20090417.teaParty

Apparently Americans, grown obese on years of wealth and an absence of hardship, have a thing about attempting to compare their current situation with those of others throughout history whose circumstances don't mirror our own in, well, anyway whatsoever. While I worked diligently, earning money and supporting my family, other less industrious souls attended mild-mannered protests that they had the gall to compare to the Boston Tea Party.

Hey kids look: a history lesson!

The Boston Tea Party went down like this. American colonists, who were not being constitutionally represented, were being forced to pay a tax on delivered tea. They said: "Do not want tax or tea. Kay. Thanks. Bye." This worked in many of the colonial port cities, but in Boston, the British lackey governor said "Hey no way! You have to take this tea. Even if you don't buy it. And then Britain shall tax you!" So 7000 colonists met to figure out what to do and as usual, nothing got accomplished at the meeting, so angry people filtered out into the streets. Hours later, some of those angry people boarded the three boats carrying British tea and then they took that tea and destroyed it. And some of them were disguised as Native Americans because, you know, they thought they could fool the dumb British like that. And hey, if they took the tea, they'd be pirates, but since they dumped it overboard they're heroes. In any case, the British weren't happy and made a law that said the port was closed until the colonists paid for all the property they destroyed.

Why? Oh yeah, because these protesters were not throwing they're own property in the water. They destroyed British property. So how is that like the current situation? Oh yeah, it isn't. The entire world embarrasses me at like every turn.

I mean seriously. How are we supposed to look at these Tax Day Tea Party excursions and not be rendered helpless from the deep belly-laughs that overtake us? Can we cry out with any justice that we are being taxed without representation? Uhm, nope. Are we a distanced colonial franchise ruled by a government who cares little for our welfare? Not last anyone checked. And the protesters, did they destroy government property surreptitiously as mark of their protest? No, that was, uh, that was their own property.

Omigosh. These whiny, privileged adult children have officially taken a page from the riots that followed the Rodney King verdict and the Watts Riot, in which angry citizens destroyed their own communities and property. And yet, they don't even have the backbone to do any real damage to themselves. Maybe a dollar on tea bags? How...

*sigh*

How is anyone supposed to take this stuff seriously. It's hard to respect a people and their anger when that anger amounts to loitering and wasting money on a caffeinated beverage that will never be drunk.

Bonus, the incomparable John Oliver comparing British tyranny to Obama's so-called of the same.