So the tea party was born
I was fortunate enough to have an editorial picked up by the Washington Times in May. If you havent gotten a chance to read it, I hope you enjoy.
So the “tea party” was born
Two classes define modern America — a political class and a producing class.
I’ll explain by unpacking the modus operandi of our famed two-party system. Political parties exist to provide an apparatus for achieving elected positions. At no point does either party adhere to a specific set of principles — it is merely responsible for cobbling together a coalition of people who loosely share beliefs in order to achieve victory.
A well-run party consolidates its voting bloc by doing more for its constituents than anyone else. Over time, these constituents become supportive of the chosen party, paying little attention to the actual policies generated by their supported political class.
We are then left with Republicans whose primary goal has become to manufacture prosperity as a defense for a complete lack of fortitude, and Democrats whose primary goal is to manufacture equality as justification for their so-called superior moral status — both equally destructive.
At what point does this highly detached political class consider, “Why am I doing this?” or “Is it right?” The system perpetuates decisions and alliances based on the preservation of their electoral apparatus. Intent and rhetoric are valued far beyond method or outcome, and character and principle are easily abandoned in favor of expediency.
All this is possible only when our producing class has disengaged from the political process altogether. Why? They incorrectly made the assumption that the party they support works for their best interests.
Simply compare President Bush’s policy with President Obama’s policy.
Mr. Bush’s was based on blind trust through disengagement that brought us (at the time) the most fiscally irresponsible and greatest entitlement expansion in my lifetime through Medicare Part D, the largest intrusion into free markets in American history through the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP), and the liberty-killing, Constitution-trampling Patriot Act.
Mr. Obama’s policy has continued fiscal irresponsibility in a monstrous stimulus package, new programs and expanded departments, on top of his free-market and liberty-killing health care act, cap-and-trade legislation, and much, much more.
Strangely, both parties defend their respective positions as different from the other. Yes, their agendas are different. Yes, their rhetoric is different.
But their methods and outcomes are identical.
Both use government expansion and influence to achieve their goals. Neither has a problem engineering the economy to fit their needs, and God forbid fiscal responsibility should be a part of either agenda.
So the “tea party” was born — not to rebel against one party or official, but to begin the great American re-engagement of the producing class. Those who were too busy looked at their children, knowing the political classes were destroying any semblance of the American dream, and finally crossed their line.
They knew that democracy’s own prosperity had bred this new entitled lifestyle and therefore saw complicity in the political class’s abuse of power. They recognized this political class had chosen roles as administrators, not statesmen, people had gotten comfortable accepting the idea of good enough to get by, even sacrificing individual liberties as long as it wouldn’t interrupt their lives too much. Comfort was valued ahead of everything else.
And, just as Alexis de Tocqueville wrote in “Democracy in America” — they realized the only salvation would be the local independence brought forth by the organization of communities, townships and neighborhoods that still “forms the principle lifeblood of American liberty.”
Liberty was not defined or created by law; therefore, no administrator from the political class could provide it or take it away. Those who gave birth to the tea party remembered that we look not to political parties, but to ourselves, for guidance. We were never meant to have rights administered or abused.
So in the end the tea party movement wasn’t a departure to the right. It was the rebirth of the American conscience — a conscience previously too busy, as members of the producing class, to worry about engaging. Now, they no longer trust blindly nor do they seek to divide, but rather to unite through principles — shared beliefs in limited government, free markets and fiscal responsibility.
The tea party movement isn’t about taxes or a third party. It’s the new conscience of the body politic. At its very essence, the tea party movement is the overdue paradigm shift required for the continuation of this “great experiment.” Without a conscience rooted in liberty and accountable through action, the political class will destroy the very fabric of our republic. It will be necessary for some time because a famine of principles has become standard in our political class, infecting both parties with equal virulence.
The political class must be reforged with principles of liberty, not self-preservation, as a guide.
June 20th, 2010 at 1:19 pm
I wanted to take a moment to thank Chris for reminding me why I joined the TP.
“The tea party movement isn’t about taxes or a third party. It’s the new conscience of the body politic. At its very essence, the tea party movement is the overdue paradigm shift required for the continuation of this “great experiment.”
His reminder is timely; with so many of us directly embroiled in this seasons elections and the identification of candidates that ‘share our views’.
To illustrate the “paradigm shift” I ask the question what is our view of “limited government”? Is it simply lower taxes or empowering the candidates that sign our petitions hoping they will make good laws?
For me Washington’s comments on the colonies reaction to the infamous stamp act supplies an answer.
“what is it we are contending against? Is it against paying the duty of three pence per pound on tea because burdensome? No; it is the right only, that we have all along disputed; and to this end we have already petitioned his Majesty in as humble and dutiful a manner as subjects could do.”
“What hope have we then from petitioning, when they tell us that now or never is the time to fix the matter: Shall we after this, whine and cry for relief, when we have already tried it in vain: Or shall we supinely sit and see one province after another fall a sacrifice to despotism?
“If I were in any doubt as to the right which the Parliament of Great Britain had to tax us without our consent, I should most heartily coincide with you in opinion, that to petition, and petition only, is the proper method to apply for relief; because we should then be asking a favor, and not claiming a right, which by the law of nature and by our constitution, we are, in my opinion, indubitably entitled to.”
“I think the Parliament of Great Britain have no more right to put their hands into my pocket, without my consent, than I have to put my hands into yours and this being already urged to them in a firm but decent manner, by all the colonies, what reason is there to expect anything from their justice…”
“I am convinced, as much as I am of my existence, that there is no relief for us but in their distress; and I think, at least I hope, that there is public virtue enough left among us to deny ourselves everything but the bare necessaries of life to accomplish this end. This we have a right to do, and no power upon earth can compel us to do otherwise, till it has first reduced us to the most abject state of slavery.”
The stamp act tax was small and insignificant by their standard; the king’s refusal to acknowledge their claim of sovereignty was the issue, as it is still to this day. I find that Congress no longer gives credence to the foundation of our right “by the law of nature and by our constitution”. Make no mistake this federal government will not willingly relinquish power any more willingly than the government of Washington’s day.
I contend for a “Limited government” in that it recognizes it may not make any law it see fit without due respect for the limits of their authority. If our aim in the selection of new representatives is to restore respect for our sovereignty then we have done well. If it isn’t or doesn’t accomplish that end; if we continue to cede all power to the federal government and expect them to produce answers we agree with then we have betrayed our duty to ourselves and our children.
Respectfully,
A Citizen not a Subject
July 13th, 2010 at 7:55 pm
For the last 40+ years I’ve been politically active as a private citizen. I’ve advocated for and against various state and local initiatives, voted consistently, campaigned occasionally for candidates, donated to various organizations advocating government change and/or reform.
At the same time I’ve pursued a modestly successful career in science and computers retiring (partially) in 2001.
So… am I a member of the producing class or the political class? Does long-standing political engagement and activity make me a member of the political class, or does earning my own way and accumulating modest wealth make me a member of the producing class?
I don’t find this a particularly useful division, since it would seem to leave out a great many of us in the center. We’re not politicians, but niether are we politically naive. We don’t expect government to solve all our problems, but we do expect government to do some things for us collectively that we can’t do individually, like defend the country, establish and maintain the rule of law, and work to secure our rights as citizens to the safety of our person and property and access to redress of abuse of those rights.
I would also say that folks like me trust neither government nor business to always be competent, or right, or fair. We do believe that the price of freedom is eternal vigilance.
I don’t consider myself a member of the tea party movement, but I do respect the impulse and commitment to re-engage as citizens of a democracy and take an active role in figuring out where we are and where to go next. For me, however, simple appealing phrases like limited government and free markets don’t constitute enough of a platform for which I can either agree or disagree.
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