So what does this not so newly minted, now, Right-wing catch phrase really mean? At first blush, there may be a tendency to ask, “From whom?” Perhaps you are wondering, “Who has misappropriated our dear
The Tea Party Movement, as they insist upon calling themselves (they don’t have members, you know; only supporters), takes credit for originating the current iteration of this wonderfully metaphoric Call to Arms. If you listen to a number of the recently declared GOP Presidential Candidates, you could conclude (with a 100% degree of confidence) that they, at least, are convinced it is the Great and Powerful O(z)bama who absconded with our beloved Land of the Free and Home of the Brave. Moreover, as destiny, or luck, or (could it be) anti-Karma, would have it, the GOP-T Party is here to rescue us from this gruesome plight; which, apparently, is a fate worse than death.
Regardless of the manner in which the mission is stated; the flatly direct, “Take our Country back,” the slightly less dynamic and non-inclusive, “Take our government back,” or some other thinly veiled variant, the idea is meant to stir passion and fervor among those activists anointed to promote the cause. In some corners the phrase is repeated so often, it may just replace the inimitable “God bless America
Among the frequently parroted (officially sanctioned) replies to the question, “Take our country back from whom” (or from what/or what inspired the cause), you would likely find that most Top 10’s would include several of the following:
- The far left
- Tax and spend liberals
- Big government
- Health care reform
- The stimulus bill
- The bank bailout
- The auto bailout
- Anti-immigration
- Gay and Lesbian marriage
- Cap and Trade
Relax; this post is not a proxy for the latest Anti-Obama conspiracy. On second thought, don’t relax; it could be even worse than that. It could be that we are posing the wrong question, entirely. It is possible that instead of thinking about this issue in a typical two-dimensional sense (e.g., for or against President Obama), we should add depth and make it a 3-D exercise. Let’s forget the classic heads or tails argument, and instead, turn this coin on its side.
In other words, what if the question we should be asking is, not, “Take this Country back…From whom,” but, “Take this country back…Where?” That’s right, while we are now swept up in the fervid passion of the Tea Party Movement’s Take Back America mantra, the record will show that Howard Dean popularized the phrase as a 2004 Presidential candidate. Fast forward to the 2008 Presidential Campaign and it was Barack Obama who so artfully turned the phrase.
So then, while it is unlikely most Right-leaning Tea Party types realize they are unimaginatively sullying their mouths with a catch phrase previously bandied about by the very bane of their collective political existence, it is where they want to Take our Country back that concerns me most. Somehow, I doubt it is “To the future.” After all President Obama has proposed a prescription to “Win the future,” which in and of itself makes that an unlikely destination.
In fact, given the principal areas of concern frequently mentioned in determining Magnetic North for the Tea Party Movement, I am primarily concerned that the prevailing impetus is to “Take our Country back” to:
- Tax Policy that lowers taxes on the wealthiest Americans, many of whom pay virtually nothing already, which in turn will result in raise relative rates on the less affluent
- Foreign Policy that emphasizes isolationism, and encourages America the Exceptional to feel good about itself, but that renders our nation, ultimately, less secure
- Immigration Policy that exacerbates Xenophobic tendencies, and that serves to destabilize, not secure borders
- Social Policy that redefines the social contractual relationship between Americans and Social Security/Medicaid; paring significantly the effectiveness and assistance those programs provide
- Environmental Policy that escalates the use of fossil fuels and resulting negative affects on the environment
Read my blog anytime by clicking the link: http://thesphinxofcharlotte.blogspot.com. A new post is published each Wednesday. For more detailed information on a variety of aspects relating to this post, consult the links below:
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment