my connection with the tea party

[kandrathe]

Down that road lies partisan madness. Even if something new comes to light that would ordinarily cause us to reinterpret our facts, we no longer can, because we've got our "picture" which feels true to us, not because the facts support it, but because we've allowed ourselves to be persuaded.

I am willing to allow myself to be persuaded, which is what I consider to be open minded. I won't flip flop on every new story, but each bit adds to the whole picture. Even if that picture results in two (or more) clearly diametrically opposed views with no middle ground compromise. Do I believe the tea party people are evil Nazi's? No more than I believe they are all well informed, intellectuals.

Circling around to the FIT's original premise. Are doctors, nurses, and hospitals money grubbing capitalists who value profits over their oaths? Maybe some are, but as a profession, no. The problems of inflation of health care costs, and education costs for that matter are more a reflection of globalization, rather than some evil corporate plot to bilk the middle class. The question I have would be whether the electorate can afford to give all the people the services they want. They all want to tax the other guy, without the responsibility to consider paying for their own services. Someone needs to be willing to foot the bill for themselves.

There is no magic "they" who have all the money and are willing to give it away to pay for all the wants or needs of everyone else indefinitely. But, I love the dichotomy of on the one hand portraying them as evil to justify taking their wealth, and on the other side expecting them to be benevolent to pay for all the whims of those who won't or can't provide for themselves.

It's the evil top 1%. We 99% can all side against them. Class warfare by degrees. How do you define peasant?