It’s tax day in the US, and the “severely normal” take to the streets. A google map of today’s Tea Party Protests across America:
Postcards from the suicide watch;
…from most Big Media, “confusion and ambivalence.” “A good story is to be had, but it’s not exactly a story they want to tell. So what to do?”
It’s why Sean Hannity will be covering the Atlanta event for Fox News from CNN’s doorstep. It’s also why CNN has slipped to third place among cable news channels.
Lots at Instapundit, plus Pamajas Media will be collecting and providing coverage all day.
Kinda puts that Homeland Security “Rightwing extremist” memo in a whole new light, don’t it?
1776 was a TAX revolution, kids. Tax cut now, please!
Historic times ,We are watching the right creating thier owm media
Would it be even possible for this type of thing to happen in Canada? What kind of event would have to occur in order for an anti-tax/anti-big government movement to gain any kind of critical mass?
If the NEP and Green Shift didn’t do it, if Martin’s complete lack of leadership didn’t do it, if the Tories big spending doesn’t do it, what could?
Oh, that is SO right on, Bob. This is not some kind of tax revolt lead by a few malcontents (like me!). This is a self-assembling phenomenon of pissed off Americans.
This is like salt crystallizing in a super saturated solution, or water exploding into steam when you take it out of the microwave and bang it on the counter. The camel’s back finally breaking, as it were.
Bary has the dubious honor of being the last straw, I think.
“What kind of event would have to occur in order for an anti-tax/anti-big government movement to gain any kind of critical mass?”
Federal funding for the Jackal’s band S from H.
When it becomes obvious that they can’t ignore it, look for them to film the paid ACORN demonstrators who are marching in support of Obama’s cripple the nation spending plans and watch it get equal coverage of the few malcontent right wing extremists who are racist and unpatriotic. Similar to the coverage of our Canadian media who almost ignored our outrage of Coupscam, but managed to find endless hours of time filming union members with cookie cutter placards representing the majority of Canadians.
So Americans are mobilizing.
I’m really curious as to how many Obamaroons will now publically burn their ‘hopey-changey in ’08’ t-shirts.
Or all they now in hiding?
President Obama will play the “nothing to see here folks” card on this one and if anyone gets hurt he will be at the podium denouncing the radical extremists here at home and ramping up Homeland security to counter domestic threats.
Do not put it past him, he does not take criticism well, and does not have any other plan to build the economy, not on a rock, but on a pile of taxpayer money.
Meanwhile the big media talks about the stupid Portu-Poodle in the White House. ZZzzzzzzzz.
SDH
Yes, revolutions have happened in Canada. Of course, since they happened independently (Upper and lower Canada and the West) none of them were effective.
That in itself says all you need to know about the defects of confederation. We aren’t a single country. We’re a bunch of unrelated countries forced into an EU-type government.
As for media coverage, what is photogenic about a bunch of grumpy conservatives? There won’t be great shots of all the black smoke from the fires that aren’t lit. There will be no Pulitzer prize for that dead commie shot from the cops who don’t need to fire into a crowd of rioters who don’t riot. There will be no shot of the cop bleeding all over holding his head and being dragged off by another cop after the rock which wasn’t thrown… That’s leftard, anarchist “protesting” in action. Not conservatives. Conservatives are not photogenic.
CNN has an article on the tea party.
“iReport.com: ‘Un-American’ to whine about taxes”
I guess they’re following the whole patriotic if you pay taxes line.
A Fixed News tempest in a teabag.
…pretty interesting display of the ideological war raging in America. The neo-coms verses the patriots. Supporters of the constitutional republic against the emerging collectivist statism of the soft-Marxist Dem cabal.
The MSM venues that act as outlets for soft Marxist statism regard patriotic reaffirmations and constitutional fundamentalism as “evils” and rather than air them to deconstruct them, they fear them so much, and believe the ideals involved are so dangerous to cultural marxist indoctrinating, that they omit all mention of them….so Orwellian.
Now I know why CNN and other lefty ideologue media has left many true Americans with a loathing of manipulative political indoctrinating masquerading as “news” and they are tuning out its ideologue screeds and cancelling subscriptions to its yellow pulp mongers.
Yep, you just keep thinking that, pill boy.
Michelle Malkin: How it all started
http://tinyurl.com/cmpzkk
This isn’t simply about taxes but about the whole nature of the Obama government, which is to remove power from the people. And that’s what the first Tea Party was about – the denial of power to the people.
Obama’s administration is removing the power to govern from the people. By his manipulation of Congress using fear (it’s a crisis!)so that they pass tax bills without reading them; by his moving into private corporations and taking them into government control.
And by his manipulation of the public using Fear and Anger (eg, AIG lynch mobs); by his manipulation of the public with pre-scripted ‘Town Hall’ Meetings where all questions are preset.
And, by his manipulation of the public’s capacity to see reality (it wasn’t a bow, he was shaking hands). How about the DHS ‘study’ released just the day before the Tea parties, stating openly that anyone who questions or dissents about items such as immigration, abortion or anything, is a ‘right wing extremist’ and might be prone to violence? That means – no questions are allowed in the Obama World. Only adulation.
Victor Davis Hanson has an excellent articl in NRO, titled President of the World, which outlines just how dangerous the Obama regime is to the US and to the world.
wonderful . . . from small seeds do mighty Oak tress grow.
Tea Party on America. Maybe you should invite your expat Iggy to one of these anti-tax tea parties so he can “learn” about going Mondale.
philboy
Teabagging is what you and your friends do to each other for fun.
This bi-partisan protest is about stopping the government from destroying the future.
There is zero reason why the left should be any happier about these enormous deficits than the right. To the left, huge deficits are CONSTRAINTS ON FUTURE GOVERNMENT. If you spend 1/2 your budget on interest payments, you aren’t spending it on government.
You don’t have to be a small-government type to see the math doesn’t work. If you believe in huge government, to make it sustainable you have to FUND IT which means tax first, then spend. If you don’t, what you have is temporary government followed by mass economic destruction from imploding balance sheets.
What leftards such as yourself are too stupid to understand is that math is math regardless of the application. The rules of addition and subtraction are not invalidated by government decree. The same math which causes individuals to go bankrupt and corporations to fail does the VERY SAME to governments who spend more than they tax.
Such simple mathematical concepts are up and above the economic damage caused by high tax rates and the moral hazards incumbent of the ability to vote yourself someone else’s income which you didn’t earn.
This is a proud day to be a friend of the United States of America. As always, they are the example for the world.
The MSM doesn’t need to cover this event. Fox News will do it all along with the great blogging of many.
The Marxists moved into the USA once they realized that they were getting nowhere with no money … and for the past forty years have felt no resistance at all from the offices of the MSM to the union meetings in American’s public school systems, to the pork laden departments of governments at all levels.
I think and hope … it’s all different now. The sleeping dog is up and stretching. Maybe about to go take a piss on the Marxist hydrant.
Today, 6 AM
Turned on TV in bedroom. Switched to CNN (Fox is extra on cable, CRTC does not want sheeple Canucks to watch it).
Kirin and John AM show.
John presents portion of Obama’s teleprompter recital (The same he’s been regurgitating for weeks): “I see a glimmer of hope in the economy but tough times are still ahead”
Kirin laughing: “Many will take the streets for a tea party protest on today’s April 15 tax day”
Immediately followed by:
John looking serious: ” A new government release states that right wing extremism might be on the rise in the country”
(UPDATE 10:30 AM: JUST FOUND OUT ON CNN BY A WAR VETERAN THAT THIS REPORT WAS NOT TO HAVE BEEN FOR PUBLIC DISCLOSURE BUT ONLY FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT EYES. IT WAS LEAKED YESTERDAY OR MONDAY…JUST IN TIME FOR THE NATIONAL TEA PARTIES. UMMMM!
John AGAIN presents portion of Obama’s teleprompter recital (The same he’s been regurgitating for weeks): “I see a glimmer of hope in the economy but tough times are still ahead”
Later during the show:(After important stuff like the pirate “crisis” and Bo the WH dog):
“Many states and municipalities are now seriously considering applying new taxes to cover their budgets to stay afloat. Our money expert is here today to explain”
Money expert: “It’s simple, in order to make ends meet they need to bring in more revenue or CUT BUDGETS AND SERVICES”
Immediately followed by: (NO NOT THE TEA PARTY TAX REVOLT WHICH WOULD OF BEEN AN INTELLIGENT AND RELEVANT FOLLOW UP)
A 3 minute segment of the Obama’s new dog BO.
John AGAIN presents portion of Obama’s teleprompter recital (The same he’s been regurgitating for weeks): “I see a glimmer of hope in the economy but tough times are still ahead”
Basically they are spinning the tax revolt this way:
People are complaining about taxes when Obama is set to reduce taxes…
They completely skip the “big government out of control, printing cash and turning the population to Government subserviance and dependance” part of the equation that Glenn Beck and others are attmpting to give meaning to the movement. It’s not the taxes, it’s the mammoth government out of control that’s the issue. It is also non partisan. Bush was no better but Obama is even worse.
As Matt Taibi put it today:
It requires serious mental gymnastics to describe the Obama adminstration — particularly the Obama administration of recent weeks, which has given away billions to Wall Street and bent over backwards to avoid nationalization and pursue a policy that preserves the private for-profit status of the bailed-out banks — as a militaristic dictatorship of anti-wealth, anti-private property forces. You have to somehow explain the Geithner/Paulson decisions to hand over trillions of taxpayer dollars to the rich bankers as the formal policy expression of progressive rage against the rich. Not easy.
Thoughts?
Apparently the MSM believes that hundreds of thousands of normal people protesting in hundreds of gatherings across several thousand miles is an entirely rigged event, and thus not newsworthy!
Apparently there is somehow, some huge corporate influence over all this that makes it not newsworthy!
Apparently, these people voices do not count because (pick any):
1) the election is over, move on
2) we won you lost, move on
3) they are corporate pawns
4) it’s not any concern of theirs what “O” does
5) etc, etc, etc
Is it any wonder why then, the MSM simply doesn’t get why people are pizzed off??
Or any wonder why the MSM is going down in flames??
The giants of the MSM know that they are pandering delusions and la merd. Knowing this, is it any surprise that they don’t cover the story that, on so many levels, is “tolling their own bell”?
Smitty
-Rich bankers have given the politicians millions in campaign dollars. Unlike Canada, US politicians are legally purchased. See the fact they got to keep their bonuses and ill-gotten wealth. That doesn’t mean they get to keep the power and control of the banks they used to run.
-even democrats realize that an economy must be present to be taxed.
-socialists are crafty and realize the limitations of democracy so they use back-door methods of control. They own most of the banks’ shares but allow some of them to be held by the public. That gives the illusion that the banks are private but notice that the government is dictating the terms of operations on the banks and auto companies.
Here’s the problem with leftard math:
http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20090415/CCPA_report_090415/20090415?hub=Canada
it’s a leftard public union story published by the leftards at CTV news.
Here’s a couple of their bullet points designed to illustrate why we’re getting such a great deal from government:
-On average, Canadians reap $17,000 worth of benefits from tax-funded public services each year, including pensions, child-care benefits, roads and police services.
-Canadians who make between $80,000 and $90,000 per year still enjoy tax-funded benefits that are worth about half their income.
If the services are worth 17k, they aren’t worth 1/2 of 80k then are they?
Funny thing about averages though. The people who make 80k don’t qualify for the 17k worth of benefits cause only those who don’t pay taxes get the handouts. And 17k still isn’t 1/2 of 80k. Fricken morons.
There are lies, damn lies, and leftard math. I won’t denigrate the study of statistics by stating what these halfwits are doing is stats…
This is not about national media, including Fox, all of which are beyond hope. this is about taking back the House of Representatives, each of which election is local in nature. The national media cannot change people’s perceptions of people’s own neighbors. I live in the tax plantation of Vermont and I can tell you that my neighbors are talking more openly about the damage Obama plans for the economy.
People forget that a lot of conservatives were extremely peeved at the Bush administration for – what did he say? – sacrificing free-market principles to save the free market in 2007/2008.
This didn’t start on January 20, 2009, or November 2008. It started at least a year and a half ago, when the GOP and the Dems forgot they work for US and thought – because we elected them – they could do whatever they wanted.
Sadly, I’m at work today. I need to save my sick leave and vacation days for my maternity leave in August (someone’s gotta give birth to future taxpayers in order to ease this stimulus burden…), but I’m with each and every one of the protesters in spirit.
“White House Blocks TEA Party at Treasury
Fox News Live | 4/15/09
Posted on Wednesday, April 15, 2009 9:40:58 AM by pabianice
Live now on Fox — White House is blocking TEA Party set for the Treasury in DC,. despite the demonstration already having been granted a permit. Second TEA Party at Lafayette Park to proceed, but White House blocked the unloading of 1M tea bags.
This comes upon the DHS report warning that such demonstrations are “hate groups” that must be monitored closely as such demonstrators are “prone to owning guns and being violent.””
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2229556/posts
I hope these events are well attended.
They may give this winner-take-all administration pause for thought.
Especially if coupled with tens of thousands of tax returns that include “innocent mistakes”.
That’ll get their attention.
Great posts Warwick, esp. your observation about the left’s interest in not destroying the market economy. That is why the Canadian Liberals became such keen deficit-cutters: cut now in order to ramp up again later (the “right wing” think tanks cleared the way, of course).
Leftist math: I still find myself chuckling from time to time over a letter to the editor at the G&M from a guy who thought that high marginal tax rates were a very good thing ‘cos it makes a guy work much much harder in order to realize the same take-home pay. He didn’t include the math, but here’s my own illustrative math: a guy needs an extra $50; with a 50% MTR he has to earn $100 more; a guy needs an extra $50, with a 80% MTR he’s gotta earn an extra $250. WOW, just look at the increased output across the economy with a very high marginal tax rate.
It’s hard to believe, but there are actually people out there who have this static single-dimension view of human behaviour.
Here is some MSM coverage. UNBELIEVABLE CRAP.
The LAT just got hit by the asteroid!!!!
IF you decide to read it have an airsickness bag ready. You were warned.
http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/commentary/la-oe-cooper15-2009apr15,0,3158535.story
You do realize all these people are protesting last years tax rates…you know, the one’s brought in by George W. Bush.
Or is this really about promoting cracked conspiracy theories and the Koch family agenda?
I’ll side with Anthony Gregory on this one.
http://www.lewrockwell.com/gregory/gregory185.html
Come on over and join the one at the Soo.
The liberals are very, very afraid of what is happening around the US today. Could there be a monster awakening that they thought they had slain and buried?
CNN is featuring videos sent in from Obamabots on why paying taxes is a good thing. “I pay taxes so I can get an education.” “I pay taxes so I have roads to drive on.” WOW! What morons.
Posted by: The Phantom at April 15, 2009 9:44 AM
“Kinda puts that Homeland Security “Rightwing extremist” memo in a whole new light, don’t it?”
Yep… and just when I could start getting ammo at somewhat reasonable prices again there will be another run.
Time to buy more stock in ammo manufacturers. This administration just keeps stepping on it’s _____!
I am not so sure the media will get it across. If the tea parties are successful the people in the locations will know. If your neighbours go, if you drive by, if you see the traffic then the media just confirms what you already know. If the media blows it off then you know what is going on and re-inforces the feeling of rejection of facts. The coverage of BO the dog compared to the protests..click. The left will have lots of video cameras so take yours along and do not hesitate to record the shite stirrers.
MSM isn’t naive, they’re “pot committed”. They are desperately holding out waiting for the public money to flow. They are waiting for the government to eliminate their competition and to restore their monopoly(the internet blindsided them). Once you are “all in” you are “all in”, you cross your fingers and hope for the best regardless of the quality of your play. It helps when the deck is stacked in your favor.
Warwick
In case you missed it, the public school system in the States is desperate for math and physics instructors. Is it any wonder why the average American has no concept of supply & demand, economics, credit/interest or anything else useful? I’d be surprised if graduates can even use a measuring cup for cooking. After all, who cooks anymore?
Put this in context of yesterday’s news about Homeland Security watching “Right Wing Extremist” groups and viola, Charles Johnson yawns.
Indiana
I’m married to a teacher so I know lots of them.
Most of them up here aren’t any more knowledgeable in math, science and economics as they are down south. They’re just paid more.
There are two types of teachers in any system: smart and quiet OR stupid and loud. Those that know anything generally are smart enough to keep it to themselves. It makes for an easier life. Pointing out the idiocy of one’s peer group is a quick way to shrink it.
This bi-partisan protest is about stopping the government from destroying the future.
A little late in the day for that. The future was well and truly screwed quite some time ago. Only now it’s obvious even to right-wingnut mental defectives.
if you believe in huge government, to make it sustainable you have to FUND IT which means tax first, then spend. If you don’t, what you have is temporary government followed by mass economic destruction from imploding balance sheets.
Yes, that was Bush’s MO (borrow and spend big government)and now it’s been adopted by Harper.
When are you having your tea party?
Re: Mike
It blows my mind how so many on the left are unable to remove their thoughts from petty partisanship, and see what the issue is.
In the words of my father: “I don’t care who started it, I only care who’s gonna stop it.” The outrage regarding the big O is that he clearly isn’t that person…
“Only now it’s obvious even to right-wingnut mental defectives.”
Yes philboy as illustrated by 8 years of the left focusing all its energy trying to extend the US constitution to foreign terrorists. The economy and the deficit was so important to the left they said… nothing.
If it was so obvious that Bush was spending too much money, how come it was only the fiscal conservatives who broke with the GOP that was mentioning it?
As for Harper, he was planning to balance the budget through cuts until the opposition tried to steal power. They forced his hand. But the opposition just whined that there wasn’t enough spending anyway. With a majority, there would be no unnecessary “stimulus.”
These protests are about both the left and the right coming together to protest the idiocy of bad government. Just as some of the most intelligent critics of Bush were on the right, many of those angry about Obama’s leadership are from the few intelligent members of the left. How they can stand you around them, I don’t know.
The GOP are also targets in case you missed the point of a bi-partisan protest. The GOP members of both houses are useless as well (although none in the same league of idiocy as the likes of Pelosi.) But, keep up your screeching bush derangement syndrome for another 4 years (the total extent of Jimmy Carter’s second term by proxy and Obama’s only term.)
Once again the “professional journalists” demonstrate that they just don’t get it… by not covering this big story, it will go away… they have the belief that they can create reality… no coverage means this did not happen, is marginal, etc.
Fibre optic cable changed that, just as it changed manufacturing. Forever.
Did journalists choose journalism because they flunked out of science and math, and are not alpha enough to run for politics themselves?
Again, this isn’t about taxes. It’s about government. How the government operates. Does it tax without representation, i.e., without the will of the people?
For a President to insist that a pork-filled Mandate that increases the deficit by trillions, by an amount higher than the total previous deficit – and insist that this Motion be passed without the Representatives READING the Motion – that’s ‘taxation without representation’.
it’s also unjust and dictatorial government. That’s what people are protesting. They are protesting the fact that the Obama administration has removed the Right of the People to govern themselves. Instead, Obama and his Gang – Pelosi, Reid, Soros etc…are ramming through policies and programs without this Will of the People.
And notice how Obama deals with dissent; how the White House released a DHS report that defines anyone who questions or dissents against in particular, ‘leftist programs’ (immigration, abortion, welfare)..as a ‘right wing extremist’ prone to violence. Wow. In the land with the First Amendment of freedom of speech?
And notice how the WH is trying to shut down the Tea parties around it.
As for the MSM who are not reporting it – that’s irrelevant. They don’t realize that the days of the MSM are the source of information are over, and their refusal to represent the reality of what is going on in the US (tea parties) means that they are irrelevant. The news of these tea parties developed, spread and will continue to spread – on the internet.
Now, watch Obama try to shut down the internet. As in China. Heh.
Glad to see all of Kate’s mad monkeys are here drinking tea and huff’in paint.
Boy are guys ever whacked out. But please carry on.
PS
Oh, btw, when do you guys start ripping Harper a new arse hole for being just like Obama,…
On this U.S. tax day, B. Obama (with Rush Limbaugh’s help) sings: “Every Cent You Make”, sung to the tune of “Every Breath You Take” by the Police.
h/t wilson for finding it!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YrUHV2AH9Xc
Enjoy!
Zorpheus, that must be quite some mental gymnastics you got going in your head to equate a conservative canadian prime minister in a minority gov’t to a socialist US president with majority in both houses.
Yah, we are the whacked out ones!
But I thought PM Harper was George Bush lite?
It’s just sooo confusing sometimes..
When are Obamites going to rip their new God a larger orifice for emulating GWB??
Hiring policy, legislation, open and transparent govt without secrets? Crikey!, Under the messiah, the U.S. is set to draft draconian legislation that would brand those of the right extremists..
Way to suppress dissent mr. President!
Meet the new boss..same as the old boss
So as the debate rages over government’s place in people’s lives as we face increased pressure to compete in a world marketplace, while maintaining a standard of living we’ve become used to…
Liberal Party Of Canada supporters feel compelled to contribute to the US grassroots tax and big government revolt debate with :
“Glad mad monkeys drinking huffin paint, Boy are guys whacked, guys ripping arse hole”
Thanks Zorph, enlightening points that won’t go unnoticed.
As Warwick toches on, the Tea Party is not about Democrat vs Republican.
This is a p**sed off US populace who are tired of a ruling elite confiscating their hard-earned money and spending it like drunken sailors.
Dubya put the country in a deficit position with war and TARP.
Obama is trying to make big government an all-encompassing part, biting off more than he can chew.
He’s got the financial stuff, which is about 9 trillion worth.
Then, he wants to add on universal health care and green economy (using taxpayers money to finance Obama Motors).
They’re fed up with both parties. That’s the bottom line that the Obamatons haven’t figured out yet.
Hey I thought the Boston Tea Party was a quintessentially American phenomena!
Next thing you know someone will allege that having a ‘tea party’ should be policed by the House Committee for Un-American activities.
So telling the government to ‘bugger off out of your life’ is un-American now?
Hmm, that ought to get more than a few flags unfurled and flying proudly; not to mention a closer reading of the Constitution.
Cheers
Hans-Christian Georg Rupprecht, Commander in Chief
1st Saint Nicolaas Army
Army Group “True North”