Care for a Spot of Tea?

America must learn to operate in TRUTH. For only It, shall set us free.

The focus for this piece is solely dedicated to uncovering the HYPOCRISY of this contemporary "Tea Party" movement.

SYNOPSIS OF ORIGINAL TEA PARTY (Boston; 1773)

In order to understand the HYPOCRISY of this contemporary "Tea Party" movement, all one must do is simply invest a bit of time reviewing American history. The original Boston Tea Party was, of course, one of the critical social protests which led to the American revolution and eventually the founding of our great republic. Like most conflicts, both historical and contemporary, MONEY was at the center of the debate between the American colonies and the ruling British government.

In Asia, tea has been appreciated for its taste and medicinal qualities for ages. As a matter of fact, I've recently been informed by a Korean colleague of mine, that if physical weight and availability are accounted for, GOOD tea possesses more monetary value than gold. Currently, in China, GOOD tea is slightly more expensive than gold...and a bit more difficult to attain. In any regard, Europeans developed an intense taste for tea in the 17th century, and with this rise in demand for the beverage, the English Parliament, gave the East India Company a monopoly on the importation of tea from India (Wiki, 2010). By English LAW, it was illegal to import Indian tea directly to the colonies. Instead, the tea was routed through England. So, of course, taxes were levied, transporation costs were affixed, and any number of "other" charges were also applied, and then the product was sent to the American colonies for consumption. By the time European hegemony received its share of initial profit on the European market, and then applied all markups on the "American" tea, a lot of MONEY was being made in Europe.

"Americans," justifiably so, thought this situation was unfair. It was a direct affront to the freedoms and liberties of the "English subjects" that occupied the colonies. In fact, for much of the late 1700s, American colonists embraced the BLACK MARKET, and even smuggled Dutch tea as a means to circumvent this abusive tea policy imposed by the British government (Wiki, 2010). Colonists defended their protests and participation in the BLACK MARKET by suggesting they were being unfairly and egregiously taxed by the British government. In addition, they received NO representation in British Parliament. Hence the term, "NO TAXATION WITHOUT REPRESENTATION!" (Which is STILL an issue in modern-day Washington, DC, which happens to be heavily populated by African-Americans, but I'll avoid that tangent for the time being.)

Due to this abusive situation, some brave colonists, like Samuel Adams and approximately 125 others, dressed up as Native Americans, and ransacked the Darmouth destroying all 342 chests of tea (Alexander, 2002). ---and as simple as that, America has the Boston Tea Party. (I am dedicated to arguing ONE point in this piece, so I will again avoid a tangent, and leave readers to speculate why disguising themselves as Native Americans was a necessary tactic.)

THE LOOKING GLASS

Now, if a group of Americans, concerned about the general progression of the country, are going to band together under the moniker of the "Tea Party," it would seem that consistency with the original movment would be a prerequiste. As stated above, we are able to understand the political and economic constraints at the time of the original tea party. There are two fundamental issues present. These issues are (1.) the "unfair" pricing, distribution, and taxing of tea on the colonists by the financially insolvent (British) East India Company which generated capital from an oppressed citizenry, and (2.) a governmental system which allowed these particular corporate interests to actualize their plans by providing them with the legal means to extort "we the people."

THE CONTEMPORARY TEA PARTIES

With this understanding of the HISTORY of the Boston Tea Party, wouldn't it have seemed more plausible for these contemporary "tea parties" to have been formed during the Bush years?

Let's examine the situation:

(1.) The "unfair" pricing, distribution, and taxing of tea on the colonists by the financially insolvent (British) East India Company which generated capital from an oppressed citizenry (Knollenberg, 1975).

The unscrupulous accounting practices of AIG, Bear Sterns, and Lehman Brothers, which led them to grotesque insolvency, draws a SHARP and STRONG correlation to the fiscal state of the British East India tea company at the time of 1773. In both eras, corporate interests aimed to profit on the backs of working-class people. In both cases, these corporate interests used unfair means to do so. In the real estate market, CountryWide and all its cohorts, schemed on working-class families by offering mortgage loans at sub-prime levels, as a why to take advantage of the fictitious numbers createad by Wall Street's "credit-default options." Again, corporate interests are teaming up to make money, not from investing in the production and perpetuation of Public Good, but simply taking advantage of the Public!

Where were the "tea parties" then? Remember Enron, Texas? Where was the Texas Tea Party then? We had a PLETHORA of "East India Companies" taking advantage of "we the people!" Where was the love and reclamation for American history then?

(2.) A governmental system which allowed these particular corporate interests to actualize their plans by providing them with the legal means to extort "we the people."

Now, while Enron was squandering people's pensions, while Wall Street was inflating the Market with "phony money" through CDOs, and while corporate real estate giants were awarding loans to people at sub-prime rates to take advantage of these CDOs, the domestic economic policies of the Bush administration, characterized by serious DEREGULATION, provided the fertilizer for these greedy schemes by the super-wealthy. All this activity has led to the WORST domestic (and arguably international) economic situation since THE GREAT DEPRESSION.

In addition, George Bush and his cronies, led us into a War in Iraq under FALSE pretenses. Thousands of young American men and women gave life and limb predicated on a Lie. Back on the HomeLand, Americans were repeateadly shown color-coded "terror alert" systems. (I imagine those Americans who actually believe news is unbiased and not influenced by governmental policy were scared during these "terrorist alert" moments.) And if going to fight an unjustified War wasn't bad enough, we couldn't even WIN the War. With all of Bush's rhetoric on redemption for 9/11, Osama Bin Laden is still free. (Oh yeah, but that's the War in Afghanistan; sorry...it gets confusing.) Under the Bush administration, we've spent $585 BILLION dollars, and we're still in Iraq...AND Afghanistan.

Again, I ask: Where were the Tea Parties then? Where were the Great American Patriots of today when America was being led into a War that was based on a LIE? Where was the anger? Where was the rage? Why weren't your civil liberties cause enough to take to the streets? Because he actually assumed more of a posture to Hitler, where were all the placards and signs of George Bush as Adolf Hitler? In many estimates, it would take $50 BILLION dollars to erase poverty in America. By those estimates, this is less than 10% of what we've spent in Iraq! O, Tea Partiers, what say thee?!

ghettoGEEKS INVITATION TO SIP TEA

We, here at ghettoGEEKS, would like to invite these contemporary tea party patriots to a spot of tea. We are interested in engaging in conversation about the current state of domestic and international affairs. We are interested in learning more about the anger and rage coming from the Right. ---and after all cups have been filled with the beverage, our contribution to the conversation would go as follows:

Dear Mr. and Mrs. Middle-Class, Working-Class, and/or Lower-Class, Ultra-Conservative, Radical Right-Wing, White Person:

It is MANDATORY that you let go of your collective insecurity about other people and other cultures. You are NOT God's chosen people. God belongs to us all. The world belongs to us all. God did not grant you, nor your race, special authority over other races and cultures of people. The "myth of White superiority" that you were sold by ruling White elites (hegemony) was a hoax. ---and just because you are finding that it has no merit, does not mean you have to become reckless and pick up arms to protect yourselves from over-confident Niggers and Spics. It does not mean you have to led your congregations to pray for the death of a President in the name of God. It might just mean you have to relax, reassess the situation, and begin to participate as an equal partner in a new global situation.

Steven Anderson, Glenn Beck, Rush Limbaugh, Rick Perry, David Horowitz, Sean Hannity...and whoever else I forgot to mention, God never granted divine approval for capitalism. It is merely ONE way to organize society; not The Only way to do so. God certainly did not give special permission to use unscrupulous tactics to swindle wealth from the world and concentrate it in the hands of Europeans and Americans. Greed did that (or a spiritual entity more likened to the Devil). Greed also placed us in this economically and socially percarious situation that we find ourselves in now, and Greed continues to perpetuate the division within the system. World Hunger, World Poverty, Climate Change, Black Male Incarceration Rates, World Financial Collapse, Sub-Prime Mortgage Crisis, Mexican and Afganistan Drug War, Iraq and Afganistan Wars, Illicit Arms Deals, Child Slavery, Sex Slavery, etc....you name the problem, and greed, money, and power is at the center. In most cases the money trail will lead you to people with large amounts of POWER.

Dear Mr. and Mrs. Middle-Class, Working-Class, and/or Lower-Class, Ultra-Conservative, Radical Right-Wing, White Person:

The persons who are in control of this particular level of POWER are NOT the Niggers, Spics, Chinks, Iranians, or Afghanies you have demonized for all these years.

Tea Party "patriots," let's be TRUTHFUL. You have the LARGE TASK of demonstrating your resentment of President Obama and his policies are not based on race and are not fueled by racist attitudes. It's is a LARGE TASK those on the Right are trying to manage, but at times, it gets fumbled and clouded...even for you all. ---and I can understand why. Let me suggest something you haven't tried yet.

TELL THE TRUTH.

With an unjustified war in Iraq waged on the covert basis of empire and conquest, publicly waged on the false premise of securing the Homeland, simultaneously controlling the domestic population through color-coded terror alerts, George Bush had more in common with Adolf Hitler than Barack Obama. Where were the presidential "Adolf" signs, placards, and references then?? Nowhere except on international grounds---not in America. Why are they present now? My guess is because of basic psychological "projection." You are "projecting" your inner feelings of race and your perceived loss of power. In your your shotty attempt to justify your rage and create yourselves as victims, you have created the argument that Barack Obama is the Hitler-like tyrant. Wake up. Get over yourselves and your Whiteness. Start cooperating with the rest of the world's people.

Not all, but many of those who so vehemently oppose the President have DEEP issues with him because he is Black. The minute you stop lying about it; the minute you stop covering it up with other things like his policy on abortion or "big government;" the minute you begin a mature conversation about your inability to understand race without activating racism; will be the exact minute ALL Americans can begin to create a BETTER future.

America MUST shed the diseases of Cultural Ethnocentrism and Racism.

There is no room, nor any more time, to debate the EXISTENCE of these phenomena; there is only time to create a SOLUTION to these phenomena. Living as an expatriate in Korea for the last seven months has made me realize that, America, "on paper," is a marvelous set of ideals. All the words etched on that historic parchment, which serve as the CONSTITUTION of this country, represent nothing short of an excellence in promise, purpose, and principle. When it comes to organizing society, I would argue that America is one of the BEST ideas the WORLD has ever seen. But, the HYPOCRISY that is equally American, created by American hegemony and perpetuated by the American people, is simultaneously one of the WORST ideas the WORLD has ever seen.

WeBeGeekin'
www.ghettogeekin.blogspot.com