Iced Tea

The Tea Party movement, such as it is, is now no longer about real change in Washington, if it ever was. It has definitely now been co-opted for the purposes of the Republican Party establishment and the ruling class agenda (which can be found in both major political parties). Interesting that two supposed supporters of the Tea Party candidates, talk radio mavens Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity, have both interviewed former Decider-in-Chief George W. Bush on their programs, about his new book. I caught part of Hannity yesterday, and he had nothing but softball questions and then endless praise for the man who rejected nearly everything that "conservatism" once represented. This is the true face of the Tea Party once the mask of small-government rhetoric is pulled off; to restore the same people to power that brought us the endless militarism and Pentagon spending, the bailouts of the banksters and Wall Street, and only talked about "getting government off our backs" while they grew the Federal monster ever and ever larger.

The Tea Party cannot, by it's very make-up, bring real reform. What passes for conservatism today among the rank and file is little more than liberal-lite, with a big dose of jingoism and worship of the military thrown into the mix. Plus, all the old folks who call themselves conservatives won't stand for any real change in Social Security or Medicare, the two programs that alone will bankrupt the Federal government. Oh, they'll demand tax cuts, of course, but not something that would really save the taxpayers money, such as bringing the troops home and ending wasteful military spending, or means-testing Social Security benefits so that well-off retirees don't receive monthly government checks paid for by the contributions of the working poor.

Yes, whatever heat the Tea Party had has gone cold, and as Butler Shaffer wrote: "Once again, the establishment owners co-opt and turn to their advantage even those energies and sentiments directed against their racket. This is why I have long used the word “anarchist” to express my own opinions: I would love to see the political power-structure try to associate itself with that!"

So, actually do something instead of just pretending to complain about it. Become an anarchist!