"T" stands for a lot of things — "taxes," for example, and "tea," which inspired the "Boston Tea Party" protest and, in turn, inspired today's conservative tea parties protesting the government bailouts.
Today was chosen for the modern tea party protests because today is, of course, April 15. Income tax returns must be postmarked by this date.
Interestingly, today is also the 97th anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic, which was thought to be unsinkable before it departed on its maiden (and only) voyage. Another "T" word — one which may be appropriate ...
Because I think these tea parties are misguided and foolish.
Is it really necessary, at this stage, to point out that this country is facing the worst financial situation it has faced in three–quarters of a century? That unemployment grows by leaps and bounds with each passing month? That millions have been forced from their homes by foreclosure?
As Barack Obama observed only yesterday, ordinary citizens cut back on spending when times are hard. And when spending dries up, it contributes to a downward spiral. With demand for products down, most employers are more likely to cut workers than hire them.
And the virtual implosion of the housing bubble has made matters worse.
To give spending the temporary boost that it needs to get the economy moving again, it was necessary for government to get involved with the bailouts and the stimulus package.
It isn't the kind of thing that most of us, Republicans or Democrats, would have preferred. But these are — as I have observed before — unusual times, and unusual times demand unusual measures.
I'm inclined to believe that many of the people who planned to participate in today's tea party protests would like to go back to the days before the 16th Amendment, which imposed the income tax, was ratified in 1913.
But is that really practical? Nobody likes taxes, but they make it possible to pay for services that we all want and need.
In an ideal world, I suppose, people could keep every cent they make. But, before government began collecting income taxes, I guess fires had to be put out with neighborhood "bucket brigades." And I suppose law enforcement was left up to volunteer posses, many of whom were more likely to hang a suspect on the spot (as in "The Ox–Bow Incident") than wait for a legitimate judge to come to town.
And, before Franklin D. Roosevelt's presidency, there was no safety net for the less fortunate members of society — the unemployed and the disabled, for example.
Without taxes, how would we pay for things we take for granted, like trash collection? How would we pay for community parks and recreation programs that keep young people active during the summer months? Where would we get the funds that support public libraries and museums that enrich all our lives?
"Taxes are the price we pay for a civilized society," said Supreme Court Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr.Fortunately, according to Robert Schlesinger of U.S. News & World Report, Americans don't mind paying taxes.
They seem to understand what Holmes was saying. And they seem to understand that times have changed. We're not living in prosperous boom times. We're living in a recession, and those who have jobs must share the burden of helping the economy get back on track.
Here in Texas, the largest of the so–called "red states," the tea parties have been getting a lot of attention. Matt Mackowiak issued a call for citizen participation in the Austin American–Statesman because "a not–so–silent majority of Americans increasingly feel as though their hard–earned dollars have been wasted on Wall Street and Detroit and there's no end in sight."
I have no evidence to back this up, but I think Mackowiak's "silent majority" simply doesn't like taxes — period. But, without them, I tend to think that our culture would sink more rapidly than the Titanic after it struck that iceberg in 1912.
Yesterday, in the Dallas Morning News, Mark Davis said the tea parties were a success before they began. That's kind of a hard sell for me.
Incidentally, my pastor has a different take on all this. He's a reformed coffee drinker who switched to tea around the start of the year, and he says he'll be glad to take any unwanted tea you may happen to have. He has some other insights on today's events, which you can read at his blog.
(He also makes a reference to the phrase "tea bagging," but he wisely leaves it up to readers to learn the slang definition for it on their own.)
It will be awhile yet before we know if Obama's economic strategy is working. But, considering that the stimulus package didn't receive congressional approval until February, the smart thing is to give it more time to have an impact.
Obama says we're already seeing some of the fruits of the legislation. I hope he's right.
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