Sound And Fury

Today I am shedding a little "lyte" on protests.  Don't get me wrong, I am big fan of protesting.  I just like it to have some purpose, some cohesion.  I am not fond of large groups of people getting together just to yell.  That's what sporting events are for.

So, today is Tax Day and the Republicans and the rabid right are throwing "tea parties" throughout this great land of ours.  I guess this is a twenty-first century version of the famous Boston Tea Party that protested taxation without representation.  They are encouraging us to send virtual tea bags to the White House.  They are dumping piles of tea bags on the ground in parks.  They are saying, "Let's tea bag the President!".  

I have more that a couple of problems with this.  One, we have representation in our government.  It is called the Congress.  Two, the original tea party dumped loose tea into Boston Harbor.  Virtual tea bags are lame. Three, the term "teabagging" refers to a sexual act that apparently these folks are blissfully unaware of, or they enjoy all of us in the know snickering at them.

But, I have to hand it to the Republicans.  Once again they are getting folks to act against their own economic interests.  They have this down to a science.  Use something, anything as a wedge issue to polarize the voters.  Get them all riled up about it, so riled up that they don't notice that said issue has absolutely nothing to do with them.  This time they have these poor, clueless Americans protesting a tax hike that doesn't exist.

Most of the folks attending these "tea parties" earn less than $250,000.  Under Obama's plan, they are getting a tax cut.  The non-existent tax hike?  It is when Bush's tax cuts expire.  This expiration date was written into the original legislation.  Who wrote this bill?  The Republicans.  So, they have their supporters out protesting their legislation, but thinking they are protesting against President Obama.  Oh?  And how much of a non-existent tax hike is it?  Are you sitting down?  A whopping, mind-boggling 4%!

This is another stunning example of just how wacked the rabid right has become since the election.  Protesting something they did, using a hilarious sexual euphemism to do it.  And we have more than 3 1/2 years to go in the Obama presidency.  The hits just keep coming.