Watch this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6G3fvNhdoc0&feature=player_embedded

This whole thing is clearly a stunt arranged by the Fox "fair and balanced"(!) Network.

If nothing, "the tea bagging of America" is just about the funniest thing I've heard in years.

I guess it's just wrong to protest in America if it involves negatives about the socialist Obama and his 'wealth sharing' attitudes.

But I defy any of his champions to name one former socialist state that didn't turn into a fascist dictatorial regime before it's eventual demise.

Socialism always morphs into fascism and the socialists always don't get it, and that is what we are witnessing now in the USA. They think it's some kind of strange coincidence, nothing to do with the original socialist project of displacing individual freedom with state power. They blame capitalism, they blame everything but their own supserstitious anti-social state-worshipping policies.

Yes it is pathetic that the conservative protestors didn't protest against exactly the same taxing policies of the Republicans, nor the same abuses and blatant breach of the Constitution that the author mentions earlier in the article.

However that fact does not provide any justification of excessive taxation, unconstitutional actions of government (which now comprise about 90 percent of all governmental action in the US), or taxation in general.

The US government has long since abandoned compliance with the Constitution, even if it provided authority for the US government to forcibly impose government on the people or states, which it doesn't: http://www.lysanderspooner.org/notreason.htm

I don't suppose there'll be any prizes for guessing which side of the political fence Walt Brasch falls on.
There have already been many who decry those participating in Tea Day as racists, bigots, ignorant, stupid etc etc etc. It is always easy to dismiss those who disagree with you in such a way.
Surely it comes as no surprise that many Americans are concerned about what they perceive as a 'tax and spend' mentality in their new government and are worried about the long-term economic future and how that might be impacted by big spending, big-debt government.
Some of these people may even remember the Great Depression but those who don't may have heard that FDR's New Deal not only attacked much of what they believe in but may also have prolonged the effects of the Depression.
Should they have protested some of GWB's actions? Maybe, but you seem to assume the exercise of their democratic rights now is motivated by ignorance (or possibly prejudice) when the simpler explanation is perhaps disagreement with policy coupled with concern for the future.
Your comment, "policies that are bringing the nation out of a financial abyss" will no doubt be determined in time, but one will have to wait and see on that one. Clearly the tea-baggers don't think those policies will be so vindicated.

So sad to see the deluded masses rioting against their own interests.
Sad how the right wing fascists appeal to the ignorant and the gullible.
With racism and religion as their tools they brainwash and trick these sad people into believing black is white and day is night.
That guns make you safe and driving a hummer is a right.

Revolting is not the word. Sickening is more like it. Sure makes me want to throw up.

What I want to know is where the Dirty Sanchez people stand on the Teabagging issue.

The masses are not deluded.It is the US Federal Reserve who are the culprits in the most monumental legalised theft in our history.They do it through the fractional reserve banking system,whereby 9 times can be loaned out to the ratio of one productive dollar.Inflation eventually destroys savings,jobs and businesses.When deflation accurs the large corporates then go about buying up cheap assets.

They have every right to be angry and the Govt should reduce it's taxes.Kevin Rudd should do likewise instead of increasing our debt.
The socialists just don't get it and probably never will.The free market was never allowed to operate.It was perverted by a totalitarian banking system.Socialism will not save you!

It is true, that american neo-conservatives can look you at your eyes and tell you that the black is white!
Is not it enouph that neo-conservatives destroyed the international economy, that they created huge problems to American people?
American people are not idiots.
Do you remember, in Bush's days, more than 89% of americans believed that the country was moving to the wrong direction ?
Now, with Obama, American people change mind!
According tou AP Poll After Obama's 100 days, US on right track
The "right direction" number is up 8 points since February and a remarkable 31 points since October, the month before Obama's election.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090423/ap_on_go_pr_wh/us_obama100_days_ap_poll

According to The Wall Street Journal Obama "is more popular than ever, Americans are hopeful about his leadership, and opposition Republicans are getting drubbed in public opinion, the new Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll suggests."
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123612000246123253.html

According to FORBES "Two weeks prior to Obama taking office, a Zogby Interactive survey showed "right direction" at 14%. The phone survey also reported that 60% approve of how Obama is handling the economy"
Do not take your wishes and dreams as realities! Woke up!
Antonios Symeonakis
Adelaid

*American people are not idiots.*

Err that is highly debatable :)

Twice they voted for George and Dick and of course George
and Dick drove the US economy right into a ditch.

Now they are complaining when Obama has to hire a tow truck
to get it out!

Can I suggest that the author and the other 'oh so clever' here; Clownfish, Yabby and mikk, go to The Atlantic website and read the article by Simon Jackson "the quiet coup" for an insiders take on the mess we are in.

You guys are arguing for more of the same. Maybe the teabaggers, conservatives or not, are the ones proposing real change.

Try to think for yourselves guys and not be so damned parochial. There is more at stake than the performance of your favorite horse.

Arjay, have you read Steve Keen at Debtwatch? Particularly #31 'The Roving Cavaliers of Credit'. An argument which qualifies your position somewhat. I'd be interested in your take on this. Thanks. P.

Palimpsest,Steve Keen summed it up very well.Also a good analysis.Is Kevin listening?

Bernanke has doubled the supply of money in 4 mths in the US.It has yet to fully reach the consumer.The banks have been hoarding money waiting for deflation then buy up cheap assets.This is why Ron Paul wants to audit the Fed Res.

The Govt issues bonds to the Fed Res{ie debt],the Fed then loans the money to the govt who in turn give it to the Fed to distribute through the economy.All done on computer of course.Now the Fed who now have their Govt debt money does not have to tell Congress where it has gone! The people should be screaming bloody murder from the roof tops.Ron Paul now has 88 co-sponsors[congressmen] who want to audit the Fed.The money should be flowing now so they can have a steady measureable reponse.The Fed could release too much all at one go and this will be a disaster.

If they continue creating cyber money hyper inflation will totally destroy the US economy.

I am no expert in economic matters however, even armed with appropriate dictionaries and reference texts, I often find the coherency of some discussions in this place difficult to follow.

I subscribe to the view that a gifted speaker on any particular topic has the ability to reduce even the most complex matters to a simple form such that even an uneducated person may understand.

People who resort to a colourful spray of terms with no substance usually are somewhat unsure of themselves and that about which they speak.

My focus of concern is on the base of the economy based on the principal that every citizen has the right to a minimal share in the worst of times and that that share must provide economic security and a decent standard of living.

The defects in the system as it is have been exploited, by talented players and from some perspectives this is comendable, however, life is not a game of monopoly governed by the law of the jungle with winner take all, at least by some definitions of what constitutes civilised society.

Taxes and regulations are required for a "Safety Net" to safeguard the base. A personal opinion, I do not necessarily, and from an under informed position suggest that pensions need to be raised, but rather that the overall package of necessities that constitute a pensioners lot in the Australian standard need to be regulated such that, after water, food, medicine, housing, bills and legal, minimum savings for growth of say $AU100 out of $AU500 per fortnight is healthily and legally achievable.

If this is refused, with such a relatively small number of people and such a relatively huge GDP, then in reality, we are little better than a 3rd world country, who seem to manage to employ 10's of millions more people for a whole lot less, but when you look inside their houses, well, they have pretty much every thing we have so clearly, something is rotten in the state of Australia and I suspect that Auntie Sam suffers from essentially the same problems.

"socialist obama". sheesh.

no, keith, there's nothing wrong with protesting against obama. i'm not thrilled with him. except in comparison with the cretins and psychopaths who preceded him.

what is wrong is protesting with chintzy symbolism, on a fake issue, backed by a fake news channel, in a whining manner, and because obama is trying to drag america out of the unbelievable swamp created by the crappy administration that the majority of these same protesters supported.

these people can't accept that they lost. how bad did they lose? the republicans were so awful, america was willing to vote for the black guy.

but i know this is hard for you to understand, keith. you're the last remaining guy who thinks the previous president did an oh so wonderful job.

and dumb of me to post at all. clownfish's post gave this absurd movement the exact amount of seriousness it deserved. he he. i said "movement".

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/04/26/2552835.htm?section=justin

Swan quiet on pension speculation ahead of Budget

Posted 2 hours 17 minutes ago
Updated 2 hours 7 minutes ago
Wayne Swan: 'We've recognised that there is a problem with the base rate of pension'

Wayne Swan: 'We've recognised that there is a problem with the base rate of pension' (ABC News: File photo )

The Federal Government has reiterated its promise to increase the age pension, but will not reveal any details ahead of next month's federal Budget.

Treasurer Wayne Swan has refused to respond to speculation the Government will not increase the pension by as much as the expected $30 a week.

Ron Paul now has 91 co-sponsors from Congress who support the auditing of the US Federal Reserve.This is almost 20% of Congress.

This is also important for us.Forget about the Tea Party,the really big revolt is beginning with this audit.The Fed is a private group of banks who own the US currency.They have created this crisis through their fractional reserve banking system whereby 9 times the real productive money can be loaned out thus causing inflation.

It works like this.The US Govt create bonds which are really a promise to repay a loan and give these to the Fed Res.The Federal Reserve create most of this money in their computers then loan the money to the Govt,who rely on this very banking system to distribute through out the economy.However the US Govt have not the power to see where this money has gone or the political relationships that exist between the banks,other corporates and Congress.

The Fed has the real power and is pulling the strings of both the Democrats and Republicans.This is why the Fed must be audited.Ultimately what must happen is that the US Govt,as stipulated by the constitution,must control and issue currency.

Wouldn't you like to counterfeit money then loan it at interest to your Govt? In essence it is stealing since it depreciates people's savings/assets and eventually causes economic collapse.

http://www.ronpaul.com/

Jeez Bushbasher you had me getting excited for a minute thre. I thought you were refering to Clinton and the Congress controlled by Pelosi, Frank Dodd and ...Oh I've forgotten his name. But then you went and spiolled it all by an aspersion about George W. Whose qualifications and record, as I pointed out in a previous thread, you have never ben able to negate.

Tut tut, having to resort to potty humour again ... sigh.

Ah Keith, it was of course your friend George, who appointed Cox
as the chief regulator of the SEC, or as the Americans say,
"the regulator who did not believe in regulation". So Cox appointed
a little old grandma as his chief law enforcer and the rest as we
know is history.

George does have a claim to fame. I can think of no Prez who left
the US economy in such a disasterous state as he did. Quite some
record!