When the Tea Party Movement started, there was an air of non-Partisanship about their core message of fiscal discipline in federal government. It was afterall – the Republicans (George Bush specifically) that had increased the Federal Debt level by more than 50% over 8 years to almost 12 Trillion dollars. But curiously, as the movement wore on – there were more banners, publications, stump speeches …with very strong Republican and racist overtones — here’s a partial list of banners statements at Tea Party Rallies:“Obama’s plan – white slavery; The American taxpayers are the Jews for Obamas ovens; The New Face of Hitler: Barack Hussein Obama, Speak for yourself Obama we are a white Christian nation, Hey big brother show us your birth certificate, Congress=slave owner, Taxpayer =niggar, Save white America, Herr Obama, wake up America your Muslim president bowed to his Muslim king, we need a Christian president, Obama terrorist to America, impeach osama Obama aka Hussein, Obama spends like a woman, Obama care (dressed as an African chief) , Obamanomics monkey see monkey spend, Obama back to Kenya, Obama’s change Slavery for all Americans, Impeach the muslim Marxist, the zoo has an African and the Whitehouse has a lyin’ African, This anti-Christ is living in the white house, Obama listens to Mao – I listen to Fox News, We smell the burning flesh from the ovens and it will be too late for us all, Impeach the Kenyan, Obama is a destructive unpatriotic Black Muslim.”
And in case you were not sure about their political affiliations, the Tea Party Movement put up “alternative” candidates for Republican Primaries across the country, and in fact won over a dozen seats in congress this past November.
Any objective analysis of federal debt and spending would have revealed that the democrats had been far more disciplined and responsible with the Federal budget. It was after all during the Clinton era that for the first time in over 40 years the government had balanced their budget, and indeed the overall level of the federal debt as a percentage of the US GDP had been reduced substantially. It was Republicans after all that had tanked the economy. Defense spending of 200 Billion dollars a year during the Clinton era had mushroomed to over 900 Billion over 8 years of George W. Bush – that is how the federal debt level has sky rocketed. Obviously, the Tea Party movement was NOT about fiscal discipline — but the new face of America’s Christian-Right. Gone are the days of the Klu Klux Klan — and in walks the Tea Party crowd.In case you had any doubt what the Tea Party Movement stands for, and now what the Republican Party stands for …check out the leading the Republican Party’s nomination for candidate for the US Presidency: Mr. Donald Trump.
First three weeks ago he gave an interview to CBS saying that he had real doubts Obama was born in the U.S. Then he travelled to Boca Raton (Florida) where he gave a rousing speech to the Florida Tea Partiers – where he questioned Obama’s birth again; then he gave another interview where he said Obama was a terrible student and could not understand how he got into Columbia University and Harvard law School, then he went to Las Vegas (Nevada) and spoke to another Tea Party rally where he called the Obama administration “f..ing idiots” and reaffirmed his position that Obama was a terrible student…and this week he goes to New Hampshire to meet privately with the leaders of the Tea Party in that state. Meanwhile, other Tea Party movement ‘leaders’ like Sarah Palin are coming out in support of Trump’s statements. Trump is now the leading candidate for the Republican Party’s Presidential nomination in 2012.
This week, the Whitehouse released the long-version of Obama’s birth certificate – and it clearly established once and for all, when and where Barack Obama was born. Yes, in Hawaii – America’s 50th state. Then everyone was reminded that in fact Obama graduated Magna Cum Laude from Harvard Law School, and in fact was voted president of the Harvard Law review (first African-American to achieve that honor).Forget for a minute that the Republican Party Nominee for President a few years ago – McCain was port in Panama!!?? Yes – check it out its true. Forget for a minute that Donald Trump himself was a lousy student, and only has an undergraduate degree. The funny thing is, Trump always says he went to “Wharton” (the prestigious Business School, linked with University of Pennsylvania) but he was an undergrad there – he did not get an MBA. But let’s face it, all this anti-Obama speech is coded racism. Trump is suggesting Obama got into Harvard and Columbia because he was Black. That’s it. And Trump is suggesting Obama cannot be a patriotic American – because his father was Kenyan. And somehow, Trump himself is more qualified even though he is a second generation American…of European descent.Now, why does this matter to you? It’s very simple. You live here. You’ve probably lived here for a decade or maybe two…. You have family here. You should care. The Republican Party may soon take control of government. The Republicans were very close to grabbing control of both the Senate and the House only six months ago. It is useless to say that the Republican Party as a whole does not agree with the Tea Partiers. You should realize that in the U.S. a small minority WITHIN a political party can actually dictate the whole party’s policies. When a majority vote is needed for a specific piece of legislation, a small group of 12 representatives or even 4 senators can basically hold the whole party hostage and say we will only vote for this if you add this clause to it, or take this out. They can easily force change in legislation – and with that control all of government.
And, so far I have been talking about what is happening on the national scene. In fact the Tea Partiers are penetrating state and local elective bodies. The ‘threat’ is much more severe on the local level. Check out what is going on in the state house in Arizona!
This is a serious threat. If you haven’t already been impacted, you will be impacted by this cataclysmic shift in US domestic politics. You left Iran to run away from a brutal government of religious fanatics, only to find it coming to power on your own doorstep here in the West. This change will affect everything you do. How your family is treated at work, at school, on the playground. How you interact with your customer, clients, co-workers. Your status as an immigrant….
The time has come for all Iranian-Americans; indeed all Iranians outside Iran to take note and stand up. If you are opposed to the Mullahs in Iran, then you must stand against coded fanaticism here in the U.S. At the very least – register to vote. You must vote – and there is no personal risk to you if you vote. Yes, you will be able to travel to Iran without the IRI finding out. And yes, if you believe in Democracy in Iran, then for f’s sake excercise your voting rights here.
But, if you see the threat as I do, get involved in politics – get engaged. You actually can do a lot about this. It was after all, a hand full of votes in Nevada (less than a few hundred) that ensured Harry Reid (Democrat) got elected to the U.S. Senate and NOT a Tea Party/Republican candidate…a few hundred Iranians in Las Vegas can make a critical difference. Help pass the message onto your friends, neighbors …fellow Iranian-Americans.
I will sign off by saying this: your bonus for getting politically active is NOT that you will ultimately be insuring the well-being of yourself and your family…your bonus WILL BE that you might actually influence US policy towards Iran. Maybe, just maybe, we can muster enough support to stop back room deals with the regime in Iran and move the U.S. into a full-fledged policy of toppling the regime.
