Did the Tea Party movement really need a Star Trek convention for birthers and rich crackpots?
In reading coverage of the National Tea Party Convention in Nashville I have to wonder if this might be the final nail in the coffin of the Tea Party movement. There's still a lot of legitimate anger and grassroots protest out there, but this event is such a charade and so fundamentally antithetical to the spirit of the Tea Party protests that it's going to leave a lot of people discouraged and disenchanted and feeling betrayed.…
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26 - jeannie danna
my name is Jeannie
27 - jeannie danna
Well, for a short time there were other opinions and ideas on this thread, since they have all left, I see no reason to hang around here.
My husband and I are going out for some fresh air.
28 - Dave Nalle
Roger, Jeannie persistently spouts hostile nonsense. I largely ignore it. Look at her last few comments. I have nothing to say in response. Why should I?
Dave
29 - Silas Kain
My husband and I are going out for some fresh air.
There is no fresh air - metaphorically speaking. There's a lot of hot air.
Now to the Tea Baggers... I watched 3 hours and had enough. I've never been so ashamed to be Caucasian. In my mind's eye all I could see were organizers passing out white sheets as people exited. So, let's follow the money trail, folks. FOX News (parent company, NewsCorp) has plenty invested in this. As long as the Tea Party movement thrives, FOX ratings will soar. If you watched Mr. Ailes on This Week last Sunday, one can reasonably conclude FOX News is not in this business for journalistic excellence but for revenue.
Now, isn't it amazing that amidst the financial turmoil in journalism NewsCorp stocks continue to rise? You've got newspapers folding every week in this country. Local news stations are almost a thing of the past. Rupert Murdoch has his nasty little tentacles dipping deep into the heart of the American economy -- including Avatar. We need to become informed consumers and start looking at where our dollars end up after we make our purchases. As much as I love Avatar for its entertainment -- I cannot in good conscience see it again or purchase anything related to it.
But back to the Pee Party. The way I see it they are as corrupt and driven by power as the GOP and DNC. And all three are financed by corporations who have the edge over the voters. The next world war will not be between nations and cultures. It will be between corporations and if I were a betting man I would say News Corp stands to win this war.
It's one thing to promote free enterprise and capitalism, but at what point do we come to realize that the system is dangerously flawed and ready to disintegrate? At what point do we realize that in celebrating the "free spirit" of America we are becoming disciples of nefarious corporate machinations? At what point do we follow the teachings of Christ Himself as opposed to the scum sucking pretenders who are driving the ignorant portion of our society? Wake up, folks. We're a gettin' closer to the edge of revolution.
Tolstoy's Cat 2012. I was gonna say Tolstoy's Cat 2012 - The Other White Meat. but wasn't sure if I'd be inappropriate.
30 - El Bicho
"I will contact another editor to handle my writings here."
If they resemble your comments, sounds like Dave wins.
31 - Christine
Dave: The problem with the Tea party movement, other than the crackpots and birthers (and I heard from Kevin Jackson that there is quite a bit of an inner struggle with egos and control freaks)...is that it is too fragmented and while I don't think they need a leader, they do need a CLEAR and unified message on what they stand for (mission statement). It would not only help weed out the phonies, but give the movement more credibility.
I think that most Americans are sick and tired of the elitist, big corporations, unions, special interests, hollywood, and the media dominating and dictating the direction of our country. It is time that the average American has a voice, we are "the people" too. So, I hope the Tea Party lives on; if they get their act together!
32 - roger nowosielski
But Christine, judging by what transpired in Nashville, where are those others?
It would seem that this was the main object of Dave's concern.
33 - Dr Dreadful
All significant grassroots movements seem to get taken over by corporate interests in the end. Most of the teapartyers have given this event a wide berth, but I'm sure the money will catch up with them in the end...
34 - roger nowosielski
Which puts next to nil the chances of there arising a genuine political movement in America that would be divorced from money interests.
35 - Christine
Roger, I understand Dave's concern; was just addressing the Tea Party movement itself. That's all.
36 - roger nowosielski
Well, it looks like the splinters of it in any case.
37 - Arch Conservative
"Now to the Tea Baggers... I watched 3 hours and had enough. I've never been so ashamed to be Caucasian."
So by that logic every black person in this nation should be ashamed to be black because Obama is suck an incompetent, arrogant, narcissistic smiling jackass?
How many time must I say it. Rather than truly attempting to understand the tea party movement you're letting the mass media do you thinking for you again Silas.
I thought you were better than that but I guess I thought wrong. You obviously don't realize or care to realize the outright hostility many int he movement have toward the GOP and Fox news. What happened...you heard Sean Hannity claim to speak for the tea partiers and you believed it?
Show me any social or political movement in this nation and I will readily be able to pick out enough crazies and nutjobs loosely associated with that movement that can be used to discredit the entire movement.
"Wake up, folks. We're a gettin' closer to the edge of revolution."
Yes and it's probably a good thing int he end. Aren't most revolutions? But who is it in our nation that would most like to see this happen Silas? I'll give you a hint......it's not Rupert Murdoch.
38 - STM
Silas: "Rupert Murdoch has his nasty little tentacles dipping deep into the heart of the American economy -- including Avatar."
Why shouldn't he? His business is legitimate - why should delivery of news and entertainment not be run as a business, especially when you consider how many jobs it provides? - and he's a US citizen to boot and has been for over two decades. He lost his Australian citizenship as a result of becoming an American. According to US law, he's as American as you are, silas.
If you don't like it, mate, do what I do: use the remote, or better still, don't watch it in the first place. It's a simple choice.
The fact that you don't like what's on Fox News, however, shouldn't detract from the fact that a lot of other people too. Enough people in fact to make it America's top rating news program. As Rupert would no doubt argue, and quite rightly, that's the beauty of modern democracy.
And it requires more than one participant, even if you don't agree with the others.
As for Avatar, mate ... it's a movie, a puiece of Hollywood bulsh.t meant to entertain.
Who cares who made it, produced it, financed it. It's just a distraction. It's made an absolute motza, but that's just good marketing and planning.
You can't fault Murdoch for that ... he's very good at what he does.
What?? You think he's going to put millions into making movies that make a loss and leave the company squillions out of pocket. Please ...
39 - STM
News organisations, BTW, have a habit of biting back at people who won't give them the time of day. It's not always intentional either - if you don't play along, it's always the opposite view that's spruiked up. You can't accuse people of being one-eyed when you yourself ignore the target of your criticism.
I'd reckon anyone advising Obama to do that was giving him bad advice. It's quite arrogant too viewed from a both journalistic and voter perspective.
It means you're comfortable ignoring the views of half the country and care nothing about the concerns of the other half. Why would a president think that's OK? Surely American politivs haven't become that polarsised??
But that was certainly the case with Obama; he initially simply refused to have anything to do with Fox. In politics as in life geneterally, you reap what you sow.
I have my own views about Roger Ailes, but in Obama's situation, you have to make the best of what's on offer. Even though it won him government, I still don't believe he did. His base is too tenuous as a result ... and it's a slippery slope from there.
40 - Baritone
jeannie - One thing I will say. Dave and I agree on very little. We are both athiests and we both believe in gay rights (I think) - actually, that's pretty good - but that's about it.
I have written a # of articles over the past few years that Dave has edited and with which he wholly disagrees. Yet, he has never in my experience "edited" anything regarding content or point of view from anything I've written. In that regard, Dave is totally professional.
I believe that Dave would publish about anything you may write as long as it isn't libelous, doesn't contain obvious falsehoods or personal attacks, or is totally inept from a journalistic perspective.
I have found that to be true of all the editors I've dealt with here.
Write what you believe. Write as well as you can. Be honest. AND if you are published, don't expect to be coddled. You can't write here in the politics section and maintain a thin skin. If you are challenged - which you most certainly will be - be prepared to fight back. I've probably lost a lot more arguments here than I've won, but I have won a few, and that's all right with me.
B
41 - Baritone
Excuse me - apparently I'm an athiest while Dave is an atheist. Hmmm. I'll have to ponder that one. :)
B
42 - Jordan Richardson
Dave is totally professional.
Seconded. I can vouch for Dave as being completely fair and professional when it comes to editing. I remember he helped me flesh out an article that was of particular importance to me a while back and I remain grateful to him for that.
You've got nothing to fear from him in terms of an editorial standpoint. But don't get between him and good Texas BBQ, ya hear?
:P
43 - Dave Nalle
they do need a CLEAR and unified message on what they stand for (mission statement). It would not only help weed out the phonies, but give the movement more credibility.
Don't tempt me Christine. I'm just egotistical enough to try to write a "Tea Party Manifesto"
Dave
44 - STM
"Nasty little tentacles dipping deep into the heart of the US economy"
Always makes me laugh when I hear Americans moaning about Murdoch's world-wide web of media and entertainment companies, but it's OK for all the US multinationals to be dipping into the economies of other countries, right?
A bit like Americans rapping the British over the knuckles for British imperialism but the American version is OK because of course, it's main goal is to export freedom and democracy.
Right ... tell the Filipinos that.
Get a grip guys ... Yanks and the Poms invented globalism.
The Poms complain about it too when the shoe's on the other foot ... look at the Cadbury's takeover (although if anyone here knows how good Cadbury's tastes compared to Hershey's, you can kind of understand why they might be worried).
Seriously, if you can't deal with it, withdraw all American companies across the globe and put them back in the US and keep them there.
No sales or business anywhere else, OK?
I could point to a dozen Aussie icons taken over in the past couple of decades by US and British companies.
Do you hear me complain?? Only a bit.
45 - Dr Dreadful
although if anyone here knows how good Cadbury's tastes compared to Hershey's
A Little Piece of Heaven in a Foil Wrapper vs. Caramelised Vomit. No contest.
:-)
Only problem over here is that the Cadbury's you can buy in the US is manufactured under contract by...
...Hershey's.
Bleh.
46 - roger nowosielski
Now, that sucks.
Same with rolling cigarette tobacco and imported beer. You only get the inferior version because the quality would be too telling compared to the American brand.
47 - Baritone
Ahhh. Good Chocolate. I thought that's where this thread was leading. Most every time my son comes home from Germany, he brings a ton of European chocolate with him. It's usually less sweet and far less waxy than most American chocolate. Woohoo!
B
48 - roger nowosielski
Well, they're moving in this direction even in the US - the greater percentage of cocoa, the greater nutritional value and more expensive of course.
49 - Glenn Contrarian
Pah!
I DO like Hershey's! And I DON'T like Cadbury's, even when I bought it in Hobart, Tasmania where it's made! So there!
But I do like Lindt's better than Hershey's...and I wouldn't be surprised if, should I ever get the opportunity to travel Europe, I'd find chocolate that I'd much, much prefer to anything stateside.
But I've yet to find anything as good as See's white fudge.
50 - Dr Dreadful
And I thought you were one of the few BCers who had their head screwed on, Glenn... :-)
Kills me to say it, but British chocolate is only the second best in the world.
The top three:
1. Belgian
2. British
3. Swiss
51 - Glenn Contrarian
Doc -
A lot has to do with where one grows up. After all, have you ever tried a vegemite sandwich?
**takes cover from incoming from STM**
52 - Dr Dreadful
After all, have you ever tried a vegemite sandwich?
Strangely enough, I have.
Along with, in my time, many Marmite (Britain's milder version) sandwiches.
53 - Glenn Contrarian
*chuckle*
You're a better man than I am! I was chicken....
54 - Baritone
Some Belgian and other European chocolates have booze in them. If you don't expect it when you chomp down, it's quite a nice surprise. It might be fun to get sloshed on cognac laced bon bons. The next day could be quite ugly, though. :)
55 - Dr Dreadful
Trouble with liqueur chocolates is you can't keep them for too long, because the sugar from the chocolate eventually gets into the booze and turns it into a nasty sort of crunchy syrup. Eat 'em fresh out of the box, though, and there's no nicer treat.
56 - Baritone
Somehow, they don't last so long as to get "crunchy." :)
57 - Dr Dreadful
True, but you have to watch where you get them. Avoid buying them from any outlet with the word 'Pound' or 'Dollar' in its name, or which features the phrasing 'everything for a...' in its advertising.
58 - STM
Vegemite ... mmmm.
Less is more.
Except when you're playing tricks on visiting Americans.
"Here, Dwayne, try a spoonful of this ... it's our equivalent of peanut butter".
Only half right :)
59 - STM
I quite like crunchy liquer chocolates, probably because I'm used to them.
Problem in Australia is, it gets so bloody hot here so quick, with chocolate, unless the freight and storage and subsequent shelving is handled properly from go to whoa, it can have melted and solidified a dozen times by the time it hits the mouth.
Which is why I'm used to eating crunchy liquer chocolates.
Queensland (and some of the outback towns) are the worst. The chocolate up there/out there has invariably melted at least once before you buy it.
Cadbury's actually tastes OK after this has happened. Some others aren't.
Hershey's ALWAYS tastes like it's melted and solidified 100 times. Yuk.
The only good Hershey's arethose little peanut butter chocloate cups. I can go a whole packet of them in one hit.
60 - Dr Dreadful
The only good Hershey's arethose little peanut butter chocloate cups. I can go a whole packet of them in one hit.
That's why peanut butter candy, and especially Reese's and the various other brands made by Hershey's, are so popular in the US. The peanut butter disguises the vomitous taste of the alleged chocolate. :-)
61 - Baritone
I only eat what my son sends or brings from Germany. As they don't allow the use of preservatives, most everything is pretty fresh.
62 - El Bicho
I prefer Crunchy Frogs myself
63 - roger nowosielski
I presume the reference is not to the Frenchmen.
64 - Dr Dreadful
No, to a Monty Python skit.
In a strange case (perhaps) of life imitating art, Cadbury's in Britain used to make a kids' candy called Freddo, which consisted of a solid milk chocolate cartoon frog.
Very yummy. Did not taste like chicken.
65 - Baritone
Just to get back to the original thread - One could have tea with one's Belgian chocolate.
66 - Silas Kain
My friends are coming up from Melbourne in a month and they're bringing me my four favorites - Violet Crumble, Cherry Ripe, Vegemite and Tam Tams. Hey, STM, we've just completed our plans for a trip Down Under! Slated for March 2011.
67 - roger nowosielski
Surprised no one mentioned chocolate truffles.
68 - roger nowosielski
or marzipans.
69 - Silas Kain
Speaking of truffles, has anybody tried the Three Musketeers Truffle bars yet? Very odd tasting in a surprisingly weird sort of way.
70 - Baritone
How about some chocolate kippers?
B
71 - jeannie danna
Baritone,
Come on now, I haven't had a candy bar since October, and You are all making me sooo hungry!
:[ Time to go eat..
72 - Baritone
For chocolate kippers?
B
73 - jeannie danna
Baritone,
I obviously don't have the code book that accompanies this thread.
Where did I see that funny dictionary that Doc posted?
:] I'll go find it.