I swear if I hear one more grandiose incantation of the Tea Party I'm going to

[PJABBER]

Since defense is one of the biggest cash cows of the budget and full of corruption and pork spending, and we have more planes, ships, etc. than all of rest of the world combined, Why is it that no one in the tea party talks about defense cuts? Only programs that benefit the poor or aged seem to get referred to as unnecessary.

Because war is one of those things that happens when you don't have enough planes, ships, etc.. Of course if you show that you don't have the will to use them, war happens as well.

And don't count on us staying in any kind of a lead without continuing investment.

We are fortunate to still be king of the hill and so is the world. Pick another country you would like to be the top dog and see how that feels after a while. Or just read some history.

And who is not planning to offer bennies to the poor and the aged? I would hazard the Pubs with an older demographic are not going to let that slip by.

Hopefully we will never again see welfare Cadillacs, though. Welfare scooters for everyone!

 

[SammyJr]

I personally would LOVE a reduction of 20 - 30% of the federal budget. Why? Because pork has become prolific and many, many federal departments are superfluous to the well being of this nation. I would start with eliminating the Department of Education, a job for the States. In fact, many federal departments and programs, like environmental protection, usurp or duplicate state programs.

Social engineering at the cost of huge national debt is not feasible or effective. Keep a safety net going, like unemployment insurance and medal subsidies for basic needs, but it is time to turn away from the nanny state which has become so popular for keeping pols in office and their constituents more destitute in the end.

We need to reduce cost and tighten the belt of federal spending significantly. Prioritize national defense and infrastructure and get out of the business of private industry.

Gotcha... cut everything and throw it into the war machine. Deficits don't matter when its tax cuts for the wealthy and bombs!

 

[CitizenKain]

Since defense is one of the biggest cash cows of the budget and full of corruption and pork spending, and we have more planes, ships, etc. than all of rest of the world combined, Why is it that no one in the tea party talks about defense cuts? Only programs that benefit the poor or aged seem to get referred to as unnecessary.

Because when your entire political landscape is divided into us vs them and you are a firm believer in hero worship, then the military is a sacred cow. Also, when the people who tell the Tea Partiers what to think have lots of money in the defense industry, you aren't going to hear anything about cutting money.

 

[PJABBER]

fretting over masturbation will really bring in that young people vote!

Yeah, I can see it now! Vote for me cause I FAP! :awe:

 

[PJABBER]

Gotcha... cut everything and throw it into the war machine. Deficits don't matter when its tax cuts for the wealthy and bombs!

Hey, I get it! You are a Dem! No jobs for anyone and let's disarm unilaterally so that everyone will love us! :awe:

 

[SammyJr]

Hey, I get it! You are a Dem! No jobs for anyone and let's disarm unilaterally so that everyone will love us! :awe:

No need to get snippy. I just summarized what you wrote.

 

[manimal]

Summary: Its Racist Whitey

Nicely played sir! Nicely played!

ignorant is closer to the truth actually

 

[SammyJr]

Yeah, I can see it now! Vote for me cause I FAP! :awe:

Well, one of the Tea Party candidates has crusaded against masturbation. Paging Dr. Kellogg.

 

[irishScott]

Only worshipers accuse others of having a messiah.

I'm Deist. I believe, I pray. I don't worship. What now?

 

[PJABBER]

Well, one of the Tea Party candidates has crusaded against masturbation. Paging Dr. Kellogg.

Let's not, because then we will have to talk about eugenics and that will lead us to Margaret Sanger and Planned Parenthood and then to how the abortion advocates wanted to reduce the black population in the United States. Let's keep that for another thread!

 

[GuitarDaddy]

Since defense is one of the biggest cash cows of the budget and full of corruption and pork spending, and we have more planes, ships, etc. than all of rest of the world combined, Why is it that no one in the tea party talks about defense cuts? Only programs that benefit the poor or aged seem to get referred to as unnecessary.

Because they are all about God and guns. A church on every corner and an armory or AR15's in every home. They only pretend to want to cut spending, they actually want to control spending. And by god don't even think about cutting military spending, we haven't wiped out all the evil mooeslums yet.

 

[manimal]

I personally would LOVE a reduction of 20 - 30% of the federal budget. Why? Because pork has become prolific and many, many federal departments are superfluous to the well being of this nation. I would start with eliminating the Department of Education, a job for the States. In fact, many federal departments and programs, like environmental protection, usurp or duplicate state programs.

Social engineering at the cost of huge national debt is not feasible or effective. Keep a safety net going, like unemployment insurance and medal subsidies for basic needs, but it is time to turn away from the nanny state which has become so popular for keeping pols in office and their constituents more destitute in the end.

We need to reduce cost and tighten the belt of federal spending significantly. Prioritize national defense and infrastructure and get out of the business of private industry.

The waste you are referring to is actually much smaller once you factor in infrastructure. That nanny state you are referring to kept millions from being on on the street. Can you imagine costs of downgrading our way of to third world status? We would all need to live in gated communities with private policeman to protect our children while they are home schooled..

We would probably shave 400-500 billion a year but would that really make an impact? Those environmental programs as you call them pay for our parks, keep watchdogs on the private industries and food and toys safe for our kids..

One discussion I would like to have is the real cost of of our military. If we took what we spent on the foreign wars of the last decade we could have upgraded our roads, bridges, hospitals, health-care, and had enough left over to reduce the deficit..

Most credible economists think that austerity moves during a recession only extend that recession.

The best is the pork programs as they are called by John Mcain and his ilk. The real cost of that pork was less than 1 percent of the budget last year.. Sure that will make such a huge dent..

I have always said start with getting military spending down to 1980s levels..

 

[thraashman]

Let's not, because then we will have to talk about eugenics and that will lead us to Margaret Sanger and Planned Parenthood and then to how the abortion advocates wanted to reduce the black population in the United States. Let's keep that for another thread!

Well why not talk about eugenics. Like the idea of requiring people on welfare to get sterilized, which I've heard many conservatives state as something that should happen. But we can talk about Margaret Sanger, a person who believed that the only person who should have any say in using birth control as a form of eugenics were the people actually giving birth and believed in educating people about their options.

 

[Amused]

...make a thread about it.

Seriously. Yes the tea party is around, yes they're making a difference, but honestly I'm sick of hearing them praised like the GOP messiah. In every thread that even remotely covers the midterm elections we get so many "when the people take back their government" or "when history is written" or "it is time" or "when the corrupt walls of Obama come a tumblin down" I'm expecting someone to hack P&N so "onward christian soldiers marching as to war..." plays whenever the word "Tea Party" appears on screen.

To those of you who do it: You. Sound. Stupid. And I'm that much less likely to take your post seriously. The tea party is a political movement like any other. It's not a religion, and it's hardly a savior of anything. You know those Obama supporters you made fun of last election for treating Obama like the messiah? Guess who you sound like. Think about that, and think before you post. Pretty please with tea leaves on top?

The difference between touting/supporting the Tea Party movement and worshipping Obama is the Tea Party is an idea. A movement with no defined leader. Obama is a man.

VAST difference.

Now, I have never posted about the Tea Party, nor do I consider myself a member. But for you to compare Obama worship to Tea Party followers is pretty damn silly. There is a VAST difference between worshiping a man and touting an idea.

 

[BurnItDwn]

The fact we have the left in this forum having meltdowns over the Tea Party tells me they are doing something right.

So, because everybody on the left vehemently hated George W Bush, he was doing things right too? After all, he did such a great job pissing off the left, right?

Personally, I agree with SOME of the tea parties fiscal policies.
I think "emissions trading" is stupid.
I think a balanced federal budget is a good general rule, however, not in desperate times.
I think the tax system could use some simplification. Too many loopholes and technicalities currently. (but, I support the "progressive" taxation, since I believe those who have more to lose, also get more out of the system.)
Would like to open up more exploration as far as energy policy goes
Earmarks should be reduced

Of course I disagree about lowering taxes across the board.
I think reworking the tax so that there is a floor level. Meaning no tax credits for people who don't pay! I don't want to put an extra burden on the poor, BUT, I want the poor to realize the real costs associated with things. Right now, if you pay nothing, of course you'll want more to be spent, but, if you're paying into it, you'll have a little bit more concern over where the money's going.

That said, I also believe that the explosive income gap between median and top 1%
is very very harmful for the nation as a whole, and something needs to be done, to shrink this gap.

 

[Infohawk]

A third of the population is partisan Democrat no matter what. A third of the population is partisan Republican no matter what. The remaining third votes against the incumbent if the economy sucks. Yet the other two thirds always act like it has something to do with more complicated ideas.

 

[CaptnKirk]

The Tea Party resembles a casting call for Hee-Haw.

 

[her209]

The tea parties are like quicksand for dumb liberals. The more they rant and rave against the movement, the more they try and marginalize the movement and call all the tea party folks "fringe" and "extremists", the stronger the movement grows and the more powerful it becomes. Keep it up!

And the more it marginalizes the Republican party.

 

[Fear No Evil]

The Tea Party resembles a casting call for Hee-Haw.

If you could somehow work racist in there it would work better.. unless Hee-Haw people are assumed racist? Then I apologize.

 

[Fear No Evil]

And the more it marginalizes the Republican party.

If marginalization is going to get the Republicans the House back and possibly the Senate.. I guess I'll take that.

 

[Doc Savage Fan]

And the more it marginalizes the Republican party.

This is a good thing...the Republican party needs a swift kick in the butt.

 

[her209]

If marginalization is going to get the Republicans the House back and possibly the Senate.. I guess I'll take that.

What happens when those Tea Baggers refuse to go along with the Republican agenda?

 

[Jaskalas]

I'm glad Liberals feel threatened by something for a change.

 

[alkemyst]

Tea Party is mostly full of idiots doing idiotic things. If one good thing is to come out of this, its that the Tea Party becomes a 3rd major party. Then we might be able to get some other parties up in there and break up the stagnation we've had in our political scene for fucking decades.

as are the Democrats, Republicans, et al.

The party system is nothing but a method to secure votes on buying into a belief.

I say make it all independent and put single issue voting online.

 

[Mursilis]

All anyone needs to know about the Tea Party can be learned by looking back to the early 90's and the rise and fall of the last great third-party sensation, the Reform Party. (Come on, I know I'm not the only one here old enough to have lived through those times! Think back, people!) The lesson to be learned is, the Tea Party movement is going to a fun little trip for angry citizens for a while, but it's going to fizzle and fade away soon enough.