[ClearCase_guy]

The Tea Party is good for one reason and one reason only. To beat back those who wish to abolish liberty! This is one of just a few things conservatives, libertarians, independents, and a some specious democrats can agree on.

I have a quibble (perhaps more than a quibble). "Tea" stands for Taxed Enough Already. I see the Tea party movement as an effort to control taxes, control spending, and shrink the size of government. The end result would be more Liberty. But the implementation is through reducing government revenue.

My biggest bone of contention with (some) Libertarians is that they seem to make "maximizing my personal Liberty" the first and most important goal. Secondarily, they have (some) interest in shrinking the government's budget.

I think that we need to control government spending as the first task, and then focus on Liberty. I think that's the only way it will work.

[wbarmy]

I agree in Spirit, but have always assumed that “maximizing personal liberty” and “shrinking the government's budget” are mutually connected and result in exactly the same thing. If I have less government spending, I automatically have more personal liberty. If I choose to use that personal liberty to attend the church of my choice, or help the poor, or build houses for the destitute, that is my choice. Most of the philanthropists of bygone eras did not build (libraries, hospitals, etc) for the poor, but as monuments to themselves. But the poor still used them.

[sirchtruth]

I think that we need to control government spending as the first task, and then focus on Liberty. I think that's the only way it will work.

Interesting. I can see your point. When gov't takes and spends such a large amount of my personal earnings, and even to the point of spending future earnings this is definitely restricting everyone's liberty.

Obama has taken advantage of our free and open economy and is trying to systematically destroy it! He has to be stopped!