The Tea Party Should Hold a Teach-In at Zucotti Park
It's possible that I'm misreading the social dynamics of the Occupy Wall Street protests from here, and more than possible--given, I'd assume--that the media coverage of these events is distorted in some massive way. But from Istanbul, I'm seeing what appears to be a strategic folly. It would seem the Tea Party's immediate response to these protests has been to denounce them or mock them. (It was mine, certainly, but that's my response to pretty much everything.)
On reflection, though, it's a blunder. No doubt there are many protesters who are, as reported, evil-smelling, incoherent, self-indulgent, and obnoxious. But are they all? And does it matter? They have no specific agenda, from what I understand, but many have been reported to be complaining of the very things Tea Party luminaries deplore: crony capitalism and government bailouts. So why is it that when Sarah Palin describes General Electric as "the poster child of of corporate welfare and crony capitalism,” the Tea Party loves it, but when a flaky organic carpenter in a cruddy tarp says the same thing, it's ideological heresy?
America can have a culture war if it wants, but how foolish to divide the country by brand when the deeper complaints are shared. An adroit Tea Party would be trying to recruit from this pool, not alienate it. Go over there and say, "We're with you, and here's how we think we got here, and here's what we think we need to do to fix it." I'll bet some of them would listen. You can't know if you don't try.
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May '10
Re: The Tea Party Should Hold a Teach-In at Zucotti Park
I have a Tea Party Patriots t-Shirt. If I'm feeling masochistic, maybe I'll ride over the Brooklyn Bridge to Lower Manhattan and see what happens...
Jun '11
Re: The Tea Party Should Hold a Teach-In at Zucotti Park
Claire, I agree with you. A liberty-loving conservative can sympathize with enough of their points to hope for a conversation. Unfortunately, Rob Long highlights why this will never work a few posts down. Many of these folks are professional protesters of one sort or another.
IMO, one of the reasons the Left paints the Tea Party as Astroturf is simple projection. So many of their "grassroots" efforts are manufactured that they assume everyone else's are fake as well.
Jul '10
Re: The Tea Party Should Hold a Teach-In at Zucotti Park
Claire Berlinski, Ed.:
America can have a culture war if it wants, but how foolish to divide the country by brand when the deeper complaints are shared.
You're right, the complaints are shared to a degree.
However, I think:
1. You overestimate the value of diplomacy.
2. You wouldn't dig any significant political synthesis here.
This is Ron Paul/ Murray Rothbard land.
There is no useful opportunity to recruit any of these pups unless, and until, they grow up.
Generally, they don't want to fix stuff. They want to complain about it. I don't say this lightly; I know these folks. They aren't upset about bailouts per se, they are upset that they haven't been bailed out often enough.
Insofar as there might be a semi-conservative political consensus... I'd bet my bottom buck that it would be isolationist in nature.
Jul '10
Re: The Tea Party Should Hold a Teach-In at Zucotti Park
double post
Edited on Oct 10, 2011 at 7:56pmRe: The Tea Party Should Hold a Teach-In at Zucotti Park
Send me in for an afternoon and I bet you I could come back with one.
Jul '10
Re: The Tea Party Should Hold a Teach-In at Zucotti Park
No doubt, but even Paul wouldn't expect that level of duty.
(winky-face punctuation here)
Oct '10
Re: The Tea Party Should Hold a Teach-In at Zucotti Park
Claire Berlinski, Ed.:
America can have a culture war if it wants, but how foolish to divide the country by brand when the deeper complaints are shared. An adroit Tea Party would be trying to recruit from this pool, not alienate it. Go over there and say, "We're with you, and here's how we think we got here, and here's what we think we need to do to fix it." I'll bet some of them would listen. You can't know if you don't try. ·
The danger of going into their territory is of course the tea party guy could get beaten up, but if Althouse and Meade can do it with the Wisconsin protests, why not the tea partiers at #OWS? (although the althouses were there to record events for ann's blog, not convert the anti-walker protestors.)
Edited on Oct 10, 2011 at 8:22pmRe: The Tea Party Should Hold a Teach-In at Zucotti Park
Here's one small way to bridge the divide -- send books to the folks camped out:
The UPS Store
Re: Occupy Wall Street
Attn: The People’s Library
118A Fulton St. #205
New York, NY 10038
I sent a couple of religious books that I thought might be of interest but I bet some good books on economics and politics would be welcome, too.
Oct '10
Re: The Tea Party Should Hold a Teach-In at Zucotti Park
What if Sarah Palin shows up at the park?
Edited on Oct 10, 2011 at 8:33pmJul '10
Re: The Tea Party Should Hold a Teach-In at Zucotti Park
Smarmy nonsense aside Claire, you're right that these kids can be reached on a retail level.
But a broad-based campaign? I don't think so.
Oct '10
Re: The Tea Party Should Hold a Teach-In at Zucotti Park
AndrewBreitbart Operation #OccupyWallStreeters - SEIU’s Stephen Lerner Leaks Plan to Terrorize Corporate Executives: bit.ly/pBJ8ca
"Radical labor organizer Stephen Lerner of SEIU intends to terrorize the families of bank executives in their homes as part of the Occupy Wall Street protests. Stephen Lerner SEIU, a longtime ally of ACORN, has done it before, as ably documented by Big Government’s Liberty Chick. The home invasions are scheduled to begin Tuesday."
Sep '10
Re: The Tea Party Should Hold a Teach-In at Zucotti Park
If these so-called occupiers were spreading their dank, semen-stained blankets around the Capitol or the White House as well as Wall Street I'd be the first one extending my hand and saying, hey, lemme buy you a beer and let's talk about this. But all it is is faux transgressive theater. I hope these people keep talking and squatting and urinating on police cars because the more they get in the way of everyday life—something the Tea Party protests never did—the more they reveal themselves to be the self-absorbed, philosophically inane, why-should-I-have-to-move-to-get-a-job, sophomoric little leftists that they are.
Edited on Oct 10, 2011 at 8:47pmMay '10
Re: The Tea Party Should Hold a Teach-In at Zucotti Park
Anyone else feel like putting up a loudspeaking system that would start blaring the latest audiobook recording by Ann Coulter... at about 3am?
Sep '10
Re: The Tea Party Should Hold a Teach-In at Zucotti Park
You could come back with many, no doubt. But as soon as you waved goodbye ...
Jul '11
Re: The Tea Party Should Hold a Teach-In at Zucotti Park
These puerile kits are [upset] at everything, and "for" what won't fix what we can actually agree on. Yes, some of what they're "against" is similar to what I believe. I'm opposed to Crony Capitalism, and they're opposed to Capitalism. We share a word of opposition, but that's too thin a thread to join us. As they say, a broken clock is right twice a day, but that's as far as I'm willing to credit them. These semi-anarchists say they want to fight. I say, let's fight. Meet you at the barricades.
Frankly, I'm tired of talking about this.
Edited on Oct 10, 2011 at 9:15pmJul '11
Re: The Tea Party Should Hold a Teach-In at Zucotti Park
Sorry...double post.
Edited on Oct 10, 2011 at 9:11pmOct '10
Re: The Tea Party Should Hold a Teach-In at Zucotti Park
I agree with Claire (and Rob Long); we need to be careful we don't paint ourselves into a corner by seemingly defending Wall Street. Still, It is a pretty silly gathering by all accounts.
Jul '10
Re: The Tea Party Should Hold a Teach-In at Zucotti Park
These puerile kids are drawing $10 an hour from the likes of the AFL-CIO and SEIU for this putrid performance. Arguing with astroturf is a waste of time unless you bring a few bucks to make them do tricks for you, like canonizing [expletive] Cheney in meeting.
Andrew Breitbart has thousands of hours of hilarious video on this variety of protest, with and without rollerblades.
Sep '10
Re: The Tea Party Should Hold a Teach-In at Zucotti Park
I think OWS is an indication and a result of the angst you wrote about yesterday. Given the prevailing culture of OWS I would imagine they will turn violent fairly soon. The culture of the Tea party is more mature, sober and disciplined and thus there angst is being channeled into the political process. People were wondering when the Greek demos would come to the US. There here! The bad news is this is just the beginning
Feb '11
Re: The Tea Party Should Hold a Teach-In at Zucotti Park
Claine is right we should view with caution and not be dismissive. There is an organized force behind it all and it's Alinsky all the way. Jim Geraghty makes the point this morning that there are signs the protests are changing the debate: It's the private sector that's responsible for all the problems, not out-of-control government spending and choking regulations.