Sarah Palin Rouses a Revolution in the U.S.

Sarah Palin — the former governor of Alaska and an unsuccessful vice presidential candidate in the last election — addressed the National Tea Party Convention in the city of Nashville, calling for a new American revolution. Tea parties held in various parts of the United States reflect conservative circles’ attempts to avenge their losses in the November 2008 midterm elections. They plan to do so by organizing a mass movement under populist slogans.

The conservatives (mostly Republicans) used the Tea Party slogan even during the 2008 elections. Only now has it become one of their main recipes for restoring lost positions in Congress. For conservatives, tea parties represent their opposition to the federal government’s dominance, to high taxes and even to helping Wall Street at the expense of taxpayers. In other words, they are fighting against big government that suppresses Americans’ individual freedom and thus interferes with their lives.

The term “tea party” refers to a historical episode that is well known by every American. It happened on the eve of the American Revolution. On 16 December 1773, American colonists snuck onto three ships in Boston Harbor and threw the ships’ tea cargo overboard. They did so to protest British Parliament’s decision to the increase duties and taxes.

Today, there are Tea Party advocates in every state. Generally, they belong to the middle class and are united in their opposition to big government. Not all of their views coincide. Sometimes, there are rivalries and internal squabbles. They are united, however, in their role in a mass conservative movement — the silent majority, which is no longer silent.

Last year, the largest tea parties were held on 15 April (Tax Day), 4 July (Independence Day) and 11 September (the anniversary of the terrorist attacks). Overall, Tea Party groups are small but now their network covers almost the entire country. In 2009, anti-tax rallies were held in 346 cities. They are very active in obstructing speeches by politicians whom they consider to be liberals and supporters of the current president. They accuse those politicians of forgetting the traditional American values of family, religion and business.

Apparently, Democratic politicians also actively use mass rallies of their supporters as a method of political combat. Now their supporters often give in to obstructionist groups. Then, their message gets dispersed throughout the country via the media and the Internet.

The Tea Party movement has become a natural ally in the Republican Party’s struggle to re-establish its position in Congress. Republicans are increasingly turning to Tea Party participants for support and they get it. Republican Scott Brown winning the Massachusetts Senate spot previously held by Edward Kennedy is a direct result of this partnership.

Sarah Palin, who does not hide her ambition to be a candidate in the 2012 election, — this time, as a candidate for the U.S. presidency — is among the politicians who directly rely on Tea Party members’ support. In her speech at the Nashville convention, she strongly urged its members to be courageous and lead another revolution.

For her fiery speech, Palin received a decent fee — $100,000. She was not embarrassed by the media’s sharp criticism. Palin simply promised that the money would eventually be used for political purposes.