http://www.npr.org/2011/01/05/132656398/tea-party-activists-take-hard-line-on-gop-agenda?sc=fb&cc=fp
Yet, as I wrote about, the Tea Party is not a real social movement. It is a scheme invented by very wealthy and powerful interests with one simple goal -- elect Republicans to protect big business from unwanted regulation (even the kind that saves us normal folks from the bad acts of corporations). It was not and is not a spontaneous revolt against evil "big government."
Log on to Facebook and read about it here.
http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/note.php?note_id=474442068202
I figured I might as well post this comment on your blog!
ReplyDeleteInterestingly, I have to disagree with you on one of your main points: at what point does a movement become "real"? Sure, it may have started as one thing, but isn't it entirely possible to mutate into something else? Beyond that, while some of the earlier meetings were certainly astroturf and their money is definitely coming from major corporations/ex-Congressional reps, etc., there are certainly many, many people in the movement that aren't related in any way, shape, form or fashion to corporate entities. What to make of them?
I believe that the Tea Party is just a really complicated amalgam of various interests and entities that did a great job branding itself. That, again, may be due to corporate backing, but I believe it's hard to say that just because the money comes from that part of our society, then the Tea Party is therefore an illegitimate movement.
Good points.
ReplyDeleteMy argument is it is corporate backed and actually formed to serve interests not in line with those of the people who claim to be members.
Nothing spontaneous or grass roots about it.