Maggie's Farm

There may come a time when the gravy train will get derailed. Not being a brilliant economist I cannot say if or when that may be. I'm none too certain anyone can, expert or otherwise. People have been preaching doom and gloom about the endless spending for many years. And yet it persists. If it does crash and burn, there will be pain. America might then resemble Venezuela or Ukraine. Not being a fan of bunkers, my intent is to point out the near impossibility of extracting oneself from the gravy train. As I have commented before in various forms, each individual American is locked into the welfare state. Obamacare is just a recent extension of a nearly universal condition of government dependency we have lived under for many decades. And growing more dependant every day. So, while it may be nice to complain about the gravy train, what can anyone do about it? What is the common refrain from every elected official at least five hundred times a day? They all demand more federal money for this, that and the other. Americans of every description and demographic screams for more money constantly. Who will stand up against that? Who, for that matter, can even function without the gravy train? On the other hand, if we just throw the teachers to the wolves and cancel their pension plans, we could probably keep spending for awhile. Well, the teachers first and then...

I agree with your point that the "Tea Party" was never really about reduced federal spending. They are just as invested in the idea of governmental dependence as any other demographic. To the full extent of how much they expect to get from it. And that is a very extensive extent. What they oppose is spending on anything else. Spending "their" tax dollars on things they won't benefit from is wasteful, profligate and destructive. It's doesn't take a genius to figure out the motivations of the folks who identify with the Tea Party movement. They are the primary motivations of everyone. Pure self interest. Give me what's mine and screw everyone else. Wrapping it up in the flag and claiming they only want to save the nation is just propaganda. So, I ask again, who will stand against the runaway spending train? It's isn't going to be the Tea Party.

Slightly off topic, but thanks for joining in. I say off topic, unless you are making the claim that the tea party is standing up to the runaway spending train? If that is what you claim, I see no evidence for it. Please provide any evidence you may have that the tea party is willing to confront the runaway spending train. Other than more propaganda please. Further, your rendition of personal preferences does not reflect the platform of the tea party. Maybe your own small group shares your preferences but the tea party platform is that they are Taxed Enough Already. In other words, they do not wish to be taxed any more than they are. Nowhere have I observed any tea party rally in support of zero federal spending or zero federal taxes. Nor can you point to a nationally recognized tea party leader who has made such demands. The anarchists speak in terms of zero taxes and zero government. Might you be attending the meetings of another group? "We don't want spending at all". This is what you wrote.

Unbeknownst to you, I am surrounded by people who claim to identify with the tea party and/or go to the meetings. Most of my family , extended family, friends and associates for starters. When I ask them what they are willing to do to stop the runaway federal spending, they have nothing to offer. Well, they want their taxes reduced a bit. Maybe ease back a bit on defense spending, maybe. But not the veteran's benefits. Most of them resent the welfare queens and food stamp recipients and most of them won't say so out loud. Most are not thrilled with the bank bailouts. But, not one of them is willing to stop paying taxes. None of them would touch 95% of the federal budget. None of them would surrender any of their own federally funded benefits. So, where does that leave us? It leaves us with the conclusion that the members of the tea party want their goodies and are willing to pay enough tax dollars to keep them. But they don't want to pay for some of the goodies other people get. It's just simple logic.

It may be that you don't quite grasp the extent of the gravy train. Or maybe you have so much money, it just doesn't matter? The federal spending train subsidizes nearly everything in this country. And I mean everything. Would you really put all those people out of work - at one stroke?
If so, the anarchists would love to have you join their group.