Tea Party destroying country
A recent Herald-Standard editorial had a headline, “Republican Party in disarray.”
Is it any wonder that Republicans are in disarray, with the far right crazies in Washington who have no plan except to say no to anything that might benefit our country?
Some say the Republican Party is being taken over by the fascist movement (Tea Party). I thought to myself! fascism/Tea Party — that can’t be true. So I looked fascism up in the dictionary and found this in the Merriam-Webster Dictionary: fascism 1) A political philosophy, movement or regime that exalts nation and often race above the individual and that stands for a centralized autocratic government headed by a dictatorial leader, severe economic and social regimentation and forcible suppression of opposition. 2) A tendency toward or actual exercise of strong autocratic or dictatorial control.
To my surprise, Merriam-Webster pretty much describes the ideology of the Tea Party. No wonder the GOP is in such disarray. No wonder the American people are so turned off to the fear mongering, the hate speech, the narrow-minded misogynistic rhetoric, the push to suppress voting rights, the push to force their twisted morality on the rest of America.
When I think about it, I can’t remember the Tea Party spokespeople ever saying something good about our democratically elected government. All I ever hear is privatize Social Security, eliminate Medicare, cut taxes on the rich, raise taxes on the middle class, break the unions that represent teachers, coal miners, factory workers, cut teachers pay, eliminate public education, eliminate the EPA, deregulate business, eliminate social programs that benefit the elderly, our veterans, our women and children. And they go on and on and on about how bad our government is, how worthless and lazy our workers, veterans, seniors and disabled are.
Tea Party people even oppose those in the Republican Party that are willing to negotiate and compromise for the benefit of all Americans. If you’re a Republican and show any sign that you oppose any of the Tea Party’s agenda, you’re deemed unworthy and flawed. We all know what they think of women from their rhetoric and their refusal to sign onto the Lily Ledbetter Act that would give equal pay to women.
I think Merriam-Webster got the Tea Party right.
True Republicans care about our country. True Republicans do not preach hate, fear, distrust and the overthrow of our country.
With Memorial Day just passing, think about the men and women that have died to protect our rights and why they fought the fascist regimes in Europe to keep America safe and free.
If you’re a Tea Party member, please don’t try to tell anyone you’re a patriot. Americans know what you really are.
Jim Sloan
Hopwood