Tea Party Republicans are Socialists

“May you live in interesting times.”  This famous saying, according to common, albeit disputed, folklore is an old Chinese curse.  Whatever the truth of its origin, it’s an apt commentary on the current state of America, of New Jersey, and of our own little town.  But even if it isn’t a curse, it isn’t a blessing either. 

Today, in these “interesting times,” reason is passé and compromise is a dirty word.  It seems that over the past several years many Americans have stopped thinking, or have at least stopped reasoning, settling instead for ideology.  Too many of us have separated into rigidly outlined groups, veritable tribes.  And for many of these groups, ideological purity is an absolute requirement.  Respect and civility towards others?  Fuggedaboutit.  The ‘ol melting pot is gone.  Today we suffer the consequences as vocal, angry right wing groups, pushing their own narrow ideological agenda, demonstrate to us all how minorities can cause real havoc in the workings of our governments.

So called Tea Partiers are nothing if not strong willed.  Although it appears they like to see themselves as heroic, standing strong for their beliefs, they actually come across as little better than petulant children.  They want what they want what they want.  And they want it all now.  Unfortunately, as any parent knows, there is no reasoning with a child in the middle of a tantrum.  Too bad we can’t send our Tea Partiers to their rooms to settle down.  And these guys are not just shouting and stamping their feet, they’re doing so while standing up in our ship of state, rocking it back and forth, threatening to capsize us.  We’re all going to get very wet, even if we don’t drown.

Let’s understand something.  Tea Partiers have a point.  Our nation’s economic situation is not good.  Our state’s economic situation is not good.  Our own little town’s economic situation is not good.  But we didn’t arrive here overnight.  This has been years, actually decades, in the making.  Elected officials, from both parties, are at fault.  So where have these Tea Partiers been all those years?  Busy, apparently.    Many joyfully, even proudly, profess that they are brand new to being politically involved, let alone politically aware.  Their newness shows.  It isn’t pretty.

On the national front, Tea Partiers have usurped the Republican Party.  This is no longer my father’s GOP.   The Republicans have, for years now, used fear mongering as their major campaign theme along with the ever popular slogan (mantra, really) of “no new taxes” or “lower taxes” or some sort of variant.  Times are good?  Lower taxes.  Times are bad?  Lower taxes.  Government?  Always bad.  Private business?  Always good.  It’s all very simple.  Good versus bad.  Us versus them.  Nuance?  What’s nuance?  Sounds French. 

The Republicans from my youth also espoused a pro private enterprise philosophy, but one that worked in tandem with a well functioning government.  Those guys are long dead.  Tea Partiers of today allow only the ideologically pure.  Kill off government and let private enterprise run unimpeded.  But if history is any guide, unimpeded (read “unregulated”) private enterprise means unsafe food, unsafe drugs, unsafe working conditions, unsafe buildings, air pollution, water pollution…, well, I could go on, but you get the idea.  With their rigid ideology, Tea Partiers would send us back to a time we daren’t go back to.  Tea Partiers have to learn that “government” is not bad.  Bad government is bad.  Poorly run government is bad. 

The current Tea Partier rage is to drastically cut, today, federal government, as well as state government, spending.  I suggest these Tea Partiers read about 1937.  Bad year, 1937.  A Republican dominated Congress held sway to curtail Roosevelt’s Keynesian economic efforts.  They wound up curtailing all economic activity and prolonged the Great Depression.  2011 is the new 1937.  Great.

In New Jersey, Tea Partiers have made no secret of their seething disapproval of anyone who works for government.  Public school teachers are a favorite group for derision.  Between the cushy jobs, too generous pay and the outlandish benefits, public workers are viewed as pampered little Ceasars, each and every one of them.  Oh, Tea Partiers may say it’s the unions they don’t like.  Who are they fooling?  But again, these late bloomers have it wrong.  Public workers don’t have “it” so good.   The truth is private sector workers have “it” so bad.  Over the past several decades, private sector workers, our vast middle class, have been screwed (that’s a technical term meaning something that I can’t print here, as this is a family blog). 

Instead of knocking down our public sector workers, how about Tea Partiers seek to raise up private sector workers?  That would, though, require some good government policies, so I’m not holding my breath.  The Tea Partiers’ manic demands to cut taxes, to cut government, to de-regulate private enterprise, will do nothing but hurt middle class people, people who work for a living, while making the wealthy even wealthier. 

So why would I call Tea Partiers Socialists?  Because when it suits them, they are. Let’s take just one example.  It’s true Tea Partiers rail against public school teachers.  But Tea Partiers are not advocating privatizing schools.  We already have private schools.  Tea Partiers are advocating charter schools (kinda private) using vouchers (public money, tax money) to allow parents to pay for the tuition.  Let alone the academic merits, this is a variant of the Socialist public school system we now have.  Tea Party parents have no problem taking public money (everyone’s tax dollars) to pay the costs for educating their children.  No Tea Partier has advocated that parents should pay the full costs of education for their own children.  No Tea Partier has advocated that those households who have no children in school should be exempt from paying any school taxes.  So when it works to their personal benefit, Tea Partiers have no problem with Socialism.  Of course, they’d never dare call it Socialism.  That’s too bad. It’s not an insult.

Ah, Tea Partiers. They don’t seem to like history and they don’t seem to like complicated.  Simple.  They like simple.  Ideology trumps reason.  We’re all going to suffer.