Tea Party's True Nature?
November 16, 2010
I don't agree, but this is an interesting take:
Liberals like to attack the Tea Party as racist, and some on the far right embrace them as an evolving expression of “implicit whiteness” in America, but race is not what defines them. The Tea Party is fighting to transform America into a gerontocracy – a government of the old people, by the old people, and for the old people. More specifically, the old people who will be ruling are the Baby Boomers, the most narcissistic and avaricious generation in American history. The above-mentioned NYT report identifies the demographics of the Tea Party as being primarily old and white.
Even if he were right, how is that different from any of the other political parties? Democracy is legalized theft. Those who participate - either by making bribes/giving campaign contributions, or by forming huge voter blocks of old/gay/black/Hispanic/female - get to steal the most.
Old people are politically involved, and young people are not. Old people are attending political rallies while young people stand in line at Wal-Mart for the latest version of Call of Duty. The only way to conquer the "gerontocracy" is to shrink government or join in the theft.
A small government is unlikely, as The Futurist notes in his brilliant post, "Why Republicans Will Not Shrink Government." Young people are unlikely to become politically involved. Even those of us inclined to attend rallies are too busy working long hours. Old people, with unlimited leisure time, will always be able to out compete us.
The solution more productive young people are turning to is "checking out." Checking out comes in two forms. Productive young males are not getting married, due to the Marriage Strike. Other men and women are expatriating. I personally do not anticipate living in the United States two decades from now.
Instead of spending all of my free time attending political rallies to outmaneuver old people who would enslave me, I'll simply leave my mastah's house.