Is the Tea Party inherently dangerous? According to this editorial from Spain’s El Pais, if Republicans fail to squeeze them out of their ranks quickly, ‘there will be more reason than before to fear its fanatical influence.’
The El Pais editorial says in part:
No one in America has dared draw a direct link between the massacre in Tucson and the political degradation that exists in the country, especially after last November’s elections in which Republicans won a majority in Congress. But what seems to be spreading is the awareness that the time has come to curb excesses, which is something that Democrats and Republicans furthest from the Tea Party can agree on. This is undoubtedly a needed consensus, but it still remains to be seen whether the emotions aroused by the tragedy will be enough to put the evil genie of extremism back into the bottle, or conversely, only serve to raise another ephemeral barrier that will finally give rise to demagogy and radicalism.
Even without the attack on Giffords, the ways of conducting politics introduced by the Tea Party represent a growing danger to the health of democracy in the world’s leading power. The attack occurred, and the danger that materialized is embodied by the fact that only the senior leaders of the two major parties have spoken out forcefully against violence. If Republicans manage to put a halt the expansion of the Tea Party in its ranks, it will have been quite a destabilizing movement, if an ephemeral one. But the political response to the Tucson killings have only just begun, and if the Tea Party passes the test, there will be more reason than before to fear its fanatical influence.
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READ ON AT WORLDMEETS.US, your most trusted translator of foreign news and views about our nation.
