Time for Tea Party to get out of majority's way

For the first time in our storied history, our credit rating has taken a hit, and blame is flying around like dust in a wind storm. The far right is especially loving it, claiming it’s all Obama’s fault.

Ironically, however, they are also celebrating the notoriety of their new henchmen the Tea Party and taking some great pleasure in saying, “I told you so.” They are claiming victory, no matter how this thing is viewed.

Serious, honorable people are concerned about their country’s problems and are trying earnestly to find a way to pitch in and help. Far right Republicans, however, including the Tea Party,
resist all attempts at reaching a consensus and working as unified Americans to find real solutions. Instead, they claim to have a franchise on the Only Solution – one which guarantees stagnation and further decline.

These misguided people see only one stripe on a tiger.  They pride themselves on this great achievement and dare those around them to disprove the reality of that stripe. Any attempt at broadening their vision to include other stripes is met with fierce defensive rhetoric.

To the present, the rest of the civilized world has seemed to stand back in some kind of paralyzed amazement at this celebration of myopia. “Are these people for real?” they seem to say. Well, the sting of the recent chaos in congress which resulted in downgrading America’s credit rating, has finally convinced a great many reluctant patriots to finally begin to rally to the aid of their country. A groundswell has begun, finally, to protect the honor of this great country from those who would rather make a questionable point than to see a unified America.

"The fundamental characteristics of a person may be considered disordered if judged to be abnormally rigid and maladaptive,” so goes a well known source. Well, who does that perfectly describe? Even worse and more dangerous, are individuals willing to destroy centuries of hard won achievements in order to impose their myopic views upon a concerned citizenry.

Note that this latest threat to democracy takes on the exact same attributes of many other historical forms of subversion. They refuse to engage in logical debate. They wall themselves behind mantras which comfort them, regardless of the merit. They are totally incapable of seeing a picture larger than the one they draw for themselves. The terms “abnormally rigid and maladaptive” describe them perfectly.

The Tea Party, in particular, is claiming credit for arousing a national conversation concerning the U.S. debt. If, then, they would be willing to work to find equitable, progressive means to address the U.S. debt situation, they would find many friends and allies. Instead, they claim to have absolute knowledge of its cause and cure and reject any view but their own.

This radical group will eventually have to exit the stage. Intelligent Americans will sooner or later (it looks like sooner) call them out into the sunlight of reason and burden sharing.

A famous American has a plaque on his desk reading, “Lead, Follow or Get Out of the Way.” Far right Republicans and the Tea Party seem incapable of leading – only of being obstructionists. They refuse to follow, even folks from their own party. If they won’t get out of the way of the great majority of good Americans who want to find real solutions to our financial issues, perhaps the increasing ranks of disgusted onlookers will usher them out.