Anger Is Not Enough

by Dennis Green

Sarah Palin gave the keynote speech at the first Tea Party Convention, and blasted President Obama’s policies. And while Palin didn’t rule out running for President herself, she doesn’t have any ideas of her own about governing either.

No policy, no platform, no ideas — just lots of anger.

Sarah Palin demonstrates that you don’t have to be blonde to be dumb.

And she also proves, collecting her $100K speaking fee for saying nothing, that anger is not enough. “I’m mad as hell and I’m not going to take it anymore!”

Oh, yeah? Where you going?

There’s a reason there’s never been a Libertarian Party worth much. If you don’t trust government, don’t like government, you don’t go into politics. You go to work for Fox News. As Palin has.

It remains to be seen whether the Tea Party will be absorbed into the GOP, which is already pretty intolerant of moderate views. And if it is, as Palin urged in her speech, it’s not clear how mere anger is going to change politics.

If there were an option on our tax forms, and on every ballot, for “None of the Above,” I’d go for it most of the time. I’d support the schools with my property taxes, but not with added-on layers of parcel taxes, as we do now in Alameda, until the schools show that they have made all the savings possible and are being run, managed and staffed efficiently.

But that isn’t what the Tea Party is recommending. They complain vaguely about “entitlements” while saying at the same time, “Keep your government hands off my Medicare!” Duh.

No one ever talks about economies and efficiencies in our Defense Budget, or cutbacks there. Being seen as “weak on defense and the security of this nation” is the 21^st Century equivalent of being seen as “soft on communism” in the Fifties.

There are so many “third rails” in American politics that almost every subject is off-limits. But if you think the Tea Party is going to cut Defense, or its own entitlements, I’ve got four bridges right here in Alameda I’ll sell you. As far as “transparency” in government is concerned, just wait until the Tea Party starts raising big bucks from lobbyists to pay those hefty speaker fees, and see if they let us in on their private meetings and conversations.

Waste in government, and in our schools, is not going to go away just because people get angry. Not unless there is a new Tax Revolt across America to back it up, a refusal to support corruption with our taxes. If enough people refuse to do so, they can’t throw us all in jail. What we the people need is a political union that will take us all out on strike.

For if we’re not going to take it anymore, we have to stop giving it. Our money, our support, our votes. “None of the Above,” including taxes! Now, if that doesn’t rouse your rabble a notch or two, I don’t know what will.

©2010 Dennis Green