#4 - Americans Get TEA’d off!; The Truth About the TEA Parties on April 15th

On April 15, in about 300 cities across the United States, about a quarter of a million Americans rallied in what were called “TEA Parties,” the TEA being an acronym for “Taxed Enough Already.” Many in what is called the mainstream media criticized this as being a Republican Party led event and that most Americans, according to a few polls, say they are satisfied with their taxes. First of all, those who protested were, in essence, American citizens. Those in the Democratic leadership, including the President, have enjoyed saying that they won the last election and that settles the question of what the American people want. What they fail to mention that 47 percent of those who voted DID NOT vote for the President. In other words, 47 percent of Americans did not want the policies this President advocated and to a large extent has already put in place. Furthermore, although that 47 percent was a minority (and not an unsubstantial minority at that), we live not just a democracy but in a REPUBLIC. This means that unlike just living in a democracy, we live in a country where it’s not so much the majority that decides things, but where the voice of the minority, no matter what their size, is listened to and respected. It is for this reason that the President needs to be the President of ALL the people and not just those who share his political philosophy.

Furthermore, those who gathered to protest were not doing so about their current taxes as they were about the taxation that is very likely to come to all of us as well as for future generations of Americans. Much continues to be said about how our government needed to spend $4 trillion (money it does not have AND 3 times what was President Bush’s last budget) in order to “save the economy.” People were saying that individuals never borrow more money to spend to get themselves out of debt and neither should the government. When we do that, all that we do is to just grow our indebtedness and postpone the day when our debts will come due. The projection now is for OUR national debt to grow to be $10 TRILLION! Our debt will grow to that size just based on the interest rates with which we have borrowed money (from China, among other nations) The interest alone on what we owe is around $50 million every hour of every day into the foreseeable future. The President has also made a big point of ASKING his cabinet to reduce their budgets by $100 million. He said that that is a lot of money and it is. But, again, to put it in perspective, what his cabinet will attempt to save will only amount to 2 hours(!) of interest on our national debt.

Finally, let us not forget the $12-15 BILLION that is the cost of the estimated 10,000 pork projects that were a part of the stimulus bill that the Democrats and 2 Republicans passed into law. It remains questionable just how much of that money will create jobs and stimulate the economy. (Isn’t it ironic that one of the projects approved is to measure the effects of pig odors!) Remember how that waste was said to be insignificant in light of the total stimulus package. Ah, there is nothing like seeing things in perspective – when that perspective serves your purpose.

Next time, I plan to share with you what was called an “Economic Manifesto” that the Coral Ridge Ministries prepared and sent to our national leaders just recently (with thousands of American signatures endorsing it). It will share with you a Biblical word-view of our economic situation. I think you will find it to be a perspective you will appreciate more than what has been done so far to “stimulate” our economy.