In nature extremophiles are creatures which live in environments we had assumed were unsuitable for life. Near a volcanic undersea vent live tube worms who filter their food from the ocean nearby. In the Arctic ice live polar worms, which also filter their food from the barely liquid water around them. Both are worms, both cannot exist where other creatures live, both are only dimly aware of their surroundings, and most creatures, including people, are completely unaware of their existence at all. Not unlike political extremists from both sides. Volcanic and polar are analogues of reactionary and radical.
It is from this position, somewhere in the middle, that I have learned about the Tea-Party. As I am a Libertarian myself I have become very offended that these extremists, who are nothing more than the "Religious Right" reincarnated, are masquerading as Libertarians. When the infiltrated and began taking over the Republicans I didn't care. Hell, I thought it was funny. This is something else.
You see a Libertarian may believe in a religion, but it will not be the justification for every decision they make. Read the pamphlets for the Tea-Party. They base everything on the "word of God", (whom I sincerely hope they meet so he can set them straight on a few things, but that is another post for someone else's blog). The Tea-Party seeks to impose their way of thinking on the rest of us. Again this is diametrically opposed to Libertarianism.
In a quest to be all things to all conservatives they are not only fracturing an already broken party, they are claiming to be something they are not. President Obama is closer to a Libertarian than the Tea-Party, and that is not to say he is remotely close. He isn't. But then at least he isn't claiming to be. (Note that I disagree politically with President Obama, but still refer to him by his title. He is still the President. My dad is a "Mr." The leader of the free world gets a title, even if you don't like him. Calling the President "Mr." is disrespectful to the country, not the man.)
Libertarians seek individual freedom. Anyone claiming to represent this ideal, and seeking to impose their beliefs on anyone else, is either completely ignorant of the meaning of the word, or purposefully lying. Personally I think that the Tea-Party is good for the country. Having bested all of our fascist enemies outside the country, we need a reminder of what we might become from within. We need them to serve as a shining example of what we must not allow ourselves to become.
I have tried to stay away from bashing any particular side of the aisle. I don't feel it serves much purpose to be flagrantly partisan. In this case though I felt a need to identify the inaccuracies and hypocrisy of this small, if much talked about, group. When I tell people I am Libertarian I do not want them to think of anything remotely like the Tea-Party.
It is from this position, somewhere in the middle, that I have learned about the Tea-Party. As I am a Libertarian myself I have become very offended that these extremists, who are nothing more than the "Religious Right" reincarnated, are masquerading as Libertarians. When the infiltrated and began taking over the Republicans I didn't care. Hell, I thought it was funny. This is something else.
You see a Libertarian may believe in a religion, but it will not be the justification for every decision they make. Read the pamphlets for the Tea-Party. They base everything on the "word of God", (whom I sincerely hope they meet so he can set them straight on a few things, but that is another post for someone else's blog). The Tea-Party seeks to impose their way of thinking on the rest of us. Again this is diametrically opposed to Libertarianism.
In a quest to be all things to all conservatives they are not only fracturing an already broken party, they are claiming to be something they are not. President Obama is closer to a Libertarian than the Tea-Party, and that is not to say he is remotely close. He isn't. But then at least he isn't claiming to be. (Note that I disagree politically with President Obama, but still refer to him by his title. He is still the President. My dad is a "Mr." The leader of the free world gets a title, even if you don't like him. Calling the President "Mr." is disrespectful to the country, not the man.)
Libertarians seek individual freedom. Anyone claiming to represent this ideal, and seeking to impose their beliefs on anyone else, is either completely ignorant of the meaning of the word, or purposefully lying. Personally I think that the Tea-Party is good for the country. Having bested all of our fascist enemies outside the country, we need a reminder of what we might become from within. We need them to serve as a shining example of what we must not allow ourselves to become.
I have tried to stay away from bashing any particular side of the aisle. I don't feel it serves much purpose to be flagrantly partisan. In this case though I felt a need to identify the inaccuracies and hypocrisy of this small, if much talked about, group. When I tell people I am Libertarian I do not want them to think of anything remotely like the Tea-Party.
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Keep it clean and well thought out.