Thomas Friedman. Wrong on The Tea Party.

There was an article written on September 28th, 2010 by a gentleman named THOMAS L. FRIEDMAN Friedman it seems is a delusional fellow, who like so many leftist windbags can't see the forest for the trees. He is convinced that somehow there are two Tea Party movements in this country. One that he misrepresents and passes off as irrelevant; and another that is actually the same Tea Party movement he just blew off. Well, almost. I am going to respond paragraph, by paragraph to Mr. Friedcake's delusional rant and see if I can't set the record straight once and for all. I am speaking directly to the Obama zombies now, so pay attention you mindless goat herders. Mr Friedman's words are in italics and indented, my comments will be in a dark blue.

 There are actually two Tea Party movements in America today: one you’ve read about that is not that important and one you’ve not read about that could become really important if the right politician understood how to tap into it.
 The Tea Party that has gotten all the attention, the amorphous, self-generated protest against the growth in government and the deficit, is what I’d actually call the “Tea Kettle movement” — because all it’s doing is letting off steam.

 While your sentiment may have held some weight in the very beginning, it appears you haven't been paying any attention to what is going on in this country. The Tea Party movement that I know, is no longer focusing just on the here and now, and the November elections. It is looking beyond, even 2012 and the defeat of the (not)chosen one. The Tea Party I know is concerned with real, tangible, long term change. A shift away from the politics that we are used to, and into a whole new realm of progress. Here in the Empire State, I have witnessed the rise of at least two new political parties that could reshape New York politics all together. 

The first is of course the Taxpayers Party. The line founded by gubernatorial candidate Carl Paladino. The fire that burns here has not been this hot since 1776. The people have spoken, and they have chosen representatives that are not entrenched in Albany politics. They have chosen their neighbors, those among them who best represent them and their ideals. These men and women are true Americans, they are representing their own as was the way of things before politics became a deluded fashion show with a dash of greased palms, topped off with adulterous liaisons. These candidates are a battering ram of sorts, they are here to push through  the nonsense, and push out the stale, inbred mutants that plague this sinking ship of a state.

 There is also the Freedom party. A party that appears to represent the Black and Hispanic population of New York. They rocketed on to the scene recently by turning in over 43,000 signatures to get themselves on the ballot in November. This must be a real shot in the arm to the Democrats, who for years have counted on garnering the minority vote. This year it appears that Andrew Cuomo will need to do some extraordinary pandering to try and sway these voters back from a party that reeks of diversity and ethnic harmony.

That is not to say that the energy behind it is not authentic (it clearly is) or that it won’t be electorally impactful (it clearly might be). But affecting elections and affecting America’s future are two different things. Based on all I’ve heard from this movement, it feels to me like it’s all steam and no engine. It has no plan to restore America to greatness.

 Again, you have not been paying attention. Tea party groups are focusing on education, voter awareness, constitutional studies, they are preparing the people to become the next wave of voters. The kind who are interested, tuned in, and well informed. These new improved voters look beyond terms like Democrat and Republican, they want real leaders. All the Tea Party groups I have been involved with have a defined goal of meeting with, and vetting the candidates themselves, allowing their members to see  the kind of person these people are. So when the time comes to vote, they will be electing a real representative of the  people, not a name, or a party.

No longer are the people content to put a check next to the (R) or the (D), or even the (I) at the ballot box. They want to test their candidates, put them through a trial by fire before they give them their approval. Their needs have changed, and their elected officials will reflect that change. This is an ongoing process, one that will hopefully last generations and lead to a restoration of the America that our forefathers created.

The Tea Kettle movement can’t have a positive impact on the country because it has both misdiagnosed America’s main problem and hasn’t even offered a credible solution for the problem it has identified. How can you take a movement seriously that says it wants to cut government spending by billions of dollars but won’t identify the specific defense programs, Social Security, Medicare or other services it’s ready to cut — let alone explain how this will make us more competitive and grow the economy? 

I can think of a few programs Americans might be ready to cut. Obamacare, rampant welfare programs, unnecessary departments that don't seem to have a use. Take for example The U.S. Botanic Garden(Plants, really?), how about HUD? The Department of Labor. I've used it, has never helped me a bit. The Broadcasting Board of Governors. Ooh, I have a good one. The African Development Foundation. So far this seems like a complete failure, Africa does not seem to be improving much with our help.
The FCC, a nonsensical arm of the government who seems to think the people need outside help to figure out if the program they are watching is offensive or not. Aren't remote controls awesome!?! With them you turn off programs you don't like. Tada! Millions in wasteful spending cut in a flash. The National Railroad Passenger Corporation. Congress gave us AMTRAK, and now AMTRAK is bleeding money like a stuck pig. Time to kill this useless turd. I'm not even a politician and I think I just saved us Billions of dollars. 

 And how can you take seriously a movement that sat largely silent while the Bush administration launched two wars and a new entitlement, Medicare prescription drugs — while cutting taxes — but is now, suddenly, mad as hell about the deficit and won’t take it anymore from President Obama? Say what? Where were you folks for eight years?

I was enjoying the prosperity. How about you? Under George Bush, I had steady employment, fat tax returns and an economy that somehow managed to bounce back from the most devastating terrorist attack in history. It's amazing we did it without trillions in bailout money. Imagine that? Even after 9/11 by 2005 job growth didn't fall, it didn't go up, but it also didn't fall. From 2005 until 2008 it rose by 1.1 percent. Not stellar. But so far jobs have fallen 3.1 percent under Barack Obama.
So even with 9/11 and two wars being fought simultaneously,  compiled with tax cuts we still managed to have job growth and and unemployment rate below 6 percent. The federal deficit has risen nearly 3.5 trillion dollars in less than two years(compare to 4.2 trillion over an 8 year period under Bush.) Unemployment is 9 percent, the housing market has completely tanked, and so far there has been nothing stimulating about the 'Stimulus' at all. Unless you count the 800,000 dollars of it that went to Africa to teach guys how to wash their genitals.

 The issues that upset the Tea Kettle movement — debt and bloated government — are actually symptoms of our real problem, not causes. They are symptoms of a country in a state of incremental decline and losing its competitive edge, because our politics has become just another form of sports entertainment, our Congress a forum for legalized bribery and our main lawmaking institutions divided by toxic partisanship to the point of paralysis. 

How astute of you. I believe I have heard that exact argument before. Oh where was it? Oh yeah! At a TEA PARTY MEETING. You assume Tea Party folks are as ignorant as the media makes them out to be. You, of course, would be wrong.

The important Tea Party movement, which stretches from centrist Republicans to independents right through to centrist Democrats, understands this at a gut level and is looking for a leader with three characteristics. First, a patriot: a leader who is more interested in fighting for his country than his party. Second, a leader who persuades Americans that he or she actually has a plan not just to cut taxes or pump stimulus, but to do something much larger — to make America successful, thriving and respected again. And third, someone with the ability to lead in the face of uncertainty and not simply whine about how tough things are — a leader who believes his job is not to read the polls but to change the polls. 

Centrist politics genrally make for bad policies. John McCain is great at making crappy legislation with a centrist slant. He's not very popular these days. And this leader you speak of is in the making. After November we have two years to find that leader, and I think with the perseverance of the Tea Party movement we will accomplish just that.

 Democratic Pollster Stan Greenberg told me that when he does focus groups today this is what he hears: “People think the country is in trouble and that countries like China have a strategy for success and we don’t. They will follow someone who convinces them that they have a plan to make America great again. That is what they want to hear. It cuts across Republicans and Democrats.” 

 Who is this clown talking to they that are convinced China has a strategy for success? Sure China is poised to make trillions in the world market, but they will still be Communist, overpopulated, with a general populace that is living in squalor, not to mention the worst purveyors of human rights violations next to Iran. That's  my idea of success.

To me, that is a plan that starts by asking: what is America’s core competency and strategic advantage, and how do we nurture it? Answer: It is our ability to attract, develop and unleash creative talent. That means men and women who invent, build and sell more goods and services that make people’s lives more productive, healthy, comfortable, secure and entertained than any other country. Leadership today is about how the U.S. government attracts and educates more of that talent and then enacts the laws, regulations and budgets that empower that talent to take its products and services to scale, sell them around the world — and create good jobs here in the process. Without that, we can’t afford the health care or defense we need.

Sounds good. Now if you could, please tell the Democrats that oppressive regulations fueled by a false 'green' initiative; and outrageous corporate taxation,  are stifling a boat load of creative talent, and driving it, along with trillions of dollars of capital to other countries.  P.S. we can't afford the kind of health care we are being offered, regardless of how many talented people we put to work. Oh wait!, if we boost our economy with the rocket fuel known as capitalism and the free market, millions more people will be able to afford health insurance, and we won't need Obamacare(less).

This is the plan the real Tea Party wants from its president. To implement it would require us to actually raise some taxes — on, say, gasoline — and cut others — like payroll taxes and corporate taxes. It would require us to overhaul our immigration laws so we can better control our borders, let in more knowledge workers and retain those skilled foreigners going to college here. And it would require us to reduce some services — like Social Security — while expanding others, like education and research for a 21st-century economy.
In other words, it will require a very smart, subtle and focused plan to use our now diminishing resources in the most efficient way possible to get back to our core competency. That is the only long-term solution to our problem — to grow our way out of debt with American workers who are more empowered and educated to compete. 

 Actually we need to drill domestically , which will lower the cost of gas, and give us more money in our coffers, abolish payroll taxes all together, reduce corporate taxes to a level that will promote domestic growth and spending, or we could abolish all of this nonsense, kill the IRS and move to a Fair Tax system. Fixing our immigration laws having nothing to do with letting in skilled workers or letting foreigners going to college stay here. It is about stopping people from coming to this country illegally. It is about securing our border, and getting the tens of millions of illegals off of our health care system, off of our welfare rolls, and to free up that money we are wasting on criminals so we can spend it on paying down the deficit, or creating jobs for legal Americans. 

Social security should be partially privatized, to allow people to save for their own retirement like we used to do for centuries before there was such a thing as Social Security. I agree with you on education and the 21st century economy. If most of what I have been saying is implemented we won't have a problem with diminishing resources, and we will be growing our self out of debt with ease.

Any Tea Party that says the simple answer is just shrinking government and slashing taxes might be able to tip the midterm elections in its direction. But it can’t tip America in the right direction. There is a Tea Party for that, but it’s still waiting for a leader. 

 You might be right, but if we could accomplish those two things, we would be exponentially better off than we are now.