The Mad Hatter's Tea Party Redux

Never let it be said that the far-right in the USA can't make fools of themselves when given half the chance. The formation of an official political Tea Party by right-wing nut-job extremists may be the latest in self-parody. Most of these guys seem totally tone-deaf to how they're coming across to anyone with even an ounce of common sense. Mad as hatters? You betcha'! Maybe it's all the lead shot they've got stored up in their survival shelters.

Whatever the source of their off-the-cliff craziness, it's not all entertainment. The fact is, fascist operations like Faux "News" who have a national platform to misinform the public (and who are the driving force behind the teabaggers) also pollute the political arena with outright lies and distortions. This creates confusion and misunderstanding, an atmosphere ripe for recruitment of those who are less inclined to think for themselves or do their own research into the issues of the day. Worse still, the corporate media legitimizes these teabaggers by pumping up their small highly orchestrated events with more hot air, partly because it seems entertaining, but also because it serves their rightwing corporate interests. Do you think they would legitimize the so-called Tea Party if they were black?

But, worse than all the manipulation and disinformation campaigns, this so-called Tea Party is still all about hatred. Far-right extremists from last summers health care town hall meetings chose disruption over dialogue, screaming and shouting down those they disagree with and behaving like thugs. Think Brownshirts in pre-war Germany and you've about come upon the profile. Now, teabaggers are falling all over themselves to disavow their hostile roots, often implying that liberals are the ones encouraging violence. But their own words reveal the violence of their intentions. One of them has threatened armed rebellion. Stephen Broden, Republican nominee for Texas’ 30th Congressional District, said "“..we have a constitutional remedy. And the Framers say if that don’t work, revolution.”

So, off-the-cliff crazy? Sure enough, but crazy with an edge, like foaming-at-the-mouth crazy, like the Mad Hatter's Tea Party meets Kristallnacht. Beware, be very aware, but also raise the alarm: the lunatics are trying to take over the asylum!

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