Tea Party for Kids
Published in Juventud Rebelde
(Cuba) on 28 September 2010
by Juana Carrasco Martín (link to
original)
Ultraconservatism operates quite seriously, and may try to fascistize the United States by converting it into a country only for “white” thinkers. This sector’s progression is notable since the electoral process finally led Barack Obama to the presidency as a Democratic representative under the promise of change…
A simple reading of the events and governmental decisions since then does not show substantial transformation from the Junior Bush Administration’s practices. We see some examples occurring in recent days:
Congressional approval is sought for a law that may virtually guarantee them limitless power to monitor Internet communications, to intercept any message and decipher any encryption under the premise of national security.
The FBI has raided homes, confiscated documents that even include children’s school notebooks, communication devices and files of anti-war activists, solidarity groups and unionists in Minneapolis, Chicago and North Carolina, who now must appear before a grand jury. They are making sure that they look for connections with radical groups in Colombia and the Middle East, particularly those that are described as “terrorist” (The FARC [The Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia], The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine [PFLP] and Hezbollah).
The CIA has dramatically escalated the drone plane bombings against Pakistani border zones as part of the war in Afghanistan; 60 died in the most recent attack. The tactic began in the Bush days, and its victims are fundamentally innocent civilians; 20 operations have been counted in the month of September alone.
Despite that continuation of U.S. policy, neoconservatives remain unhappy with the new president, and in 2009 formed a national body called the tea party. This alludes to the anti-colonialist Boston Tea Party that took place toward the end of the 17th century. It protested against the tax burdens on tea by the British empire. Not only does the modern tea party focus on protesting against taxes, they go much further: Objecting to Obama’s economic agenda because they consider it a threat to the free market, or to health reform that would give major health coverage to the underprivileged. They believe that these things would lead to “socialism” and would eliminate principles and supposed moral values on which the United States established itself.
They are the far right wing in the Republican Party, and that is saying something. They have had results in some primaries, so they are choosing candidates in the congressional elections for next November; they have candidates in Florida, Kentucky and Nevada.
Even politicians have obligated the party to turn more right-winged in order to ensure that they give their votes to the tea party. Sarah Palin, the vice-presidential candidate that faced off with Obama, is among its favorite leaders.
What leads me to this brief and simple account? An attractive children’s coloring and activities book, a propaganda instrument to guarantee the kids’ loyalty to the tea party, “to faith and liberty,” because they assure that the government doesn’t do its job properly.
"Tea Party for Kids" makes it clear that it is not only a question of redefining the November elections, but of tracing the country’s future; perhaps this is a modern version of America or even of the world, with a vision of and for pure Americans.
A simple reading of the events and governmental decisions since then does not show substantial transformation from the Junior Bush Administration’s practices. We see some examples occurring in recent days:
Congressional approval is sought for a law that may virtually guarantee them limitless power to monitor Internet communications, to intercept any message and decipher any encryption under the premise of national security.
The FBI has raided homes, confiscated documents that even include children’s school notebooks, communication devices and files of anti-war activists, solidarity groups and unionists in Minneapolis, Chicago and North Carolina, who now must appear before a grand jury. They are making sure that they look for connections with radical groups in Colombia and the Middle East, particularly those that are described as “terrorist” (The FARC [The Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia], The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine [PFLP] and Hezbollah).
The CIA has dramatically escalated the drone plane bombings against Pakistani border zones as part of the war in Afghanistan; 60 died in the most recent attack. The tactic began in the Bush days, and its victims are fundamentally innocent civilians; 20 operations have been counted in the month of September alone.
Despite that continuation of U.S. policy, neoconservatives remain unhappy with the new president, and in 2009 formed a national body called the tea party. This alludes to the anti-colonialist Boston Tea Party that took place toward the end of the 17th century. It protested against the tax burdens on tea by the British empire. Not only does the modern tea party focus on protesting against taxes, they go much further: Objecting to Obama’s economic agenda because they consider it a threat to the free market, or to health reform that would give major health coverage to the underprivileged. They believe that these things would lead to “socialism” and would eliminate principles and supposed moral values on which the United States established itself.
They are the far right wing in the Republican Party, and that is saying something. They have had results in some primaries, so they are choosing candidates in the congressional elections for next November; they have candidates in Florida, Kentucky and Nevada.
Even politicians have obligated the party to turn more right-winged in order to ensure that they give their votes to the tea party. Sarah Palin, the vice-presidential candidate that faced off with Obama, is among its favorite leaders.
What leads me to this brief and simple account? An attractive children’s coloring and activities book, a propaganda instrument to guarantee the kids’ loyalty to the tea party, “to faith and liberty,” because they assure that the government doesn’t do its job properly.
"Tea Party for Kids" makes it clear that it is not only a question of redefining the November elections, but of tracing the country’s future; perhaps this is a modern version of America or even of the world, with a vision of and for pure Americans.