What other "grassroots" movements have you been involved in? A quick search of townhall.com brought up several examples with big-winning names like Rush Limbaugh and Ron Paul. Impressive! Here is what one of you had to say about the "revolutionary" tax week "tea parties":
What brought Reaction Time to my attention relative to the GOP? Tea Parties. This is a grassroots movement in its infancy. It started via traditional media, has grown through social media, and like all infant grassroots movements, has a tiny chance of growth and survival coupled with an enormous potential for success and impact, should it, in fact, survive and grow. In order for any movement to grow, though, it needs fuel. An opportunity has been placed in the lap of the GOP. A big opportunity, in my view, especially in light of the abysmal history the party has with grassroots movements of any kind. What's the reaction to this potentially fortuitous shift in the market? I haven't really seen one yet. And as I said, inaction is, in fact, reaction.
The irritating thing about this is that you're kidding yourself about the use of "grassroots," throwing it around like you're back in '62, registering voters in Mississippi. That was real grassroots organizing, and it was ok to use words like that because it worked toward giving everyone in this country a fair shake. But protesting against taxes? Especially when you're getting your information from Michael Savage and Glenn Beck?
Let me, lil' ol' me, tell you something about taxes: they pay for roads, public schools (a pillar of democracy, don't forget!), police, firefighters, public transport (and don't give me the old but-the-government-can't-tell-me-how-to-get-to-work-I'll-drive-my-Ford Expedition-if-I-want routine; we all know the jig is up), every single part of the military, and the court system. Next time somebody doesn't bash your door in and drag you into the street to dole out justice, thank your tax dollars. Next time you get laid off and need an unemployment check to cover your bills, thank your tax dollars. Next time your kid learns to read and gets a free ride to school and a discounted lunch if you need it, thank your tax dollars. I could go on all day like this.
I don't make very much money, and I didn't have enough in my withholdings this year so I ended up owing for taxes. And you know what? I don't really mind! Even though I feel like I pay disproportionately much, given my small income, it's ok because I realize that taxes are necessary to make things work. Is it any accident that two of the highest-taxed nations in the world, France and Denmark, also enjoy some of the lowest crime, infant mortality, and illiteracy rates? Is it any accident that the quality of life in those countries is so crazily high? What makes us freak out in America when we confront the spectre of a "nanny state"? Why wouldn't we want clean air and reliable public transport and health care? Who do we think we are, saying health care isn't a human right? Do we really love smoking in public and high-fructose corn syrup so much that it's worth spazzing about a potential ban? If you know something I don't, please let me know. And try not to mention 1984 when you explain it to me.
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