest - taxes. It is somewhat unfortunate for those of us that believe government over-spending and pork barrel is way over the top that the Tea Party is just a bunch of hack conservative bigots. I subscribe to an extent with the New Hampshire credo that if you collect it in taxes, the government will find a way to spend it. Therefore, you shouldn't tax unless you absolutely must.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Is the Tea Party named after the Boston Tea Party where the Sons of Liberty who were domestic terrorists destroyed private property by trespassing on a ship and then dumping tea into the harbor?

The Boston Tea Party makes for interesting folklore and the British response was excessive which then eventually led to the American Revolution, but the original event was criminal.

I wouldn't think that the members of today's Tea Party would want to be specifically identified with that act of lawlessness. Maybe the Tea Party alludes to some other event altogether or maybe it's just the idea of meeting to discuss important political issues locally over a cup of tea or whatever ones favorite beverage might be???

It's only terrorism when it's brown folks doing it against American interests. Otherwise, they're freedom fighters!

[Anonymous]

It originally was intended to be anti- Big Government. But since they can't agree on a platform, it is now just anti-This Government. That's probably an improvement, because anti-Big Government candidates tend to run up huge deficits. It turns out that big government is popular, just not big taxes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don't understand what they stand for and who they are. I googled and got more confused. Can someone please explain this to me in child like terms? I am not American, in case that excuses my ignorance somewhat.

You won't get good explanations here my friend; just extremely biased ones. Be judicious!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Is the Tea Party named after the Boston Tea Party where the Sons of Liberty who were domestic terrorists destroyed private property by trespassing on a ship and then dumping tea into the harbor?

The Boston Tea Party makes for interesting folklore and the British response was excessive which then eventually led to the American Revolution, but the original event was criminal.

I wouldn't think that the members of today's Tea Party would want to be specifically identified with that act of lawlessness. Maybe the Tea Party alludes to some other event altogether or maybe it's just the idea of meeting to discuss important political issues locally over a cup of tea or whatever ones favorite beverage might be???

The Tea Party members like to think of themselves in Boston Tea Party patriotic terms. The BIG difference though is that the Sons of Liberty were not against fair taxation. They were against taxation without representation. Our modern Tea Partyites are against most any form of taxation. So they really have no basis to align themselves with the Boston Tea Party.

[Anonymous]

OP here. So they are a group of conservative people who have banded together to protest our current party in govt? And one PP says that they are hidden behind a veil of racism? Is this correct? Are they very religious? Christian? And can they run for govt now?

[Anonymous]

Op here again. Thank you for all responses. I find it fascinating but very very complicated to understand.

[Anonymous]

I am afraid you have been misled. The name teabagger in fact comes from the filthy sexual practice which they engage in.

[Anonymous]

I made the comment on racism. I wouldn't say they hide behind thinly veiled racism. I don't think the original intent of the party had anything to do with racism (it certainly wasn't anti-racist, but it wasn't explicitly or implicitly racist). But a lot of people got swept into it because it was anti-THIS government who were anti-Obama for racist reasons. So, there is some thinly and not-so-thinly veiled racism present in the party that was never really an intent of the platform. But because the platform was never really defined and they welcomed anyone who was opposed to the current administration, they took in the racist whackos who weren't subtle enough in their racism to remain in the the republican party (or who didn't find the republicans quite racist enough).

[Anonymous]

7:25 here. Anecdotal of course, but most of my extended family are big Tea Party advocates....and also pretty racist. And religious (Christian). Oddly, though, they aren't very educated, and I do think Tea Partiers tend to be more educated than the general population.