It turns out that it was up to me to support my smiley little wisecrack!!

I can hardly believe this is your answer–in light of the argument we just had on that other thread, where you complained about unsupported blanket condemnations.

I was just teasing you here, but my goodness, how blind you are to your own hypocrisy!!

Yeah, who knew that so many people were still in Junior high mentality. {giggle! He said “teabag”}

And I get your point about taxation, but those who are focused on that are saying that the massive spending IS going to result in tax hikes down the line. There's just absolutely no way of getting there from here without raising taxes on people of lower and lower incomes- or else we'll see a continution of the current hidden taxes like cap and trade, or sin taxes like the current ones on cigarettes.

But I do think it's a mistake for this movement to center on taxation; that's really not what I hear as the direct complaint.

Basically, what I see and hear (and feel, personally) is that when Obama and other Dem leaders say that people are OK with expanding government because they don't care about size but only about whether or not it works, we're responding by saying that we are completely unconvinced that this new government is going to work any better than the old- that at the very minimum, if you want to convince us, then start getting MUCH more serious about transparency, and cutting waste and fraud. Frankly I'm among those who don't even think that's possible- with so much money in politics, we'll never get rid of the corrupting influence. And that's why I'm highly skeptical of growing the government- as are a sizable minority (nearly half, I'd say) of Americans.

Well, CS, as someone who has been going to demonstrations since Vietnam days, I don't recall any demonstrations for liberal/progressive causes where the thing we were protesting wasn't actually real. Protesting tax increases when taxes have just been massively cut is… well, I think the kindest word I can think of is “uninformed.”

The “teabagging” thing is hilarious, too, since they clearly don't have the faintest clue of the other meaning of that word.

If they did toss something then I do understand the action.

But I wonder how the media would have reacted if they'd done the same to shut down an anti-Bush protest a year ago ?

I find it hysterical that the left now ridicules demonstrations

Do you mean the entire left now ridicules demonstration?

Or just, you know, “much” of the left? ; )

Other than saying I disagree with these particular protesters, there's really nothing else for me to say.

BTW: I'm actually glad these protesters are out protesting. These conservatives usually (but not all) roll their eyes at “liberal” protesters. I can't recall ever seeing the conservatives come together to do this. Hopefully this will give them an exanded view of the world.

Protest away!

http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/04/15/begala.t…

I would be interested to do an audit of everyone in government, just to see who owes back taxes. Seems to have been a bit of a problem this year.

However, I do wonder if those who deride the protests do so in the assumption that it will be someone ELSE who pays the 'patriotic higher taxes'. Or if they send in more than required because they want to pay 'their fair share'.

Just wondering

And you want the demonstrators to offer solutions? How does that work, exactly- holding up signs with detailed budget proposals or something?

I find it hysterical that the left now ridicules demonstrations, which have always been a hallmark of patriotic dissent from their side.