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“Tea-baggers”, Little Rock, AR, 1959
…censored by 'The Guardian'
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Inspirations and Aspirations 
What does that picture have to do with those who are attending tea parties today?
The language of the signage, i.e., the accusations of “communism” and the “anti-christ” are not just eerily similar, but virtually identical to many of the most popular anti-government and anti-Obama signage and language displayed at today’s tea parties, and especially the recent rally in Washington.
Interesting, too, that the object of scorn in the 1959 protests was “race mixing,” and that the President is the embodiment of “race mixing,” no?
If you’re trying to imply that those involved in Tea Parties because they disagree with socialism and are finally standing up for their beliefs are only doing this based on the race of the current POTUS, then I don’t have anything else to say to you. You’re no better than anyone else claiming that all of this is happening because anyone who disagrees with this administration is a racist. I can assure you, racism has nothing to do with socialism.
What I’m trying to say is that the current assertion that we are confronted with “socialism” and the “anti-Christ” is as much a canard as it was in 1959.
In 1959:
“Race mixing” = “communism”
“Race mixing” = “march of the anti-Christ”
In 2009:
Health care reform or the income tax = “communism” (or “fascism” or “socialism”; used generally interchangeably and inaccurately)
Barack Obama = “the anti-Christ”
You’re looking at the wrong side of the equation. What’s common to the two groups is not what they’re protesting, but the language they use to frame their protests.
The common language, in my view, belies a common political ideology.
“tea-bagger” is an inappropriate term.
Guilt by photo- association.
People are concerned at the crazy bailout of banks, auto plants, and Government supplied healthcare. Name calling is a cheap AD HOMINEM attack and does not address the issues.
But “the folk” who came to Washington don’t carry signs saying, “No bank bailout.” They carry signs saying ‘communist,’ ‘socialist,’ ‘fascist” and ‘anti-Christ’. If name-calling is an ad hominem attack, where is the guilty party?
And for what it’s worth, the rhetoric at these rallies — not at the fringes, but at their core — is classic Bircher/Father Coughlin/Timothy McVeigh crap. A guy brings a gun to a Presidential appearance, wearing a shirt that is an homage to Timothy McVeigh masquerading as an homage to Jefferson (yeah, right!), and you want me to believe it’s all about a marginal tax income increase? And not one — not one! — Congressional Republican denounces the action publicly. Well, we all know, “General Betray-Us” was an infinitely more sinister expression, eh?
So, get to the point. You’re trying to say that everyone who disagrees with this administration is a racist, right? Let’s just make it clear. Oh, and why must you call them “folk” who came to DC? Why can’t you just say the “people” who came to DC? And BO is a socialist. There’s really no arguing that fact.
1. No. What I’m saying is that there is a consistent strand of reactionary political sentiment in this country which is always yelling “communist” or “socialist” or “anti-christ,” regardless of the political issue or characters at hand.
2. I don’t think George Will’s criticisms from the right, or Paul Krugman’s criticisms from the left, are racist in any way. I think people who publicly and proudly display photoshop mashups of the President as a witch doctor, or sing “Barack the Magic Negro” on the radio, are probably racists, but I wouldn’t know for a fact, not knowing them personally.
3. Marginally increasing the federal income tax and capital gains taxes really doesn’t constitute socialism. To insist otherwise is not to assert a “fact,” but rather to demagogue the entire, essentially liberal, American system of capitalism. We don’t live in a world of beaver fur traders anymore, you know; things are more complicated than that. Some people can get their head around the concept and compexities of “advanced capitalism” and, I suppose, others just can’t.
There are plenty on the left who call those with whom they disagree Nazis and Racists.
The famous Joker/Socialism poster offers very biting social commentary in an creative artistic format. GW Bush had been painted as a Joker as well in magazine commentaries. No-one complained about the implications of that.
May I remind you, dear reader, the protesters in Washington were excising their constitutionally guaranteed rights of assembly, freedom of speech, and petition of government over grievances.
Many on the Left went nuts over the Duke University LaCrosse “rape” case, yet many want to pardon Roman Polanski.