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What is the Tea Party? Just thought I'd post this so that people actually know exactly what the Tea Party stands for. These 10 items and NOTHING more. If anyone says they are racists or loonies, etc, then keep in mind what they say here, which is from their own website in their own creeds, and disregard the bullsh*t that others may say about them. If you consider yourself "Liberal" or "Progressive", unless you disagree with at least 6 or more of the following 10 items, you are fooling yourself, and tho you may align yourself with a political party or group claiming to oppose the Tea Party, you are nonetheless a Tea Party member yourself. (Also Note: The Tea Party traces its roots back to 2006, during the Bush Administration and even BEFORE the housing crash. And many were Obama supporters who became angry when Obama became even MUCH MORE fiscally irresponsible than Bush had been.) Hope you enjoy, and now you know the truth. Thanks for reading and GBU, Gavin ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Tea Party Movement Platform (Ten Core Beliefs of the Modern-Day Tea Party Movement) “Be sure you put your feet in the right place, then stand firm.” --Abraham Lincoln Preamble: The Tea Party Movement is an all-inclusive American grassroots movement with the belief that everyone is created equal and deserves an equal opportunity to thrive in these United States where they may “pursue life, liberty and happiness” as stated in the Declaration of Independence and guaranteed by the Constitution of the United States. No one is excluded from participation in the Tea Party Movement. Everyone is welcomed to join in seeking to achieve the Tea Party Movement goals, which are as follows: 1. Eliminate Excessive Taxes - Excessively high taxes are a burden for those exercising their personal liberty to work hard and prosper as afforded by the Constitution. A fiscally responsible government protects the freedom of its citizens to enjoy the fruits of their own labor without interference from a government that has exceeded its necessary size, scope and reach into the lives of its citizens. “Collecting more taxes than is absolutely necessary is legalized robbery.” --Calvin Coolidge “A wise and frugal government, which shall leave men free to regulate their own pursuits of industry and improvement, and shall not take from the mouth of labor the bread it has earned -this is the sum of good government.” --Thomas Jefferson “Any tax is a discouragement and therefore a regulation.” --Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr. 2. Eliminate the National Debt - By implementing fiscally conservative policies at all levels of government, progress can be made toward eliminating the U.S. National Debt. Massive increases in the National Debt have created and continue to create a huge burden for the next generation of Americans, thus imperiling the country’s short-term and long-term economic health and prosperity. “You cannot escape the responsibility of tomorrow by evading it today.” --Abraham Lincoln “If there must be trouble, let it be in my day, that my may have peace.” --Thomas Paine, 1776 “As on the one hand, the necessity for borrowing in particular emergencies cannot be doubted, so on the other, it is equally evident that to be able to borrow upon good terms, it is essential that the credit of a nation should be well established.” --Alexander Hamilton, 1790 3. Eliminate Deficit Spending - All deficit spending must be eliminated immediately. We insist that government representatives at all levels maintain a fiscally responsible budget and balance the books as would be expected of any American business. “Arbitrary power is most easily established on the ruins of liberty abused to licentiousness.” --George Washington “A penny saved is a penny earned.” --Benjamin Franklin “Tomorrow, every Fault is to be amended; but that Tomorrow never comes.” --Benjamin Franklin 4. Protect Free Markets - America’s free enterprise system allows businesses to thrive as they compete in the open marketplace and strive toward ever better services and products. Allowing free markets to prosper unfettered by government interference is what propelled this country to greatness with an enduring belief in the industriousness and innovations of the populace. “That some achieve great success, is proof to all that others can achieve it as well.” --Abraham Lincoln “You cannot build character and courage by taking away a man’s initiative and independence.” --Abraham Lincoln “The government’s view of the economy could be summed up in a few short phrases: If it moves, tax it. If it keeps moving, regulate it. And if it stops moving, subsidize it.” --Ronald Reagan 5. Abide by the Constitution of the United States - The U.S. Constitution is the supreme law of the land and must be adhered to without exception at all levels of government. This includes the Bill of Rights and other Amendments to the U.S. Constitution and their provisions designed to protect states’ rights and individual liberties. “A general Dissolution of Principles & Manners will more surely overthrow the Liberties of America than the whole Force of the Common Enemy.” --Samuel Adams, 1779 “The Constitution is the guide which I will never abandon.” --George Washington “We the people are the rightful masters of both Congress and the courts, not to overthrow the Constitution but to overthrow the men who pervert the Constitution.” --Abraham Lincoln 6. Promote Civic Responsibility - Citizen involvement at the grassroots level allows the voice of the American people to be heard and directs the political behaviors of our representatives at both the local and national level so they, in turn, may be most effective in working to preserve the life, liberty and pursuit of happiness of this country’s citizens. “The battle, sir, is not to the strong alone; it is to the vigilant, the active, the brave.” --Patrick Henry “To sin by silence when they should protest makes cowards of men.” --Abraham Lincoln “Truth will ultimately prevail where there is pains to bring it to light” --George Washington “All tyranny needs to gain a foothold is for people of good conscience to remain silent.” --Thomas Jefferson 7. Reduce the Overall Size of Government - A bloated bureaucracy creates wasteful spending that plagues our government. Reducing the overall size, scope and reach of government at both local and national levels will help to eliminate inefficiencies that result in deficit spending which adds to our country’s debt. “My observation is that whenever one person is found adequate to the discharge of a duty...it is worse executed by two persons, and scarcely done at all if three or more are employed therein.” --George Washington “If we can prevent the government from wasting the labors of the people, under the pretense of taking care of them, they must become happy.” --Samuel Adams, 1802 “Energy and persistence conquer all things.” --Benjamin Franklin 8. Believe in the People - The American people, given their guaranteed freedoms, will thrive in a democratic, capitalist environment which allows individuals to strive toward ever greater achievements, innovations and the efficient production of needed and valued goods and services. “Industry need not wish.” --Benjamin Franklin “Government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the Earth.” --Abraham Lincoln “The people will save their government, if the government itself will allow them.” --Abraham Lincoln 9. Avoid the Pitfalls of Politics - American politics is burdened by big money from lobbyists and special interests with an undue influence on the peoples’ representatives. The Tea Party movement is seen as a threat to the entrenched political parties and thus is the continual target of smear campaigns and misrepresentation of its ideals. We choose not to respond to these attacks except to strongly and explicitly disavow any and all hate speech, any and all violence as well as insinuations of violence, and any and all extreme and fringe elements that bring discredit to the Tea Party Movement. We are a peaceful movement and respect other's opinions and views even though they do not agree with our own. We stand by the Tea Party beliefs and goals and choose to focus our energies on ensuring that our government representatives do the same. “I am a firm believer in the people. If given the truth, they can be depended upon to meet any national crisis. The great point is to bring them the real facts.” --Abraham Lincoln “Honesty is the best policy.” --Benjamin Franklin “Guard against the impostures of pretended patriotism.” --George Washington 10. Maintain Local Independence - The strength and resilience of a grassroots movement is the ability of citizens at the local level to determine their own platforms, agendas and priorities free of an overriding central leadership. Exercising the clearly stated message of the Tea Party movement by its nature involves discourse about which policies and candidates best hold to our stated principles, and these various opinions should flourish and evolve at the local level. “Here sir, the people govern.” --Alexander Hamilton in a speech to the New York Ratifying Convention, 1788 “Every government degenerates when trusted to the rulers of the people alone. The people themselves, therefore, are its only safe depositories.” --Samuel Adams, 1781 “This country, with its institutions, belongs to the people who inhabit it.” --Abraham Lincoln |
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Proud to state I am a founding member of our local Tea Party!!! . The beginning of life, conception..
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Gavin, These are wonderful idea, and I imagine some people like yourself believe wholehearted in them. I too if the stated goals were what I saw as the actual goals. 1. I do not believe it is right to avoid paying taxes. I believe the current tax structure should be lowered, however, I firmly believe that under the current system far too many avoid paying their fair share. I support corrections in loopholes and income maneuvering and a reduction in the tax rate. I do not believe the Tea Party supports this in it's entirety. I believe as stated in the quote, that the goal of the current party is to reduce taxes by any means. This ultimately justifies people to not pay their fair share. 2. I do not see the solution to the problem as just a matter of a choice. Reducing the debt needs to done at all costs. Not just entitlements, but including entitlement, not just reducing military spending but including military spending, Not just an increase in income but including an increase in income. I believe those running the Tea party do not believe this. The reduction in spending is all about their choice. In making those choices they are untrue to purpose of this tenant of the Tea party. 3. deficit spending, goes along with number 2, that which created the debt...is that debt 4. There is a fine line between government regulations of industries and government protection of industries. Government by its nature has an effect on Capitalism, and that effect is usually negative. Again, this is not a goal of people running the tea party, but a choice. Government intervention in capitalism should be both unencumbered and unprotected. The government should not impede business, but also should not take upon itself the risk of businesess, and the helping of businesses to prosper. 5. We all agree the constitution should be followed so this point is mute. But it does do one thing, it justify actions by the Tea Party of things in the constitution that services their ends. Yet they still ignore much of it, as a matter of choice. 6. No one is saying the Tea party shouldn't believe what they believe. Seems me the Tea party, however, is far more adamant that people who disagree with them are wrong. Again it's grassroots by choice, as long as you have the same roots they have. 7. Reducing the size of government is a great idea. 8. Again... believe in people.... but only if they believe in you. 9. Seems to me the Tea Party was all for unlimited and uncontrolled contributions? Blows that one right out of the water. 10. "Exercising the clearly stated message of the Tea Party movement by its nature involves discourse about which policies and candidates best hold to OUR stated principles, and these various opinions should flourish and evolve at the local level." I guess local politics, again means support, only if you agree with them. You forgot number 11. The destruction of any opposition, and strength from the unity of purpose One must realize how these goals of the tea party, can be twisted to meet and service other goals they were not intended to support. There is definite failure of those original tea party members to see their rightful purpose hijacked.
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Massie, I somewhat agree, Leaf see's a racist with a gun behind every closet door Lovrby, sees a conspiracy behind every closet door. What you must admit, however, is that those that support racism, support SOME of things the Tea party says. That SOME who support the tea Party are self-serving to the extent it's ok to lie about it, and ok to use it for their own ends. That there is far more destruction going on than building. Somewhere along the line, this country has become, far too polarized. People have forgotten that one must fix themselves, before trying to fix others. That being partially right doesn't make you all right.
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Gavin, I see your support come from three honorable misguided (I include big with the honorable misguided), and one mindless troublemaker. Your dissenters are four also, one anti-(gun toting racist), one anti-conspiracy, one fact based hippy liberal, and one rather normal, sugar coated thing. Then, of course, there's me.... Mr. I play both ends and the middle. I guess, in a way, I accept that. I disagree pretty adamantly with the ends so that's true. But I disagree that I'm playing. I'm certainly not trying to pit you guys against one another. You do that just fine by yourself.
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On reading the above, I feel very very sorry for America and its future.
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Robyn, These people figure the louder they scream that the other guys is wrong, then the more it makes them right. When one has nothing to do with the other. Normal people don't really care who's wrong, when solving a problem, they only care who's right. Neither will win, and the one thing we know about the future is that it will move on. That's more than I can say about these ideas. They will die the death, of any bigot, both Liberal and Conservative. I'm just trying to give them a push "over the cliff".
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Gavin, please. It is intellectually dishonest to not acknowledge there is an out of control racist element to the Tea Party. LOL It would be absurd not to proclaim otherwise. You are a liar. I challenge you to prove your allegation.
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They are the functionaries of the Koch brothers. That means they are for much the same things as the John Birch society like racism, child starvation and elimination of Social Security and Medicare as we know them. I'm not gonna say you have no idea what you're talking about. I think you know perfectly well what the truth is, but you prefer to lie and spread false allegations.
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Gavin, These are wonderful idea, and I imagine some people like yourself believe wholehearted in them. I too if the stated goals were what I saw as the actual goals. 1. I do not believe it is right to avoid paying taxes. I believe the current tax structure should be lowered, however, I firmly believe that under the current system far too many avoid paying their fair share. I support corrections in loopholes and income maneuvering and a reduction in the tax rate. I do not believe the Tea Party supports this in it's entirety. I believe as stated in the quote, that the goal of the current party is to reduce taxes by any means. This ultimately justifies people to not pay their fair share. 2. I do not see the solution to the problem as just a matter of a choice. Reducing the debt needs to done at all costs. Not just entitlements, but including entitlement, not just reducing military spending but including military spending, Not just an increase in income but including an increase in income. I believe those running the Tea party do not believe this. The reduction in spending is all about their choice. In making those choices they are untrue to purpose of this tenant of the Tea party. 3. deficit spending, goes along with number 2, that which created the debt...is that debt 4. There is a fine line between government regulations of industries and government protection of industries. Government by its nature has an effect on Capitalism, and that effect is usually negative. Again, this is not a goal of people running the tea party, but a choice. Government intervention in capitalism should be both unencumbered and unprotected. The government should not impede business, but also should not take upon itself the risk of businesess, and the helping of businesses to prosper. 5. We all agree the constitution should be followed so this point is mute. But it does do one thing, it justify actions by the Tea Party of things in the constitution that services their ends. Yet they still ignore much of it, as a matter of choice. 6. No one is saying the Tea party shouldn't believe what they believe. Seems me the Tea party, however, is far more adamant that people who disagree with them are wrong. Again it's grassroots by choice, as long as you have the same roots they have. 7. Reducing the size of government is a great idea. 8. Again... believe in people.... but only if they believe in you. 9. Seems to me the Tea Party was all for unlimited and uncontrolled contributions? Blows that one right out of the water. 10. "Exercising the clearly stated message of the Tea Party movement by its nature involves discourse about which policies and candidates best hold to OUR stated principles, and these various opinions should flourish and evolve at the local level." I guess local politics, again means support, only if you agree with them. You forgot number 11. The destruction of any opposition, and strength from the unity of purpose One must realize how these goals of the tea party, can be twisted to meet and service other goals they were not intended to support. There is definite failure of those original tea party members to see their rightful purpose hijacked. 1. I believe what you are referring to is not tax "avoidance". Rather, what you must be referring to is tax "evasion" and those two concepts are vastly different. If tax avoidance is outlawed, then we are all slaves. (For example, cigarettes have been taxed heavily in recent years. If you say it's bad to avoid paying taxes, then you may as well be saying people who may be inspired to quit smoking are obligated to keep on purchasing cigarettes anyway, because if they quit, then they are "avoiding" taxes.) And I fail to see how reducing the over-ALL tax rate causes anyone to not pay their "fair share." 2. I think you are reading into item #2, things that just aren't there. It's a simple question about whether the government should pay off their debt or not. Historically some have held that it was not a problem to let it ride, while others view it like paying off a credit card monthly. 3. (See 2 above) 4. Can you back up your claim that protecting free markets is not a goal of the people running the Tea Party with evidence that they lied when they stated it in their platform here? 5. Here again, please cite evidence to demonstrate that the Tea Party ignores any aspect of the Constitution. Tea Partiers CAN cite evidence that many on the left choose to ignore it. (Eg: Gun control, the Obamacare mandate that "is a tax, yet is not a tax", NSA domestic spying under the Bush Administration, followed by GROSS EXPANSION of NSA domestic spying under Obama's Administration,,,etc.) 6. Please re-read item #6, and then explain to me how your response (naive I believe) has anything to do with their position? Item #6 simply encourages people to be involved with their government. How is that any different from, for example, ACORN and their voter registration efforts? 7. You and I agree here. Big governments are huge bureaucracies with millions of people constantly seeking to find reasons to justify their continued employment, long after a need for their services is gone. 8. Frankly, your comment here applies equally to those on the Left. And BTW, in addition to being the American way of doing things, it is also human NATURE! But can you cite me any verifiable examples of Tea Partiers physically attacking anyone for disagreeing with them? Or rioting? (Eg, compared with Occupy Movement, and SEIU, where such things have been shown live on nightly news broadcasts.) 9. Your comment is not germane to item #9. 10. Again, you agree in principal then make the baseless allegation that the Tea Party is lying when they encourage localized control. Basically, your entire contention is that the Tea Party are liars about what they stand for. But you fail to provide a scintilla of evidence to support that claim. Not ONE of your allegations is substantiated by fact anywhere! I fear you are being mislead by elements who fear the effects that will arise if people actually took a fair and unbiased look at the Tea Party. "Like sheep we are lead to the slaughter" GBU, Gavin
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Hi Skar Tho I fail to see how your comment applies to this blog, thanks for participating in the discussion. GBU, Gavin
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Hi Maisy I viewed Rox's comment as innocent. Am I missing something? Sexual reference? Okay, I just had to get beyond that confusion so it was out of the way. I really want to THANK you, BB, and some others for your insightful and honest comments here in defense of this fine innocent and noble movement known by the name of Tea Party! GBU all, Gavin
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Massie, I somewhat agree, Leaf see's a racist with a gun behind every closet door Lovrby, sees a conspiracy behind every closet door. What you must admit, however, is that those that support racism, support SOME of things the Tea party says. That SOME who support the tea Party are self-serving to the extent it's ok to lie about it, and ok to use it for their own ends. That there is far more destruction going on than building. Somewhere along the line, this country has become, far too polarized. People have forgotten that one must fix themselves, before trying to fix others. That being partially right doesn't make you all right. Just wanted to point out that you can find racists in any large group. There are racist Democrats, liberals, and progressives. What's important is if it can be proven that such views are officially endorsed and promoted by the overall group. GBU, Gavin
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Knx, you are free to post here whenever you wish. And I confess that I too was very confused by that exchange. I also admit to being naive as to ANY sexual connotation. (Guess I lived a sheltered life! LOL! ) Wish I could answer your question, but I've already posed it to Maisy so maybe she'll explain it to us. I think both Rox and Maisy are fine people, so I hope there's not a storm brewing between them! Thanks and GBU, Gavin
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On reading the above, I feel very very sorry for America and its future. Me too. GBU, Gavin
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Wow Boog! Gotta say I REALLY liked this comment! Sometimes it's hard to stay positive, but you mention things that give us ALL reason for hope! Both on the right and on the left! Thank you! GBU, Gavin
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Just want to point out that there are many organizations in the world whith a stated agenda that we all know is not necessarily the local or individual agendas or beliefs of it's membership. The Christian Churches for example.......Where does it say anywhere in the official policies or beliefs of the Catholic Church that priests ual acts on children in their care or that they will protect any priest who does mistreat a child and look the other way. Or the many evangelists and evangelical organizations who lie and misrepresent and are hypocrites and solicit money to fund their sins.....Come on,man.......The publicly stated policies of any organization are very loose indications of the individual beliefs and actions of individual members....... Just like the liberals, progressives, the Democratic Party, ACORN, the Obama Administration, his Union affiliates, Greenpeace, Atheists, Marxists, Muslims, MSNBC and the rest of the mainstream media,,,,,,,,,etc, etc. It goes on all the time! GBU, Gavin
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THANK YOU ALL FOR COMMENTING HERE!!! GBU all, Gavin
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Gavin, Your putting words in my mouth, that just don't exist. I'm not against any of the goals of the Tea Party. I'm not talking about tax evasion, or tax avoidance. You see that a person should use any means to reduce their tax burden under the law. I believe that the law needs to be changed, to prevent them from doing that. There is much in the law that can be manipulated, I don't believe it should be that way. The position you take is not only to allow this type of behavior, but to endorse it. I disagree You think it's Okay Romney makes twenty million a year and pays 14.7%. you also think it's not okay for a single person making 60 thousand to pay 20%. Because you believe both are paying too much I think It not okay if the single person pays 20% if only because millionaire only pays 15%. It unfair to single person, and it's unfair to everybody. Change the law, take out the loopholes, prevent people from hiding their money, and maneuvering it into lower taxed income, Reduce the tax rates and collect all that's due. If your not going to do that then make a graduated flat rate, with no deductions. You obviously don't want to listen to my opinion, but I have nothing else to give you. Numerous times I stated I agreed with the goals. I don't think that the goals are being used as stated is my disagreement.
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"Basically, your entire contention is that the Tea Party are liars about what they stand for. But you fail to provide a scintilla of evidence to support that claim. Not ONE of your allegations is substantiated by fact anywhere! I fear you are being mislead by elements who fear the effects if people actually took a fair and unbiased look at the Tea Party." Gavin Your blind and can't read! My contentions is not the Tea party are liars about what their principle stand for. To correct the above... I believe there are elements in the Tea Party that do not buy into all the tea party principles. They only buy into it, to the extent of achieving their own goals which are not conforming to all the Tea party principles. Those in the Tea party are having their principles hijacked and they refuse to see it. Your nuts too, if you think I am being mislead. That's one thing both nutty ends of this blog continue to try to do and NEVER succeed. Your the one that has to take a fair and unbiased look at what you believe, take the blinder off, see what's happening. You fools are the pawns of destruction, buying into the hate, the pointing fingers, and the righteousness of your own side. Don't tell me your principles, tell me what you want done, be precise. Don't just say cut spending and taxes, reduce the deficit etc etc. I assume your okay with cutting entitlements, but not okay cutting military or increasing taxes to reduce the deficit. So what is it? Is it the principle of deficit reduction, or is it the principle of entitlement reduction. Either way, tell me, there aren't people that don't believe that in the tea party. Tell me that you don't believe it, tell me no one in the tea party believes it because it's not one of the principles. Tell me that and I'll tell you, your a bigger fool than you think the rest of us are.
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LOL Jiminy! You're getting rude and hostile. Looks like I touched a nerve! LOL! You're just wrong and there's nothing more to discuss. GBU, Gavin
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Gavin, You did hit a nerve. What angers me the most about both the ultra Liberals and the ultra Conservatives is their inability to accept any criticism. To turn any suggestion of non-compliance with their ideas as being the enemy. I'm not your enemy, I agree more with your financial assessment of this country than I do with the Liberals. I say that not to placate you, I could less about that. I'll ask you this....Are those conservative who did not go along with current maneuvering by the Tea-party the enemy? You most likely will answer no. But no matter what your answer is, it's not what you say it's the actions that have you treating them like the enemy, that gets me unraveled. That makes me believe you are being led to a place you really shouldn't want to go. That the Tea party is destructive, not only to the country, but to it's own ends. It may not have been that way when the principles were first written, but it's that way now.
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A guy owns a house, then lightning strikes the house and burns it down. He tells me that cause of the fire was the fact he didn't have a lightning rod. I tell him the cause of the fire was lightning, he disagrees and then says, the real cause of the fire was Obamacare I ask him why... He says.... I had to pay insurance premiums for health care that I didn't have to pay before. Because of Obamacare, I didn't have the money to buy a lightning rod, and the not having a lightning rod caused the fire. So Obamacare caused the fire. I said okay, now I see I was mistaken, it wasn't lightning that caused the fire it was Obamacare. Yeah, Right! No where in Obamacare does it say you can't maintain your old health insurance policy. The decision, or lightning, that causes one to lose their health insurance coverage is being made by the employer or the employer's insurance co. It is not CAUSED by the lightning rod, Obamacare.
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Lea-flight The reason the insurance companies changed or dropped policies is because Obamacare forced them to. To say otherwise is just another lie. GBU, Gavin
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I never said that at all. Can you explain yourself? Which "answers" to which "problems" are you referring to? And can you cite the sources where Tea Party members have provided these answers? Can you explain why those "problems" are so complex, and then explain how the Tea Party has over-simplified them? Please don't respond by telling me what someone else told you about the Tea Party, or what someone else claims to attribute to them. Please be intellectually honest and find out from THEM what THEY actually say or do. If you can't do all this, then as is apparent from your too short and too vague comment here, YOU are guilty of presenting "very simple answers to very complex problems." GBU, Gavin
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