Posted on 04/19/2010 7:01:56 AM PDT by cricket
Although nearly 1,000 people filled San Francisco's Union Square for a Tax Day Tea Party, their voices reverberating off the canyon of skyscrapers, San Francisco's media elite was MIA. No surprise, San Francisco Chronicle blogger Harmon Leon was unable to shed his uber-left bias to do any objective reporting about the 2nd annual Tea Party organized by the Bay Area Patriots, "the original San Francisco Tea Party" group, in his City Brights blog.
For example, if Mr. Leon bothered to do real research -- that is, talk to the tea partiers -- he might have learned that conservatives are devouring pocket-sized copies of "Barack Obama's Rules for Revolution: The Alinsky Model" by David Horowitz.
Mr. Leon would have discovered that conservatives are getting dialed in to the philosophy and tactics of Saul Alinsky and the left ... including its usual tricks of deception (tea partiers are racist homophobes), ridicule (Mr. Leon repeatedly called tea partiers "Tea Baggers") and demonization (blah, blah, blah). While it's common knowledge that Barack Obama was a disciple of Alinsky and even taught Alinsky's methods in Chicago, what's not so readily apparent is Alinsky's radicals' end goal: destruction of society from the inside out. Horowitz's book lays out the game plan in simple, concise terms and has become required reading for all conservatives and tea partiers.
In addition, if Mr. Leon had used his powers of observation, he would have noticed the creative ways Bay Area Patriots make their political points. For instance, at every Bay Area Patriots event, we do something unique: We invite veterans and immigrants and everyday people to come on stage and speak out, standing on a 6' x 6' piece of Astroturf -- a poke at Nancy Pelosi and David Axelrod's assertion that any opposition to President Obama is somehow artificial, manufactured, or "Astroturf."
(Axelrod himself invented Astroturf politics in Chicago, creating political causes and campaigns out of thin air based on manufactured outrage.)
To dramatize the enormity of our debt, the Bay Area Patriots presented a group of young singers against the backdrop of America's Budget Deficettes--a chorus line of top-hatted women holding two-foot-tall cards enumerating $13,000,000,000,000. (Does Congress know there are 12 zeroes in a trillion?) There was a poignant Moment of Being Silenced, when tea partiers stood eerily quiet, their mouths taped shut with a swath of blue tape, vividly demonstrating how this administration and Democrat-controlled Congress has tried to shut up the opposition and shut down dissent. We fleshed out the itinerary with political satirist Eric Golub, an appearance by Melanie Morgan, local candidates, and musical interludes, including a blistering parody of "American Pie," written and led by Bay Area Patriots' founder/organizer Sally Zelikovsky.
For the finale, we used a 70-foot-long foam chain, accompanied by Pink Floyd's "The Wall," to show how big government and radical far-left policies shackle us and limit opportunity, freedom, and prosperity. Even Mr. Leon was flummoxed by the Bay Area Patriots' finale: "Claiming that the government is Big Brother' has always been a liberal thing--that's a staple in our bag of tricks. How dare the right wing take away our beloved government/Big Brother comparison!"
Lastly, we were prepared for the loony left's plants, and used bright pink "Infiltraitor" signs with arrows to smoke out the tea party crashers. Again, in print, Leon admitted we beat the left at its own game: "The Tea Baggers even used the opportunity to squash any attempt at funny' with their counter-counter-protest signs."
From Mr. Leon's comments, it appears the left isn't used to conservatives fighting back. But the Bay Area Patriots who packed Union Square last week proved they could and would protest the administration's far left agenda, and do it peacefully, intelligently, creatively, and with a sense of FUN. And they could and would do it on the left's "home turf" of San Francisco. Get used to it, Mr. Leon: The Tea Party movement is here to stay, whether the left likes it or not.
Misled by a liberal media and Obama's slick, manufactured "Change you can believe in" campaign, even life-long Dems are waking up. The agenda of this regime looks more like "Chains you won't believe."
Conservatives understand this is a historical moment in our country. People who have never been politically engaged are attending protests, forming conservative groups, getting involved in the electoral process, and studying the Constitution. We're also studying the Alinsky tactics of the left, and paying close attention to the radicals' most important weapon, deception. As David Horowitz says in "Rules for the Revolution":
The Founders devised a system of checks and balances to temper the passions of the people and prevent factions from going to war. It is because this is the reality of American democracy that revolutionary warfare, which is not about compromise, must be conducted through deception. Thus the rules for the organizers of revolutions, laid down by Alinsky, are rules for deception.
Instead of deception, conservatives will rely on other tools to win the war. Tools like the Constitution, faith, integrity, and a sense of humor. Game on.
Gini Wolters lives in Marin County and has helped Bay Area Patriots plan several events in Marin and San Francisco, including this year's Tax Day Tea Party at Union Square. She sheepishly admits she was a Democrat for 33 years///Posted by Thomas Lifson
Money is what was traded for their labor, therefore money is the fruit of their labor. Money allows people to trade with others that do not necessarily require the result of their occupation.
When someone claims ownership to the fruits of another mans labor then it can be said that he is subjecting that man to slavery. Those who hold slaves view those slaves as property and whether or not the property is “well cared for” or not, it is still the property of another. Whether or not the fruit of the slave labor results in a school or a hospital or a picked field of cotton does not take away from the fact that slavery was the means in which it was built or picked. Any “noble” intentions are completely done in by the fact that slavery was the means.
Its not about money, its about the human principles and natural rights that give money its value between free men. Its about fighting slavery to the state and collective. Its about breaking free from the chains of socialism.
The ‘progressives’ attempts to impose their moral authority upon society is laughable.
“It’s the Corruption, Stupid!”
“Besides their money, what exactly do the tea partiers
believe in? Specifically. I’m actually serious-not a
provocateur.”
My question to you is where the hell have you been?
Having posed that question I will take a stab at an-
swering yours at least partially. Tea Party folks
believe that our already over spending government
has gone completely over board and our economy is
at serious risk. We are spending money we don’t
and won’t have. They also believe that the current
administration and legislature is leading us down
the path of cradle to grave nanny state. They be-
lieve that the government has certain responsibil-
ities but that we are heading in a direction that
will gradually deprive us of our freedoms.
If the tea party talks about money, money, money to the exclusion of all else they don’t have a chance to sway the public. They are to easy to poke fun at by the MSM. Particularly when it’s a lot of retirement age people collecting social security and medicare while at the same time maligning “Obamacare”. They also won’t have my support unless they speak out against immigration policy, affirmative action, outlandish military spending on useless wars and occupations of countries. They seem to only espouse “limited government”, and “freedom”. Nice words but they ain’t going nowhere with that. Trust me.
Union Square is a good place to hold rallies because of that audio effect. It is also in the heart of the Eighth Congressional District, represented by Nancy Pelosi.
Yep. Try finding parking if you don;t live in the city.
;-)
Thanks for your gentlemanly answer. I asked a question. And received invective for the most part, mixed in with quasi answers. No wonder the MSM has a field day with tea-partiers.
'Their money'? You mean their concerns about their money because they see America becoming a 'food line' advertisement? By their wanting 'fair taxation' i.e. a moral taxation - not to mention one that falls within parameters of our Constitution? They want 'fair representation' by their Congressional Reps! Imagine having to protest for just that!
We have an un-American, tyrant-wannabe in our White House; and they want their Reps to remember who it is they serve - and what Country.
This is about 'Freedom' - and a soul in debt is not free. This is about the future 'soul' of our Country. It is about America forever being compromised to 'foreign interests' - and by consequence, our National Security. The consequences of which they do not want fall to 'our' America - nor the one we pass on to future Generations.
Of course, we do not work for our Government; our Government is supposed to - again by our Constitution - work for us! Is that now, too much to ask? Apparently so; and hence; the push back.
We are now threatened with Leadership that shares a willing and too often a 'determined' ignorance of our Constitution. Our rights are disappearing; and paramount to our rights, of course is our Freedom. We have less and less, thanks to ever moving privacy boundaries; and financial strictures imposed against citizenry; mafia style. It IS about saving Capitalism.
Tea Party is about - a Government out of control; and jeopardizing; all that Americans hold dear and what our Allies hold dear as well This is about staving off what was creeping; but is now the leaping MO's of socialism - aka a small text communism. This is about America - about 'repeal' and repair and restoring America. It is about NOT having our Country changed into a 'third-world model; nor a European 'weenie' state.
It is a whole lot more, of course; and their are variations of theme; but they are not themes of 'self-servance - as you imply. Tea Paryy folks; like the majority of Americans, do share common cause, by their shared patriotism and altruism - something the Left can NEVER never - authentically - claim.
(And here is where the Left's degraded, collective hate begins against those who 'party'_.
In a very snarkey way and you got back what you gave out. Cry me a river about the invective.
A pox on House of Pelosi!
How sweet it would be if this translated to real 'change' in California.
It goes without saying that he did not acknowledge that there was no vandalism, looting, or attacks on counter-protesters.
Personally, I am grateful and I think it is a good strategy for the TEA Party to limit its focus and to do what its does in an effective manner.
We have Pro-life, anti-illegal immigration, Libertarian and isolationist, “oath-keeper”, Second Amendment, and anti-affirmative action groups now. And...I am willing to bet my 401 K that many of the members of these groups showed up to support the TEA Partiers precisely because they shared the values of the TEA Partiers.
By the way, I am especially interested in education, and Obama’s eligibility. Even though abolishing K-12 education and demanding that Obama prove his natural born status is barely on the radar of the TEA Partiers, the NRA, the Pro-LIfe,... etc., I still completely support the values that TEA Partiers and many other organizations are upholding.
Glenn provides much of the 'backdrop' and suggested tools./lol/ (. . .a great deal of info and much of which we get here; thanks to Freepers/and links and a 'net' full of warning. . .)
Tea Party convention I went to here was big on Palin and social conservatism as much as fiscal stuff.
but nationwide the media portrays them as mostly fiscal
hard to tell
Dick Morris said the other night if there was a leader it was Palin
I doubt these San Fransiisco tea partiers are social righties but I could be wrong.
“If the tea party talks about money, money, money to
the exclusion of all else they don’t have a chance to
sway the public.....”
Are you serious?
Just what is the Obama administration and the Demo
controlled congress talking about? Are they remind-
ing us how wonderful the nation will be when we
have achieved a socialist utopia? No. They’re
talking about money. They don’t talk about redis-
tribution of wealth, they just attempt to enact
laws that lead us in that direction.
And, just how is immigration policy, affirmative ac-
tion policy, and “outlandish military spending
on useless wars and occupations of countries” NOT
related to money, money, money?
The reality is that there are some issues that
are of current concern that cut across party
and basic philosophic beliefs. The Tea Party
folks have tapped in to those. Sorry if they
are not quite “Ron Paul” enough for you. But
they sure have the Dems squealing.
“Trust me.”
No thanks, I’m good.
Nice article!
It is past time for Repubs and the rest of us to at least appreciate the Alynsky message per David's warning. . .This is a Repub history by MO; that does need 'change' and one Repub Leadership most resistant to. WE - at least - could begin with a new mantra: 'It's Obama's fault!'
. ..that should include 'Obama's Fault' per the volcano eruption - it's angry ash, falling from our skys; upon all heads really; as it is impacting the entire 'world stream' of finance; and of course, a citizenry so attached.
Obama reassured America that his signed Health Care Bill had NOT disrupted the heavens and so our earth, by consequence.
Obama LIED.
OK. How can these golden agers cry about Obamacare and hold up signs while at the same time scarfing up medicare part D benefits and using their medicare benefits for their doctor visits? How can they collect social security when their contributions were miniscule compared to their benefits? Come on. To harp on their fears over their ‘money’ will make them appear greedy, angry, white people(reference MSNBC). This will make them as effective as Palin—not very. They should get a platform with specifics that do not solely focus on ‘money issues’. This might allow others to feel more comfortable supporting them. It’s the social issues that sway the vote—not “let’s get back to the founding fathers’ ideas of states rights” and “no Obamacare!”.
Agree; and more and daily at American Thinker blog. (linked above/per posting). /Rush quotes often quotes/shares from AT./
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