Stirrings of a third political party? It would be hard to imagine it being worse than the two we have now.
This was not the first time Occupy Wall Street and Tea Party members have met. But it was among the first such meetings to be held with a stated objective of determining whether the two groups might cooperate on certain common issues. Robinson said that he hoped to spark an evolution for both organizations, which thus far have largely confined their public interactions to attacks on one another’s ideologies or grooming habits.
“We need to kiss and make up a little bit,” said Robinson, a Richmond entrepreneur and developer with a baby-smooth pate and a self-described ADHD-truncated attention span. “It might be a small step, but I’m hoping we can make a little bit of history here tonight. When I listen to either side, it becomes very clear … I feel that we have a lot of similarities.”
[…]Similarities far outweighed differences.
yeehaw, about time…let’s kick some ass grandpa
I betcha the corporate sponsors of the Tea Party and the soon-to-be corporate sponsored Occupy Wallstreet will keep that from happening.
Well what we really have now is:
25% of population are right wing conservatives and mostly Republicans and represented by the current Republicans in
Congress.
20% of the population are left wing liberals and mostly Democrats and represented by the current Democrats in Congress.
55% of the population moderate right to moderate left, a mix of independents, Republicans, & Democrats and basically not represented by anyone in Congress.
Anyone really have to ask why a third party looks so good to so many?
I love the idea of a a third party.
I’d become a citizen if it happens.
Damned hippies!
Sorry, but this is just like trying to glue together parts of duck and the beaver expecting it to live just because both duck and beaver like water…
Fundamental drive of TeaParty is in strict Constitutionalism, strict application of existing law and limited Government. Trying to graft that with people who as main goal have fundamental change of the social system, who want all powerful Government to redistribute and control everything and want to achieve it by intentional disobedience to the current law… is nuts.
Fact that both sides hate crony capitalism is irrelevant: one wants to save Capitalism from the clutches of Government one wants to kill Capitalism BY the clutches of the Government…
So you’re suggesting a platypus party… I like it!
Fact that both sides hate crony capitalism is irrelevant: one wants to save Capitalism from the clutches of Government one wants to kill Capitalism BY the clutches of the Government
You used some really big words. Not everybody is going to understand them.
Try this:
One wants everybody to earn their fair share through work.
The other wants everybody to get their fair share through handouts.
The only thing they have in common is they want everybody to have more of everything. It’ll be interesting to see how they get along when the pie is actually delivered to them.
Remind me never to ask you two guys for the aims and goals of social groups. You both missed on both.
By a mile.
But they were right on target with using disinformation to promote their own ideological agenda.
Then tell, sir, what are their goals?
Between the extremes of ill considered group authored list of demands, and charges of being a directionless, leaderless, hippy mob, I’d say their most important goal is to shed light (via protest) on the corrupting influence of money in politics, the damage the widening income gap is to our society and economy, the injustice of private profits while publicly subsidizing losses, and the importance of financial regulation to keep it from all happening again.
These problems have plagued us for decades. Their finest achievement is that we are actually talking about them. Whether we *do* anything about these issues remains to be seen.
But I hope they keep protesting until we do.
Thanks TCC3, you and Taibbi have nailed it. The echo chamber is hoping for something they can oppose, but they’re missing the point.
i was wondering how long it would take for the occupy wall street group would be taken over by wall street. wall street has been made very uncomfortable being in the spot light by the protests against them, only way to make it go away is destroy it from the inside… you embrace and extend, now where have i heard that before?
SAVING and KILLING CAPITALISM: dog whistles to the unthinking mob uttered by the tools of the Super Rich.
What is needed is appropriate taxing and spending policies reflected in appropriate re regulation of the Banking/Wallstreet gambling/skimming operations so that a more fair society is aimed at in the future.
Balanced budget with pay off of national debt to be established over the next ten years. Spending cuts and taxing increases/fairness required to reach it. Universal Healthcare and guaranteed SS benefits to be set as able.
its not that hard if the group finally realizes where the interest of 99% of its members are==and that includes 50% of the top 5% wealth owners of the USA.
Sound Social Policy–does not start and end with: “I’ve got mine–screw you.”
Planning to occupy the tea pot eh. You know, nausea is a quite common side affect of drinking too much tea on an empty stomach.
I personally don’t see this as a good thing. The Tea Party doesn’t have anyone sensible left. A number of Independents have left that movement which represented the portion of the party I could get behind (equal rights for homosexuals, separation of church and state, end of the Fed). Currently the Tea Party represents the antithesis of Occupy Wall Street.
At the same time, OWS is much like Anonymous in that it’s a leaderless and ambiguous organization. A multi-headed hydra of sorts. But at the same time I feel this is fragile. It only takes media to focus on one segment of the movement to undermine it. If some violent anarchists (as opposed to peaceful anarchists – they exist) decide to call themselves ‘OWS’ or ‘the 99%’ and CNN and Fox News interview them and focus on them, that could be harmful to the legitimacy of the movement. Even if the anarchists represent a handful of people out of millions.
More than a leader, the OWS movement needs to unify their message. Merging the Tea Party will only worsen that. That and the fact that you are inviting people who only intersect with oWS on a few issues, issues which it largely ignores after they got bought (Wall Street reform primarily).
However, if we can pick up some of the Independents who left the Tea Party because of the crazies and can have them back us on the issues that are most important, then I think we have a chance.
If some violent anarchists (as opposed to peaceful anarchists – they exist) decide to call themselves ‘OWS’ or ‘the 99%’ and CNN and Fox News interview them and focus on them, that could be harmful to the legitimacy of the movement.
The media will never shine the light on OWS as harshly as they do on the TP. It will always be anywhere from “that poor man got pepper spray in his eyes” to truly unbiased reporting.
You’ll never hear, “That man called that other man the N-Word! OWS is full of racists!”
You mean how the media pretended the protests weren’t happening for 3 weeks? Or do you mean that even a positive statement about OWS must be followed by a doubt casting “But who knows what this directionless, leaderless hippy mob wants?”
And maybe there would be less coverage of police brutality if the police weren’t so fucking brutal.
“You’ll never hear, “That man called that other man the N-Word! OWS is full of racists!”
Bullshit. The press had been in overdrive in this very way:
A man overdosed – they’re all drug addicts!
There’s a homeless man – they’re all vagrants!
There’s a man with an extremist sign – they’re all anarchists!
There’s a tie dyed guy playing hackysack – they’re all dirty hippies!
They are hardly getting a pass, even from the “liberal” media.
Tea party seems to be more constitutionalists, OWS seems to be more Anarchists than anything.
People who have ill considered, shallow, stereotypical views of OWS seem to be corporate media shills more than anything.
The Tea Party tend to lean mostly towards Wilsonian Interventionism. The views are decidedly “Soviet”, with a huge interest in keeping the war machine alive at any cost, a sense of paranoia about the world out to get you, and criticism of anybody who even suggests reducing the military budget.
You couldn’t be farther from the truth.
True, there are those who call themselves TPs that feel that way, but the overall goal is strict constitutionalism.
And the Constitution says Congress declares war, not the President. Declare, not initiate.
However, the GOP does feel the way you described it. And the Democrats if recent history serves as guide.
Indeed, the Tea Baggers are strict constructionists. They want to adhere to the Constitution as it existed in 1860. Complete with the 3/5th rule, but with the exception of “keeping government out of my Medicare!” and the unrestricted immigration of the day.
The OWS folks want a fair shake, but they are like the Confederacy in that their distrust of centralization precludes their ability to make use of the power of their numbers. Without spokespeople, they are mostly just a confusing nuisance.
You may not like one side or the other, but both are healthy responses to corporate politics and the political entrepenurism which is plaguing the US.
The Tea Party got co-opted by the very things that it hates, without realising it – it was easy once local chapters were created. Once OWS starts paying rent somewhere then the same thing will happen.
Both US political parties are nostalgic for past glories. Ironically, so are both of these “grass roots” movements. When someone starts something that is actually new and forward looking I’ll be interested.
A third party can not happen in 2012, 2016 maybe but it takes a good ground game to do it and there is not enough time left in this cycle.
For those of you with the ignorant “get a job” attitude, read this.
http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/blogs/taibblog/owss-beef-wall-street-isnt-winning-its-cheating-20111025
Perhaps my favourite on the topic … I suppose it’s similar for the Tea Party too.
Also, while the article blames a cheating Wall Street, the point is well made that bought politicians have created the environment that makes their cheating possible.
And who is doing the purchasing of the politicians….the rich.
All this proves is that the majority of citizens are finally coming to the realisation that they are not being represented.
But again they miss the most imporant aspect of a revolution. They are demanding change within the system.
Revolution means an END to a system that no longer works. And the start of a new one that will.
They have one part of the key, but not the whole thing yet. These are not matters that can be voted out of. These are matters that require a complete and total change.
Until we start holding meetings to create and then ratify a new constitution nothing will change.
Cursor_
The problem with the OWS’ers is the occupiers! Just looking at these dirty hippies and it’s no wonder that they are starting to loose whatever foothold they ever had. Unless you’re a dope smoking reject of the 60’s / 70’s you probably don’t want to get involved even if the agenda was to promote world peace!
But then looking at their (OWS) Communist agenda (where I might even say “liberal”) and it’s pretty clear that these dummies are not representative of the main stream public. About the only thing most people would agree with is that they want the Wall Street criminals to go to jail and/or pay back what they stole – such as their bail outs, outrageous salaries and golden parachute deals.
Now, as far as the TEA party goes, their agenda sure sounded good before all the “professionals” got involved. Less government intervention and lower taxes is always a good platform. But they too have pretty much been over run by more fringe elements trying to modify the message. (Then again, maybe that’s the result of plots from certain government /special interest groups? You be the judge.)
So if you want my opinion on how to increase appeal it’s simple: cut that dirty hair (especially the facial hair or at least trim it) and maybe wear some regular clothes. People are very judgmental on looks! We want to think we’re not but we ARE! Once we find it appealing to open our eyes (and nose) will we open our ears.
So the Tea Party folks have to clean up after the Occupy folks?
This would help out the storeowners and residents whose doorsteps get messed up.
/T., read your linked article. Good points. Next time leave the “www” off the link…
http://rollingstone.com/politics/blogs/taibblog/owss-beef-wall-street-isnt-winning-its-cheating-20111025
“…These inequities are what drive the OWS protests. People don’t want handouts. It’s not a class uprising and they don’t want civil war — they want just the opposite. They want everyone to live in the same country, and live by the same rules. It’s amazing that some people think that that’s asking a lot.
I love the caption under the photo, but I learned as a cancer survivor that as long as you are breathing you should not say it can’t get worse.
My opinion is that America has become a fascist state and the Constitution has been permanently buried. We need a new government from the ground up not just a new party of the same old lying crooks.
In theory they should be able to cooperate. Not sure about in practice. The Occupiers seem to want to grow the nanny state and blame everything on private enterprise while the Tea Party blames sold out politicians and want to shrink government at least in part because it is wasteful, inefficient, and busy selling everyone out.
Bless you for trying to explain the terminlogy to the noobs!