The Tea Tantrum Movement

I spent the better part of an hour earlier today scanning the various sites and blogs to try and understand what specifically the Fox-Pajamas tea parties are about. Having absorbed about as much of the literature as I can, I have to say I'm still befuddled.

Option 1: It's a protest of the bank bailouts orchestrated by Bush and now Obama. But surely these tea-partiers understand what would happen if we didn't bail the banks out. Are they advocating letting major banks fail? Or are they advocating a Krugman-style government take-over? No idea.

Option 3: It's a protest against illegal immigration. Ok, so why the tea? Weren't all the original tea-partiers illegal immigrants?

Option 4: It's a protest against government debt. Yay! I will leave aside the somewhat awkward fact that Fox News and Pajamas Media barely covered the massive debt racked up by the Republicans during a period of economic growth.

What it looks like to me is some kind of amorphous, generalized rage on the part of those who were used to running the country and now don't feel part of the culture at all. But the only word for that is: tantrum.

These are not tea-parties. They are tea-tantrums. And the adolescent, unserious hysteria is a function not of a movement regrouping and refinding itself. It's a function of a movement's intellectual collapse and a party's fast-accelerating nervous breakdown.

Follow up on my earlier post.

If you care to, you can order my dissertation from the Ann Arbor facility associated with the University of Michigan. It used to cost about $30. There may be an abstract of it on line. I will email you the info if you like. I only have about a one-page list of publications because I got out of the academic "publish or perish" routine (unlike my wife who has well over 200 pubs, mostly peer reviewed).

My taste in music? What can I say? Basically, I don't like ugly music! I like baroque and classical. I am very fond of German Lieder and only sort of agree with Mencken who said, “There are two types of music; German music and bad music." He also said something to the effect that Puccini reminded him of silver macaroni, exquisitely intertwined. Personally, I think Puccini's music is very pretty. That may not be a compliment in this day and age.
I don't turn Vivaldi or Corelli off if they come on the radio. Copland, Gershwin and that ilk usually last about 10 seconds. Russians like Tschovsky and Borodin are okay; Stravinsky and the other Stalin suck-ups I can take or leave.
According to Mark Steyn, I'm a real low-brow, because (like Hitler) I would rather listen to Lehár than Wagner (altho Meistersinger is kind of fun). I also like Kálmán and some of the other Austrian light-opera composers (like Strauss). I don't particularly like Richard Strauss, although I have a video of Rosenkavalier with Schwarzkopf, Jurinac and Rothenberger that I watch fairly frequently, probably because Anneliese was such a cute young thing and Schwarzkopf was a noble beauty with a great voice even though no longer young.
Years ago I took a car ride from Wheeling, WV to Fort Brag, NC (going back to camp) with Patsy Cline and her husband. She sat on the back seat and sang unaccompanied in what I thought was a pretty, untrained voice with a rather endearing countryfied accent. Her husband had told me she was a professional singer.
Almost all modern crooning and pop/rock/rap music I can’t stand. If you’re into queer rock-music singers (I’m trying to avoid any double entendre here), have fun. But don’t disparage my education or musical taste because I don’t share you enthusiasm.

Game, Set, Match!! LOL!!

I actually agree - I can not compare to Hiddigeigei's life achievements.

And look at that...I finally passed on arguing with someone instead of writing a page and a half of ultimately useless warfare. That's anger management and learning how to better focus my energies.

Unlike most here I've been caught in the current unemployment wave and only look in here every few days or so when I can. No retirement checks, trust funds, cheesy lawsuit awards, returns from wise investments, indulgences in criminality or dependence on family. Just me, so I've got to stay focused rather than be crushed by the the awesomeness of some old fellow's resume'. And that was awesome.

No offense, Hiddigeigei, I normally would be crushed but I've got leads to chase. Interesting choice of screen name /icon. From Wikipedia:

"the tom cat Hiddigeigei is Scheffel's mouthpiece and transmits the poet's opinions and skepticism. He wants to be a poet and be better than others. From the height of his tower he watches the "bustle of the fractions". His faith in the goodness of mankind is shattered; disappointed love teaches him to despise the world. The poor cat is scared of getting old, and describes the decline of mankind and poetry."

I accept entropy in the world and our personal conditions, while gaining ever more awareness, as a cruel jest that we must come to terms with on the most personal basis. I truly hope that you haven't adopted the cat's philosophy to heart.

This backward Tennessean apologizes to all for diverting this thread from it's original subject - liberal belittling of the Tea Party Movement. Internecine squabbling does nothing to solidify conservatism.

Don't fret or worry.....while I had a small family trust from my father divided amongst three...it certainly wasn't enough to live on...but a possible boost to move to reach higher.

One sibling did reach higher, two did not.

I intend to leave an inheritance. Do you not also wish that you can/will do the same?

No lawsuit awards here....nor criminality or family dependence. I have had investment success though....but have lost money with the best also.

Why would you think that "most here" are not like you? And why would you allude to these "most" having some sort of advantage over you?

While I wouldn't dwell on "some old fellows" as you say...resume. It was/is rather substantial, wouldn't you say?

I would think you owed him an apology.

Maybe that would help you along in your awareness of others...and your anger management?

BTW...I am not attempting to be sarcastic...or anything like that. Although...I certainly CAN be. Ha!!

I'm just trying to be real.......

FWIW-

Came from Wikipedia as I stated. To go on about a poem/song lyrics/etc. demands it be posted:

"Song of Hiddigeigei"

"At the end of his days
Stands the cat Hiddigeigei.
And he thinks, with faint lamenting,
How soon his existence shall be over.
He would gladly, out of his treasure
Of rich wisdom, supply teachings
That would lend the future of many a cat
An anchor in this unstable life.
Meow! Meow! Meow!

Oh, the path of life is rough.
Many stones lie there,
On which we old ones, wretchedly tripping,
Have often sprained our legs.
Oh, life contains much strife
And often wounds [us] unnecessarily.
Many a courageous black cat
Has needlessly found his death.
Meow! Meow! Meow!

But of what use is the age-old sorrow?
And I hear the young ones laughing.
And they act even more stupidly.
Only misfortune will make them wise.
History is always fruitless.
Let them manage as best they can!
Hiddigeigei's instructive songs
Shall remain unsung.
Meow! Meow! Meow!"

That's an English translation from the original Deutche.

I saw the cat as arrogant, a bit self-pitying and entirely wrong about history being fruitless. I liked the poem; though wouldn't tie an identity to a character so morose and down on upcoming generations. You read my page - I admire a guy who saw chaos raining down around his ears and still found humor in what most saw as disaster. That optimism and spirit beats the hell out of Milne's Eeyore constantly crying "Oh Poo...what's the use?"

If your current mission in life is to grind out the remaining hopes of the still-striving please move on to another individual. You have no ideas of the horrors I haven't put on my page. Getting to average and surviving has been an achievement without burdening the taxpayers since leaving the orphanage. Miau! Miau!

I fret and worry as to sleep about three hours a night between nightmares. I’ve ALWAYS sustained myself and having that knocked out from under me has been a blow to self-esteem, confidence and faith. This will pass.

My sympathies for your siblings not doing so well. I could use the moral support of a family and would welcome worrying about their troubles over my own. Count your blessings. Unmarried by 46 (47 as of Monday) doesn’t mean I don’t keep trying. I didn’t answer Hidalgo’s insinuations of homosexuality because this hetero considered that as base and insulting as he got miffed about the rest of the world not considering everything past classical music as passe’.

Yes, he’s an awesome guy, an honorable veteran of the Korean War, a venerable scholar and productive member of society. I bowed and acknowledged yet he still chose to heap more snide insults. While I may owe him an apology it remains to be seen if he can get off his high horse and extend a hand rather than looking down his nose.

I’d regret not learning from a person who’s character cries out that it has so much to teach...if he meant that.

I understand...as I have had storms in my life as well. And they do pass....

Well....my older sister died at the age of 49. My other sister is fighting demons of her own...Unmarried , no job..with health problems....So, once again you aren't the Lone Ranger here...

I didn't read up-thread about the insinuations. Ah heck...I tell everyone I'm a male lesbian..and watch them furrow their eyebrows..and work thru it!! Ha!!

Music...is what it is, and you like what you like, I guess. I like some opera, even some rap, country, hard/soft rock, classical whatever...Was with my daughter and her friends yesterday....The Kings of Leon came on the radio, and her friends looked at me funny when I said I liked them...and listen to them at home. Ha!!

Maybe so...maybe so.

I’d regret not learning from a person who’s character cries out that it has so much to teach...if he meant that.

Fair enough.....and a good post. Raining here....hope your day is a good one.

FRegards,

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