About Me

My name is Jonathan, and I am a 24 year old sociology student from Chicago, IL. This blog will be discussing politics to every extreme, and covering many other topics including race, religion, and all social issues that are happening right now. Well known by my friends and foes, I am very liberal and an atheist. This blog serves as a resistance to the enslavement of our generation. Does anyone have the heart to stand with me?

Thursday, April 21, 2011

Tea Party: "We Only Want Big Government When It's Convenient For Us"

In the last week or so, America has seen quite a bit of severe weather and natural disasters such as tornadoes, thunderstorms, and wild fires.  All across the south, we've seen death and destruction, and so many homes and communities destroyed.  It's unfortunate and it really makes you appreciate everything you have.  That being said, I do find it interesting that the republican governor, Rick Perry, is asking the federal government for help.  Just days ago, wasn't he rallying fellow tea partiers, in a mob that yelled "secede! secede!?"  I thought the tea party made it clear that they wanted to secede from the union, like it was 1861 again.  But I guess when they get into trouble, big government is a good idea..  Problem with that logic?  Very much so.

Honestly, the tea party never ceases to amaze me.  It seems that week after week, their message just gets diluted and it really just goes back to the same old conservative/republican crap - big government/"socialism" is okay when it's convenient for them.  I put the word socialism in quotations because 90% of the people who use that word like its evil or something, don't really know what it means.  They just know it's "really bad," and Karl Marx had something to do with it.  Either way, republicans always go back to this double standard, where they convince their followers to hate the government, but praise it when they get into trouble.  They kick and scream, painting Obama with the socialist brush, when he's done more to please the conservatives in this country than any liberal president should.  They take a stance so far on the right, that when Obama tries to meet them half way, he's really standing on right wing ground. 

I'm sure plenty of people remember the $700 billion bank bailouts.  I remember when republicans were asking their federal government for help so that these banks wouldn't fail, and took the money with no regrets.  Well, sorry to say folks, that's socialism.  That is what we call big government.  And apparently in a conservative's mind - big government is wonderful, when it's helping the rich get richer, and helping the poor get poorer.  The good old conservative double standard.

What about no child left behind?  A conservative movement to standardize our public education system.  A big government initiative.  That seemed okay when George W. Bush's administration created it in 2001.  Where was the conservative outcry against big government then?  I don't remember states threatening to leave the union.

I would also like to mention the Patriot Act, which I know has been extended thanks to Barack Obama, but it was a conservative initiative to fight "terrorism."  Once again, I put this word in quotes too because the entire idea of terrorism in this country has really become one big scare tactic to make people give up their rights one by one, in hopes that they won't get blown up (just look at the new airport security measures).  But the Patriot Act is one of the largest forms of big government that has been passed into law by conservatives, but only because it's convenient for them.  They claimed it was to make fighting terrorism easier and more efficient, when in reality they succeeded in taking away every American's right to privacy, whether it be on the phone, internet, etc.  I never saw one conservative protest to this law, and no state threatened to leave the union over it.

Now, I could go on and on about tea party/republican double standards - especially when it comes to abortions and gay marriage, where they believe BIG GOVERNMENT should control women and gay people's lives... but this post is already making its point.  If the tea party wants federal aid in Texas, or any other disaster area after a tragedy like last week, tough shit.  I know that sounds very mean, but somebody needs to say it.  This really just shows how greedy and selfish the conservative movement in this country has become.  They don't mind when the government helps them, it just can't help anybody else.  So I say let these towns and communities in Texas solve the problem on their own.  Maybe their neighbors can help them rebuild their destroyed homes.  Maybe their fellow tea party members can put out the fires that have ravished the landscape of the south.

Keep praying for rain Mr. Rick Perry, because you don't deserve the federal government's help.

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