Tea, Occupation, and America
October 13, 2011 No CommentsNicholas Vance
College of Arts and Science
Class of 2014
When President Obama entered the White House in 2009 with a transformative agenda, Americans were seemingly optimistic about the future leadership in the country. The people pushed their doubts aside – for the moment – in the hope that the system could be fixed in a short period of time.
Oh, how the times have changed.
After ambitious actions by the Obama administration to alter health care and economic regulation in the United States demanded the national spotlight, the right raised up to defeat the sitting president, who they view to be the most liberal president the nation has ever had. The Tea Party grew through grassroots efforts with leadership by high-level Republicans from talk radio to the House of Representatives. Presidential hopeful Michelle Bachmann founded the Tea Party Caucus in the House and is revered by conservatives for standing by this group.
But the Tea Party is no longer a fringe group that is only known for massive rallies with American flags and cowboy hats — they are a political force. It is simply undeniable that it would be difficult to win the Republican nomination without the support of the Tea Party. During the 2010 midterm elections, America witnessed one Tea Party candidate after another off a mainstream Republican – some even winning a seat in Congress.
Although often labeled by the left as fringe, the Tea Party is often thought of a new title for evangelical Southern Christians who cling to their guns. But this new label goes beyond identifying this group. The right has never been so organized in recent years, and this structure was apparently advantageous as Republicans retook the House in 2010.
The Occupy Wall Street Movement has been seen as the foil to the Tea Party. Whereas the Tea Party protests the overreaching arm of the federal government, Occupy Wall Street focuses on the faults in our economic and tax construction. These protestors want the rich to pay their fare share in taxes, for the government to end loopholes for corporations, and more fair distribution of wealth. But now as these Occupy protests take over America’s economic hubs, the media is labeling these protestors as marijuana-smoking hippies who want their welfare check on time.
But let’s look at the core interests of these two groups. The Tea Party wants less government interference in their lives. The folks at Occupy Wall Street want the wealthiest corporations and Americans to not get away with murder. Fair enough right?
The Occupiers and the Tea Partiers have a uniting factor: wanting a stronger middle class. The Obama administration and Congress could take the next step. Washington could overhaul the tax system in this nation to make it fairer to all Americans. Even Warren Buffett wants to pay more in taxes. The wealthiest Americans should want to help the system that has vaulted them to being the most fortunate in the world. When raising taxes on the wealthy is brought up, Republicans sometimes revert to the argument that we should not be punishing success. But this misses the point. Raising taxes would not be punishing success, but would reward the society in which one was able to become wealthy.
Most importantly, Americans are finally becoming more active in this nation’s rich political culture. Protesting by both sides of the aisle helps raise the visibility and importance of political recognition in the United States. Whether being occupied or drowned with tea, America may be becoming a better place for it.
Photo credit: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1213056/Up-million-march-US-Capitol-protest-Obamas-spending-tea-party-demonstration.html
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