Well DUH... when are poor Republicans going to stop and say to themselves.

"Wait a minute... I'm taking an unpaid day off so rich people can care even less about me."

If it keeps going, you're going to see the wealthy strung up on every light-standard.

The fact that ChicagoTeaParty was registered a while back doesn't really prove much. Tons of random names are registered this may be one of them.

OlafTheBent: Well DUH... when are poor Republicans going to stop and say to themselves.

that reminds me of that Patton Oswalt piece on Bush Fans:

"The thing I don't understand are people who support George Bush and they're not billionaires. Like that makes no farking sense. They're like, 'I think George Bush is farking awesome!' and you're like 'Wow, how much do you make? You must be like a billionaire!' and they go 'I make like $30,000 a year' and you're like 'Wow, Bush farking hates you, did you know that? He farking cannot stand you. He wouldn't be caught dead with you."

OlafTheBent: Well DUH... when are poor Republicans going to stop and say to themselves.

"Wait a minute... I'm taking an unpaid day off so rich people can care even less about me."

If it keeps going, you're going to see the wealthy strung up on every light-standard.

Except that poor (and middle class) Republicans are future captains of industry whose natural independence and bootstrappiness will guarantee them a piece of the pie eventually... unless the libs stand in the way of that.

Oh come on. This is just a little harmless "community organizing". What, did you expect just a few ads on Craigslist and a Facebook group, and then hope people show up?

The Obvious tag was missing? This has already been widely researched and reported. The people claiming it's "grass roots" are full of shiat. It's astroturf.

patrick767: The Obvious tag was missing?

The Obvious tag is out teabagging the Asnine tag.

Yeah, like Patton Oswalt says - if you make less than $100k/yr and you support the republican party, you're like a dumb girl giving away blowjobs.

Mordant: bootstrappiness

I like.

While I support reduced government intervention and spending as a matter of course, I'm keeping out of the way because I don't trust the organizers. The Glen Becks and Sean Hanitys and Newt Gingriches of the world are not exactly the sort of people who have proved that they are going to not manipulate whatever they possibly can for their own political ends.

In San Diego for example, when rumor broke out that ACORN might have a voter registration booth at the event, the organizers practically shat their pants, but when an ostensibly repub-aligned voter registration group announced they actually were going to be there, the reaction was, "oh, thats ok."

I suspect that this being on a Wednesday will make it unlikely to attract the numbers and level of groupthink fury they're looking for. Our city always stages public forums on wednesday afternoons/evenings specifically so no-one from the public will show up and bother them.

Was the Obvious tag out protesting?

TFA: The "tea parties" are promoted as a "grassroots uprising" against "high taxes." Tea stands for "Taxes Enough Already." However, 95% of Americans will received a tax cut in the next year if the upcoming Obama budget passes. Only Americans with incomes above $250,000 will receive a small tax increase -- and even then their taxes will be much lower than almost any time in the last 80 or so years.

Look, if you're protesting today against "high taxes", we really don't need anymore proof that you're an ignorant moron. You might as well just walk around holding an Idiot sign.

Guy Innagorillasuit: Mordant: bootstrappiness

I like.

I can't take credit, I stole it from someone yesterday and now I can't remember who said it.

006andahalf
Our city always stages public forums on wednesday afternoons/evenings specifically so no-one from the public will show up and bother them.

heh... clever bastards.

patrick767: TFA: The "tea parties" are promoted as a "grassroots uprising" against "high taxes." Tea stands for "Taxes Enough Already." However, 95% of Americans will received a tax cut in the next year if the upcoming Obama budget passes. Only Americans with incomes above $250,000 will receive a small tax increase -- and even then their taxes will be much lower than almost any time in the last 80 or so years.

Look, if you're protesting today against "high taxes", we really don't need anymore proof that you're an ignorant moron. You might as well just walk around holding an Idiot sign.

Obama's "tax hikes" will still keep the rates lower than they were under farking Reagan.

Shocking -- you mean the same motives as were behind the original in 1773?

patrick767: 006andahalf
Our city always stages public forums on wednesday afternoons/evenings specifically so no-one from the public will show up and bother them.

heh... clever bastards.

This is rule number one of Municipal government as taught by any legit Poli-Sci program. A government apparently governs best when the goverened leave it alone to do whatever it feels like.

Also, much of the ostensible purpose of these Teabagging things is not to rail against excessive taxes so much as excessive government spending. Where these people were between 2003 and 2008 I don't know. Also, where were they when Bush started cranking out the bailouts -- it's only wrong when dems start doing it?

006andahalf: Also, much of the ostensible purpose of these Teabagging things is not to rail against excessive taxes so much as excessive government spending. Where these people were between 2003 and 2008 I don't know. Also, where were they when Bush started cranking out the bailouts -- it's only wrong when dems start doing it?

No, it's because they're butthurt that Obama won and he hasn't made any major screwups yet.

pureobscure: Shocking -- you mean the same motives as were behind the original in 1773?

I agree with this point. However what many see in addition to this anger supposed reborn anger of '73 is a highly-transparent attempt by the organizers to harness these for political goals which are likely antithetical to societal interests. IE a more creative way of halting/delaying economic recovery plans in hopes that the economic recovery will be delayed in order to have a plank to use against the admin in 2010 and 2012.

006andahalf
Also, much of the ostensible purpose of these Teabagging things is not to rail against excessive taxes so much as excessive government spending. Where these people were between 2003 and 2008 I don't know. Also, where were they when Bush started cranking out the bailouts -- it's only wrong when dems start doing it?

As TFA says, it's both. Of course it doesn't make any sense that the people railing against high taxes are mostly people who will get a tax cut under Obama's plan and even the hike on the top tax bracket is lower than it was under Reagan.

And yes, complaints about the spending lose most of their credibility when they're from people who didn't whine about Bush's spending. Plus they don't offer a real alternative to help the economy.

all I have to ask these "tea baggers" is... where was your outrage two years ago? How about 6 years ago? 10?


I have the feeling that they are a bunch of false patriots that are being stirred up by the punditry that runs the political parties now.

A bunch of easily led idiots who for the first time in years, have found themselves without a leader, have been conned into attending "rallies" by mainstream media types like Glenn Beck and Michelle Malkin, who undoubtedly are pleased as punch to promote the "tea party" idea heavily to their audiences because of the chance of increased viewership/readership and book sales.

Is there an idea? No.

Is there outrage? Yes.

Well, outrage it is! Come on guys, be outraged! Outrage! Taxes suck, outrage it up! Go buy this new book for only $25.99 - it will prove to everyone how vital the conservative movement is!! That's right, get in line and buy the book! OK, now chant some more! Pirates are dying!

These protesters - they keep using that word, "teabagging." I do not think they know the meaning of that word.

/it certainly does not mean what they seem to think it means.
//also, obvious manufactured outrage is obviously manufactured

Mordant: Except that poor (and middle class) Republicans are future captains of industry whose natural independence and bootstrappiness will guarantee them a piece of the pie eventually... unless the libs stand in the way of that.

... really?... ALL of them?.. what "industry" still calls the USA home?

Or could you possibly mean that one or two out of thousands of them stands a small chance at taking a step up the ladder.

As for pie... why would someone with a microscopic piece of crust, vote for something that pretty much only benefits the guy holding 1/8th of the pie or more?

The butthurt in this thread is astounding.

muck4doo: The butthurt in this thread is astounding.

That's rich coming from you.

Wait, I thought protests and opposition to a Presidential administration's policies was patriotic? At least, that's what I remember being told to me during Bush's presidency.

No matter who is organizing these "protests", shouldn't we all be happy that more people are involving themselves in the political process in an attempt to make their voices heard?

The Obama fans are pretty freaked out by this phenom... huh. I guess it's having its desired effect.

By the way - Obama has spent more in the first 60 days of his presidency than all of the presidents before him - combined. yeah, it's a little different than Bush's irresponsible spending.

At least Bush cut taxes for EVERYONE while spending our money.

The deal here is that while on Fark you may look cool supporting higher taxes and biggers spending because you have a need for attention your mommy didn't give you - the real world is under attack from this government and they are tired of it.

bradkanus: By the way - Obama has spent more in the first 60 days of his presidency than all of the presidents before him - combined. yeah, it's a little different than Bush's irresponsible spending.

Well, he hasn't really "spent" it yet, has he? I mean, my understanding was that he had pledged to spend a certain amount. Obviously that requires Congress to go along for the ride.

bradkanus: At least Bush cut taxes for EVERYONE while spending our money.

Much easier to support them if they were coupled with spending cuts, don't you agree?

bradkanus: The Obama fans are pretty freaked out by this phenom...

Mocking != freaked out.

You have repeatedly misunderstood this very simple concept.

Meh, Andrew Sullivan writes it better than this partisan yawn:

"If you favor no bailouts, then say so. If you want to see the banking system collapse, then say so. If you think the recession demands no fiscal stimulus, then say so. If you favor big cuts in Medicare, Medicaid, social security and defense, then say so. I keep waiting for Reynolds to tell us what these protests are for; and he can only spin what they they are against.

"All protests against spending that do not tell us how to reduce it are fatuous pieces of theater, not constructive acts of politics. And until the right is able to make a constructive and specific argument about how they intend to reduce spending and debt and borrowing, they deserve to be dismissed as performance artists in a desperate search for coherence in an age that has left them bewilderingly behind."

KaponoFor3: No matter who is organizing these "protests", shouldn't we all be happy that more people are involving themselves in the political process in an attempt to make their voices heard?

Sure, I just find it funny that they've waited this long to get upset over the same BS that's been happening for at least 30 years. But yeah, they have every right to protest.

If you don't like taxes, move to somewhere like Somalia where they don't have any.

KaponoFor3: No matter who is organizing these "protests", shouldn't we all be happy that more people are involving themselves in the political process in an attempt to make their voices heard?

You know, sometimes you truly outdo yourself.

bradkanus: The Obama fans are pretty freaked out by this phenom

Keep telling yourself that.

I love Pie

DamnYankees: You know, sometimes you truly outdo yourself.

I thought the anti-war protesters during the Bush administration were stupid, but I was still happy that they were involving themselves in politics even if I disagreed with them.

I mean, protesting is patriotic, right? Or is that only when you protest a Republican president that it is patriotic?

bradkanus: By the way - Obama has spent more in the first 60 days of his presidency than all of the presidents before him - combined. yeah, it's a little different than Bush's irresponsible spending.

Eight years of Afghanistan and Iraq, plsu the first bailout bill plus all the other Presidents? Show me your math on this one.

bradkanus: At least Bush cut taxes for EVERYONE while spending our money.

And that's fiscally responsible and sustainable...how?

KaponoFor3: I mean, protesting is patriotic, right? Or is that only when you protest a Republican president something that is detrimental to the country that it is patriotic?


That's better.

KaponoFor3: I mean, protesting is patriotic, right? Or is that only when you protest a Republican president that it is patriotic?

That's exactly right. Only liberal protesters are patriots.

Well, I do pay alot of taxes... mostly state taxes though because I live in shiat york...

cameroncrazy1984: That's better.

The guys out protesting today clearly believe that they are protesting something detrimental to the country, so they are patriots, right?

DamnYankees: That's exactly right. Only liberal protesters are patriots.

Sarcasm duly noted, but let's applaud people for getting out and letting their voices be heard, even if you disagree with their message.

KaponoFor3: Sarcasm duly noted, but let's applaud people for getting out and letting their voices be heard, even if you disagree with their message.

Um, no. I don't really care about that. Protesting is fine and good enough, but its not something I'm going to applaud you for. When the content of your protest is so goddamm stupid its hard to fathom, I will mock you.

Exercising a right is not by default patriotic. It's just being alive.

KaponoFor3: Sarcasm duly noted, but let's applaud people for getting out and letting their voices be heard, even if you disagree with their message.

I don't.

I don't think people protesting against gay marriage are patriots, either.

I think most of the people protesting today don't even know what the original tea parties were about, don't really know why they're protesting today, and don't really have a goal, or aim.

The old union slogan, "What do we want? [whatever]! And when do we want it? NOW!" is effective because it actually says what you want.

What do these people want? Is it anything as coherent as "US troops out of Iraq"?

'cuz I haven't seen any coherence from them.

Obdicut: I don't.

Apologies, I meant I don't agree that protest is patriotic. You have to at least know what you're protesting against, and what you want to happen. I have not seen any 'tea party' supporter who meets that criteria.

I think a lot of anti-war protesters have no farking clue, either. I think a lot of protesters in general have no clue what they're doing there.

Obdicut: What do these people want? Is it anything as coherent as "US troops out of Iraq"?

Pretty sure its "testicles on my face". Or have I been misinformed?

Obdicut: What do these people want?

Seems to me like they want a stop to rampant government spending that will cause their children to pay for all the money the Obama administration is borrowing to finance the stimulus package and bailout.

Obdicut: Is it anything as coherent as "US troops out of Iraq"?... 'cuz I haven't seen any coherence from them.

Coherence at a protest? Have you ever BEEN to a protest?

I have no problem with them protesting, but it's farking stupid and they're farking stupid. The last video of one of these shindigs I saw this morning was nothing but a crowd of people who looked anything but upper crust. A bunch of sweatpants wearing douches moaning about taxes they don't even pay. OHHH my taxes are sooo high. OHHH..hey wait, is that my $5000 income tax return check? I'm gonna go buy me a hot tub.

KaponoFor3: Seems to me like they want a stop to rampant government spending that will cause their children to pay for all the money the Obama administration is borrowing to finance the stimulus package and bailout.

It 'seems' like it, I guess, because they don't actually articulate it.

Which spending do they want stopped? Why is this the government spending that will cause their children to pay, and not the government spending on our gigantic military?

A lot of them seem to think the protest is about raising taxes in the near future, and not what you said.

Coherence at a protest? Have you ever BEEN to a protest?

Yes. I live in San Francisco. Going downtown normally involves going to a protest. I work in Emeryville (near Berkeley). Going downtown in Berkeley always involves going to a protest.

And the SF protests tend to be far, far, far more coherent.

Even Critical Mass, who I farking hate, have a coherent message.