boston tea party
congress
independence
independence day
july 4th
politics
president
representation
taxes
It's Time For Another Boston Tea Party
By ltmoon
@ltmoon (1008)
United States
July 5, 2008 12:08am CST
It's Time For Another Boston Tea Party
Being the 4th of July, I suggest
we stage a new "Boston Tea Party"!
It has been 235 years since the original Boston Tea Party was thrown in protest of "taxation without representation" during King George's reign. For a 150 years Mother England had mostly mismanaged the colonies and the then current king George failed to listen to the tax complaints. So on July 4th of 1776 the Second Continental Congress passed and signed the colonist's "Declaration of Independence". King George and Mother England didn't take kindly to the petulance of the young country, but in trying to continue to exert control, ol' King George got his butt royally kicked!
Yet, 235 years after the Boston Tea Party much of the populous still feels overly taxed, even though we are supposedly now "represented". A lot of the voters choose to vent their wrath by blaming Prez George for their tax situation; however, many of these same folks were squawking about taxes under the previous regime of Prez Bubba-Billy. The problem is that most folks don't seem to understand who's to blame for their taxes. Forget the Prez, the president is just a figurehead sort of like the Queen of England (she does do a better job of waving!). Put the tax blame where it belongs - it's your Representatives and Senators that are screwing you!!!
Truthfully, it doesn't matter whether you vote for McCain or Obama in November if you keep voting for the same jerk Representatives and Senators that have been bending your sorry a$$ over their pork-barrels for decades! It's time to wake up America! Vote in some new members to the Congress and the Senate, some people who will be responsive to the needs of their constituents and truly "represent" us!!!
1 person likes this
4 responses
@rpegan (596)
• United States
5 Jul 08
There was a survey done in my state (Georgia), and the number of people that don't know the names of their representatives is appalling. The fact of the matter is, when in the voting booth, an uninformed voter will vote for the incumbent. They figure that the world has not come to an end during that politician's run in office, so they must not be doing TOO badly.
Voters need to become informed first. You can't make people see the flaws in the system when they're unaware of the system. That's why they blame the president.
@ltmoon (1008)
• United States
5 Jul 08
Yes, unfortunately people tend to vote for incumbents.
This is one of the reasons there should be term-limits
for Congress and the Senate, and why President should
only be a single term of 6-8 years. Several states tried
to set term-limits for their national level politicians,
but they were struck down by the Supreme Court. Some long-time "professional" politicians claim that they are needed in Congress because of their "knowledge" of the legislative system ... which is not true! Agencies are staffed and run by lifers! We constantly need new people, with fresh ideas, not professional politicians kowtowing to lobbyists and special interests!!!
1 person likes this
@gabrifvg (167)
• Italy
5 Jul 08
i don't think the analogy works. the boston tea party was an act of rebellion against a foreign oppressor, or at least that's what the "partiers" felt.
in this case it would be a popular protest against their own institutions.
not that that wouldn't be a good idea... ;)
1 person likes this
@ltmoon (1008)
• United States
5 Jul 08
I don't know what they teach in Italy for World History, but you must have flunked the section on American history. The "Boston Tea Party" analogy is completely relevant to this discussion and that is why I chose it as the basis for this article.
For the record, in 1773 when the Boston Tea Party took place, the non-indigenous people (those who were not Native Americans, also called "indians") living in North America were subjects of the English, French, and Spanish crowns. Therefore the English colonists were not protesting against a "foreign oppressor" as you stated. The English colonists were rebelling against high taxes being levied on them by the crown and that they had no representation in the English Parliament.
In the US, the example of the Boston Tea Party is commonly used to define a call for a "tax revolt". The commonalities between 1773 and 2008 are many and with the two characteristics of excessive taxes and a lack of legislative representation being foremost. As for representation, which is worse, having no official representation in the 18th century parliament, or the current situation where the populous' trusted representatives have sold the voters out to special-interest-groups and pork-barrel projects that ignore the needs of their constituents?
The goal of a "New Boston Tea Party" is not to toss crates of tea into Boston Harbor, but to toss out the ineffectual politicians who neglect the true needs of voters!
@gabrifvg (167)
• Italy
5 Jul 08
i expressed myself badly, i apologize.
what i meant, was that the popular feeling was that of a far away government exploiting the work and earnings of those who lived on the other side of the world.
plus the british possession were colonies, and colonies aren't exactly part of the motherland...
1 person likes this
@twallace (2675)
• United States
5 Jul 08
Funny thing I have just learned more about the Boston Tea Party from your discussion. I remember a movie of it that use to come on tv but have not seen it in a while. Right now there is so much going on right now. Some changes are good and some changes are bad. Then like you said if you don't have the right person in office. The same dumb things will keep happening and nothing being done to change them. I know for sure that this presidency had been one serious roller coaster. I will be glad when it's over.
@twallace (2675)
• United States
7 Jul 08
I see that the US are not the only one's with a crazy government that does things that effect the social living of all. I do have to say that we don't have bombing and things like that but one of these days it will hit the land of the so called free and the brave. It's bound to happen, the US is one country that has not gone through things like that. Just a few big bombing like 9/11. But to me that is just the beginning of something really big just waiting to happen.
1 person likes this
@gabrifvg (167)
• Italy
6 Jul 08
you're angry with your government???
you should really try being in Italy then.
our political class is loaded with theives, liers and worse.
you might say it's my opinion, but i really think we have one of the worst political arenas in the world. if we exclude totalitarian forms of government.
i thought about it for awhile, and the frustration you're talking about is felt here too.
almost 30 years ago, for completely other reasons, italy wa under siege of political terrorism. from both sides.
there were bombs in streets and stations, gunshots, executions... they culminated with the kidnapping and killing of the prime minister Aldo Moro in 1978.
the terrible thing, hearing you cite a symbolic though effective demonstration, is that what i hear in bars and corridors here is starting to sound more violent.
people are starting to fall for the call of violence, some say it would take a bomb to clean it all up, others would like a coup, or so it seems, others remember times of violence almost with affection... they are all words, that's true. but words started many avalanches, and hearing similar opinions in many places in the word makes me think. and worry
1 person likes this
@cjgrooms (4456)
• United States
5 Jul 08
THANK YOU i have been saying this for YEARS. For some reason that is beyond my understanding people put the same old people that have been robbing us blind for pork barrel spending in office over and over then blame the president when nothing changes! The president has limited if any real power on day to day issues.What i don't get is why don't the house and senate have a certain number of terms that they can serve? No one should be able to make a career out of cheating the American people, And a lot of people do not bother finding out what their reps. are doing they just vote for the same one over and over, also some vote for a certain party regardless of what the man has been doing in Washington or for how many years! This makes no sense to me. And until a way to change the same old, same old is found those of us who wants change is just out of luck!
1 person likes this
@ltmoon (1008)
• United States
5 Jul 08
Thank you CJ! Same old...same old. People keeping voting for the "same old" politicians and then wonder why they are still hurting. Shortly after learning to walk a toddler will run around the room and smack their head on the table...after smacking their head a couple times the toddler learns the lesson of "cause and effect" and quits running into the table. Strange thing, adults don't seem to learn this easy lesson in regards to politics and keep voting for the same jerks no matter how many times the jerks smack them in the face! Fool me once, shame on you...fool me twice, shame on me!
