The much-maligned Tea Party represents that democratic ideal. It’s diffuse, unstructured, disorganized, and oftentimes confused. It’s messy. Sometimes it’s ugly. But it’s real. The Tea Party has done what ACORN never could: it has unified and engaged a significant group of Americans who have felt disaffected and underserved by their political class. That is democratic, in the truest sense of the word.
My European brothers here in Rome simply cannot understand the Tea Party movement. For that matter, they cannot understand Americans. All of them have been raised under socialist Nanny States and they see absolutely nothing to fear in absolute governmental control of their lives. . .that is, so long as the government is doling out the entitlement goodies. With declining birth-rates among native-nationals and increasing immigration rates from Africa and the Middle East, these entitlement programs will bankrupt the E.U. in a matter of decades. Can anyone say, "Greece"? I knew that you could.
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So... take all the pictures you can, eat all the food you can enjoy, and see as many sights as you can in Europe... because they're about to be overrun.
ReplyDeleteScreaming about the Tea Parties while Rome literally burns is kind of, er, not smart.
ReplyDeleteThe Church is infested and ain't nobody cleanin' up the stalls.
THAT should be of more concern.
Anon., I live in Rome and I can assure you that Rome is not literally burning. . .it's packed with annoying tourists and polluted by loud sea gulls and full of beggars and con-artist. . .but not a fire in sight.
ReplyDeleteFr Philip: You're right when you say that Europeans can't understand Americans. We can't understand the lack of a sense of irony, the love affair with the gun, the cult of youth, the culture of instant self-gratification and we certainly can't understand the opposition to a system which guarantees decent medical care for those who are unable to pay.
ReplyDeleteCrux...and Americans cannot understand why Europeans are so easily duped into surrendering their freedom for security.
ReplyDeleteGo figure! :-)
Father: I don't get you. In the UK one can join a private health care scheme if one so desires - and many do. There is also the safety net of the National Health Service. Ergo I am free and secure.
ReplyDeleteGo figure ;¬p