Tea Party?

[andyi0420]

Hey all!

I came to the ideas of libertarianism/voluntarism very similar to the FTL host Mark.  I work with a bunch of neo-cons and they (over the years) got me into listening to Rush, Beck, and Hannity...  I've always agreed with them on economic issues but never could agree with their anti-gay, war-mongering, and pro-drugwar views.  I never knew there was anything else out there, I was stuck in the "left-right paradigm".  FTL along with Ron Paul, Judge Nap, Adam Kokesh, and Lew Rockwell helped me realize there is more out there and that I wasn't the only one with this distrust of the "right".  The way the GOP has treated Ron Paul is just disgusting, and after the Tampa convention I will be leaving the Republican party.  I'm very grateful of FTL for being an excellent voice of liberty and freedom.  I fully embrace the non-aggression principal and it let's me look at the world in a whole new light, but I must admit I'm kinda lonely, most sheeple just don't know or understand...  Anyways, to get to my point, I was wondering what people think of the tea party?  They call Ron Paul the "grandfather of the tea party".  I've never seen or met any "tea partier" that supported libertarianism, they all seem like gay bashing war mongerers to me.  I've even went to a couple local tea party meetings and I just can't stand it.  They talk about small government all the time but they seem so fake, and they don't seem to be deep thinkers.  Are they different in other places?  Where they co-opted by neo-cons?  It doesn't make any sense...

Andy

[freeAgent]

The Tea Party is probably 95% co-opted by the Republican Party and I do not trust them at all.  A large number of Tea Party candidates are already in congress and they have been supporting the typical neocon agenda.  I know some libertarians here in Chicago who are still trying to influence the Tea Party, but as far as I'm concerned it's a losing battle and the Tea Party movement is not worth saving were it even possible.  Politically, I think the Free State Project is your best bet...and I say that as a non-FSP participant.

[andyi0420]

Thank you for your reply.  I agree.  It seems to me all these people ran on the tea party ticket in 2010 promising to shrink government and yet they do the exact opposite.  They raised the debt ceiling like 5 times, passed ndaa, cispa, etc...  Pretty pathetic really, well what's more pathetic is the people still supporting them thinking they'll "change" or start doing what they said they were gonna do when they get more elected.  If they'd stop listening to right-wing talk shows like Glenn Beck they'd realize it's just a gimmick to get votes for the Republican party.  He calls himself a libertarian, what a joke.

I really wish I could be part of the FSP.  Sadly though, my job/family keep me from being able to do that.  I live in the middle of the woods in eastern PA, and for the area I make damn good money so it'd be hard for me to replace that.  Plus I have a 5 month old son and it'd be bad for him to not be able to see his grandparents and other family.  I'm hoping that when he gets older I can find some work up there and possibly make the move but it doesn't seem like the logical choice at this time.

[freeAgent]

I'm in the same situation as far as jobs and money go.  I also enjoy large cities, which NH is not known for.

[Diogenes The Cynic]

Thank you for your reply.  I agree.  It seems to me all these people ran on the tea party ticket in 2010 promising to shrink government and yet they do the exact opposite.  They raised the debt ceiling like 5 times, passed ndaa, cispa, etc...  Pretty pathetic really, well what's more pathetic is the people still supporting them thinking they'll "change" or start doing what they said they were gonna do when they get more elected.  If they'd stop listening to right-wing talk shows like Glenn Beck they'd realize it's just a gimmick to get votes for the Republican party.  He calls himself a libertarian, what a joke.

I really wish I could be part of the FSP.  Sadly though, my job/family keep me from being able to do that.  I live in the middle of the woods in eastern PA, and for the area I make damn good money so it'd be hard for me to replace that.  Plus I have a 5 month old son and it'd be bad for him to not be able to see his grandparents and other family.  I'm hoping that when he gets older I can find some work up there and possibly make the move but it doesn't seem like the logical choice at this time.

If you have a good thing going for yourself, don't change things. Just be material, or social support, and that would mean a lot to the people out there.

As to the Tea party, they're a bunch of welfare whores. They just don't realize it.

[mikehz]

It goes like this. "We're for small government."

Me: "Oh, good. Then you won't mind if I relax after work with a little marijuana."

Tea Party: "Well, no. You can't do that."

Me: "Shit. At least you're small government won't mind if I marry my boyfriend."

Tea Party: "No! Never! The government has the power to decide who you should love."

Me: "At the very least, I'm sure you want to decrease government spending, including the military."

Tea Party: "God, no! We want to increase military spending. It's our God-given duty to spread peace through war."

Me: "So, let's see...you're in favor of smaller government except you want to increase government power over personal lives and increase spending on the biggest item in the federal budget."