The Left does not care about you, peasants
posted at 2:02 pm on April 15, 2009 by Karl
printer-friendly
Rolling Stone political reporter Matt Taibbi confesses ignorance in a piece titled, “The peasant mentality lives on in America”:
It took a good long while for news of the Teabag movement to penetrate the periphery of my consciousness — I kept hearing things about it and dismissing them, sure that the whole business was some kind of joke. Like a Daily Show invention, say. It pains me to say this as an American, but we are the only people on earth dumb enough to use a nationwide campaign of “teabag parties” as a form of mass protest, in the middle of a real economic crisis.
Marc Cooper, director of Annenberg Digital News at the Annenberg School for Communication at USC, also professes his ignorance reagrding the point of the tea party protests.
The White House confessed that Pres. Obama remains unaware of the tea parties.
Of course, all of the above have the resources to easily discover the point of the tea parties. Contrary to the elitist bloviations of people like Cooper, these protests are not simply about Obama’s proposals to tax upper-income earners (with the dampening of economic dynamism that would ensue). they are also about the ginormous tax bill Obama proposes to slap on all taxpayers — or the debt being piled on our children — even as Obama abandons most of his proposed tax cuts (most of which were transfer payments in reality). They are protests against the “too much, too soon agenda” Obama is pursuing at the expense of the real economic crisis.
What Obama, Taibbi and Cooper are really saying is that that they do not want to dignify the voice of the peasantry. Accordingly, it is worth noting that a “peasant” is “a coarse, unsophisticated, boorish, uneducated person of little financial means.” The Left used to at least pretend it spoke for the poor and unsophisticated. Now, from Pres. Obama on down, they cannot even bother to pretend.
—
Update: Jake Tapper tweets: “The White House never said POTUS was unaware of tea parties.” Funny, that’s what ran on Tapper’s network. Of course, the semantics are secondary to the fact that the White House ultimately does not care about these protests or their agenda.
Cross-posted at Patterico.
You must be logged in to post a comment.


Greenroom Feed
Blowback
Note from Hot Air management: This section is for comments from Hot Air's community of registered readers. Please don't assume that Hot Air management agrees with or otherwise endorses any particular comment just because we let it stand. A reminder: Anyone who fails to comply with our terms of use may lose their posting privilege.
Trackbacks/Pings
Trackback URL
Comments
The left was all for “rage against the machine” until they became the machine.
Disturb the Universe on April 15, 2009 at 3:16 PM
Hey, fellow stats lover.
It’s nishi!
I was right about Nate wasn’t I? Along with a ton of other things.
Could you work an equation for meh?
It’s a simple one.
Gen Y + Minorities-and-college-educated == A Permanent Democratic Majority ?
hehe
strangelet on April 15, 2009 at 4:12 PM
Ummmmmmm……….duh?
Dr.Cwac.Cwac on April 15, 2009 at 4:25 PM
Aww, c’mon Karl.

Tell meh what the teaparties are about!
I’ll lissen.
But don’t tell meh the parties are “bipartisan”.
We both know thass a lie.
strangelet on April 15, 2009 at 4:27 PM
And suddenly the Right thinks that the President should change his agenda based on some protests.
Funny, I dont recall the Right being dismayed that Bush didnt do a 180 on invading Iraq after massive protesting.
orange on April 15, 2009 at 4:27 PM
What the government and Obama don’t get is this: His job as President is to be the Commander in Chief and keep the country and it’s citizens safe. Not to micro manage the people. Congress needs to spend about 5 years (since they hardly work so it would take that long) to eliminate agencies, regulations and useless laws that strangle us. The fair tax needs to be adopted so ALL people pay taxes. I’m outraged that the IRS is running ads on the radio here reminding people that DON’T PAY TAXES to file for up to $4800.00 in free money for the earned income credit. What in the hell is going on here?
suzyk on April 15, 2009 at 4:28 PM
Sadly, this is about as effective as “Hands Across America” if it doesn’t move beyond just today.
eforhan on April 15, 2009 at 4:32 PM
Karl, really, please….do Teaparties for Dummies just for me.
Are you protesting entitlement taxes like social security and medicare and prescription drug benefit? Because those taxes are the ones that will crush our children.
strangelet on April 15, 2009 at 4:32 PM
Don’t you get tired of being wrong all of the time?
http://michellemalkin.com/2009/04/15/california-tea-party-to-california-gop-smackdown/
db on April 15, 2009 at 4:34 PM
Interesting. Rahm Emanuel said “a crisis is a terrible thing to waste,” which was echoed a few weeks later by Hillary Clinton. It is the Democrats in power who are attempting to exploit a terrible situation for their own political gain, at the expense of their poorly educated and deluded followers — not us peasants. Us peasants are working too hard paying for the upkeep of the entitlement class to regard this as a joke.
pomerpants on April 15, 2009 at 4:35 PM
Methinks you are ignorant of history.
Political demographics of every generation show that they initially start out more liberal and move decidedly right as they get older. So while your assumptions about GenY may be valid today, they will not be even ten years from today.
I think you would be more well served to investigate how the goals and attitudes of GenY impact our country in the long term as compared to earlier generations. Take a look at how “liberal” they are at this age than previous generations. I think you will find that the Democrats are not on such firm ground as you might assume.
Now add in the fact that minorities are moving to the right, not to the left. The conservative elements in the black and Hispanic societies are clearly there and they are becoming more vocal all the time. For example, did you realize that in 2006 polls, about 40% of Hispanics opposed amnesty for illegal aliens?
You might wish for a more clear result for the Democrats. But all of this garbage being tossed out there is nothing more than a massive effort by the left to make the conservatives feel marginalized. But it isn’t working.
Hawthorne on April 15, 2009 at 4:35 PM
Pardon, beggar our children.
Are you protesting Obama’s take-over of banks? Because he isn’t. He is actually bending over backwards to avoid taking them over…..he’s giving them money to stay independently solvent.
strangelet on April 15, 2009 at 4:37 PM
You might think that, but you’d be wrong…..this time.
In the past the youth divided much closer to 50-50.
Actually, people do not change their political affiliation……anymore.
That is a failed hypothesis, starting in the 80s, political affiliation does not change with age.
strangelet on April 15, 2009 at 4:44 PM
Karl….please…..you have my undivided attention.
Tell meh what the teaparties are for.
Is it like the Dollhouse?
strangelet on April 15, 2009 at 4:47 PM
I’m sure that when you haven’t left your mother’s basement since the 80s, you could pretend to believe that.
MadisonConservative on April 15, 2009 at 4:50 PM
The youth love to rebel until they kicked out of the house. And then wonder why a guy named FICA gets some money from there paychecks. I am talking it slow and easy until we can kick those bastards out of the White House & Congress.
I have told clients call me 2010 and maybe again in 2012. If it gets worse I will retire and eat my can of beans everynight.
izoneguy on April 15, 2009 at 4:53 PM
db on April 15, 2009 at 4:34 PM
big whup, booing the insane clown posse that comprises your loozer leadership doesnt change the fact that the teapartiers are homogeneously derived from this demographic.
Where are your youth, your minorities, your token liberals?
meh.
strangelet on April 15, 2009 at 4:56 PM
Read the page I linked.
Karl will agreee with me, im so very sure, the stats don’t lie.
strangelet on April 15, 2009 at 4:59 PM
You really do like to hear yourself think, don’t you. Seven out of 17 comments on this thread came from YOU.
Sheesh. Get a life.
IrishEi on April 15, 2009 at 5:01 PM
And…..Karl is right!
The right cares A LOT about the peasants.
Because without scamming and exploiting the peasants, the right would have no constitutency.
Think about how your rightwing overloards have treated you for the past 8 years on the unborn, illegal immigrants, SSM, prayer in schools, etc, etc.
Whip you up into frothers but no action, eh?
lol
strangelet on April 15, 2009 at 5:05 PM
Karl and I are old friends, aren’t we Karl?

So lovely to see you again.
Anyways, I would be delighted to stop with my comments, as soon as Karl explains the purpose of the teaparties to meh.
strangelet on April 15, 2009 at 5:08 PM
Bingo. Welcome to our side. Now grab some tea and go protest!
eforhan on April 15, 2009 at 5:16 PM
Ummm… db took care of the citrus effectively enough. However I do wish that round tasty fruit would understand that courage and staying the course is admirable ONLY when it is right. Do we remember what right is? The opposite of wrong (not left)
Now to close let me ask of my vitamin C rich fellows what, if anything, is right about taking 39% of what ANY American makes in income?
bigskinny on April 15, 2009 at 5:20 PM
My twitter source ( via a direct message, so I’m not sure if it’s ok to attribute) said that what Gibbs actually said was “I don’t know if the president is aware of the events”
SarahW on April 15, 2009 at 5:32 PM
Which is obviously why Gibbs mentions the Presidents planned super-cool counter-event in the same sentence.
SarahW on April 15, 2009 at 5:35 PM
obladioblada on April 15, 2009 at 5:37 PM
Funny, I remember the left being pissed off that the president didn’t change his adgenda based on their protests. It’s a lovely circular argument you stumbled into there. Those you’re agruing against can’t be wrong unless you are wrong too. Or on the other hand you both could be right. Either way it shows that no one party has a monopoly on hypocracy.
Scrappy on April 15, 2009 at 5:41 PM
I am still waiting for enlightenment Karl.
/taps foot impatiently
I shall go ask AllahP the same question.
If I am the elephants child (and i am a hereditary republican), then who is the crocodile and who is the bi-colored python rocksnake?
strangelet on April 15, 2009 at 5:41 PM
Taking issue with someone using the term “bipartisan” comes off pretty lame after supporting the ridiculous notion that Obama is the first “post-partisan” president. The sheep follow that LIE for the last two years without even the slightest bit of evidence to back it up.
Scrappy on April 15, 2009 at 5:43 PM
Karl, really, please….do Teaparties for Dummies just for me.
Are you protesting entitlement taxes like social security and medicare and prescription drug benefit? Because those taxes are the ones that will crush our children.
strangelet on April 15, 2009 at 4:32 PM
I’m not quite sure exactly how you are referring to social security as “entitlement”. You bet your bloody ass I’m entitled to social security, having paid into the system for the last 30 years of my life; especially since my IRA is now in the toilet.
Some points seem to elude you; its been stated over and over that these tea partygoers aren’t just Republicans – they are people that feel like Congress isn’t doing its job correctly – that is to represent ‘we the people.’ They’re just not listening to us or respecting us; hell, they don’t even read the bills they pass. We aren’t people on welfare. We’re people that idiots like you ought to look up to, since we’re people that work hard and pay taxes. Big spending and taxing the hard workers won’t fix the economy. TTax businesses more and they will close their doors, meaning less jobs and a shrinking economy. You should try walking in the other man’s shoes for a while. Be an independent contractor, not an employee, and see how it feels to be out of work and not qualify for unemployment benefits. Try that, and then we’ll see just how smarmy you are.
fullogas on April 15, 2009 at 5:52 PM
these tea partygoers aren’t just Republicans -
Prove it.
strangelet on April 15, 2009 at 6:10 PM
Nishi, you know better than to say that everyone who rejects O’s plans, power and money grabs, is tied to party.
SarahW on April 15, 2009 at 6:11 PM
You already have proof, Nishi.
SarahW on April 15, 2009 at 6:11 PM
Hey Marc, to quote an ancient cartoon from the Wizard of Id – The Peasants are Revolting!
Unlike you, at least some of us in the peasantry know the difference between a “tax cut” and a change in withholding on a paycheck. Put that in your royal pipe and smoke it, ye pompous ass.
Buy Danish on April 15, 2009 at 6:16 PM
I will. I’ve got pictures of the Sacramento Party on my phone. I need to head to BestBuy and score a cable to get them off it, and then you’re going to look silly. Which differs from the status quo not at all, but still.
TheUnrepentantGeek on April 15, 2009 at 6:16 PM
these tea partygoers aren’t just Republicans -
Prove it.
strangelet on April 15, 2009 at 6:10 PM
I’m not a Republican, dumbarse.
fullogas on April 15, 2009 at 6:18 PM
You lose your corner on Colfax?
jdkchem on April 15, 2009 at 6:26 PM
Prove it.
strangelet on April 15, 2009 at 6:27 PM
What is remarkable to me is that for some it is inconceivable that a person could think of something on their own and form a strong opinion without being directed to do so by the Party. Me thinks this is more Liberal/Democrat projection.
jimboslice on April 15, 2009 at 6:28 PM
Wow, your parochialism is astonishing! You don’t know anyone who doesn’t look and think like you, do you?
Seriously, leave the comfortable little world you’ve created with your computer and your circle of fellow believers and see the rest of the country. It will be enlightening, you might even have to rethink some of the things that you believe you know for certain about total strangers. You may have fun and discover that you actually like people who have opinions that differ from yours.
People who are different from you are okay, really.
obladioblada on April 15, 2009 at 6:30 PM
If there are nonrepublicans at the teaparties…..why not haul them in front of a FOXnews camera to counter the parade of Deliverance extras that CNN and MSNBC are featuring?
I mean…you do have dedicated mic.
strangelet on April 15, 2009 at 6:31 PM
With supporting evidence in the comments.
jdkchem on April 15, 2009 at 6:31 PM
Prove it.
strangelet on April 15, 2009 at 6:27 PM
The schtick is getting old. Prove to us that you have anything worthy to say.
Scrappy on April 15, 2009 at 6:33 PM
People who are different from you are okay, really.
obladioblada on April 15, 2009 at 6:30 PM
There are no people like me.
Just ask SarahW.
I’m just your basic evil sociopathic internet DNA virus…..except when im a hypothetical object consisting of a bound state of roughly equal numbers of up, down, and strange quarks.
strangelet on April 15, 2009 at 6:35 PM
The words REPUBLICAN & DEMOCRAT were not uttered once during the tea party I attended today….Obama’s name was spoken ONCE, in passing, when a speaker said they had sent “a letter to Obama” as a call to action. We said the Pledge of Allegiance, sang the National Anthem and participated in a prayer to God.
Maybe the lib trolls should have gone to a protest & listened, then come here and expressed their opposing views after gathering something quaintly called INFORMATION.
Ris4victory on April 15, 2009 at 6:36 PM
Would somebody please strangle it?
Puddleglum on April 15, 2009 at 6:40 PM
strangelet,
Given that I identify the primary grievances of the tea partiers in the post, I’ll have to say that playing stupid is a bad look on you, though it’s far from the first time that you’ve worn it.
However, if you really need someone to hold your hand and give you a breakdown of the sub-grievances, I would point you to Michelle Malkin’s Tea Party cheat sheet.
Karl on April 15, 2009 at 6:42 PM
Okay sweetie, what ever makes you feel better. I concede, you are the center of the universe and everything revolves around you.
obladioblada on April 15, 2009 at 6:46 PM
wow strangelet, getalife whoever you are. You are beginning to give off the signs of a cornered rat. Are you actually capable of comprehending the posts of others here? I have not seen any posts here by you that reflect a shred of intelligence. All you say is, “prove it, prove it.” Do you hold down a job? Do you pay taxes? Do you actually use your intelligence to read information from a variety of sources and then formulate your own conclusions and opinions?
fullogas on April 15, 2009 at 6:58 PM
Lol Karl….Malkin?

Shes a frother.
There was nothing in there to support “bipartisan support” of the teaparties.
Zilch, zip nada.
And I don’t even ‘member what that old fight was about.
“You win Karl” she says sweetly.
Lol, What Would the Founding Fathers Have Done always makes me think of Palin.
Jefferson at least would have called her out as a demagogue.
No help here, I guess I’ll take my bananas (the short green crackly kind!) and go seek out the Crocodile to answer my satiable curtiousity.
No answers here, obviously.
strangelet on April 15, 2009 at 7:07 PM
wait, oh wait!
from Karls link…..
OMG you are protesting a tobacco tax?????
you are morons.
strangelet on April 15, 2009 at 7:12 PM
hey strangelove, know what I like about all this??
people like YOU are going to be SUPPORTING people like ME for a long time…
work hard ‘honey’ and make lots of money, so I can get it!!
BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHA
right4life on April 15, 2009 at 7:24 PM
oh and strangelove there is a typical liberal wacko atheist…thinks she’s the smartest thing in the room..but with every post proves the bible true…
professing to be wise, they have become fools…
right4life on April 15, 2009 at 7:27 PM
Strangelet-
what is wrong? your mom ragging on you again? you seem cranky.
Jamson64 on April 15, 2009 at 7:28 PM
I’ve been saying that the Left has become neo-feudalist for years.
The new nobility will make sure that they put the fruits of your labor to good use though at their environmental conferences in Tahiti.
18-1 on April 15, 2009 at 7:29 PM
Im a Sufi.
I cast off the cruel scold’s bridle of catholicism 2 years ago.
strangelet on April 15, 2009 at 7:35 PM
ding ding ding
great post
Jamson64 on April 15, 2009 at 7:37 PM
you’re a liar. we’ve been through this before….no sufi would say the things you have about Jesus.
right4life on April 15, 2009 at 7:45 PM
I <3 Issa.
strangelet on April 15, 2009 at 7:59 PM
3 = 1
right4life on April 15, 2009 at 8:11 PM
So strangelet is nishi? You poor sods… nobody gets the last word on nishi. Her ability to bloviate endlessly is as amazing as her posts are trivially annoyinh. Or it that annoyingly trivial?
Have fun.
jmuchow on April 15, 2009 at 8:20 PM
It’s like tic-tac-toe, the only way to win is not to play.
venividivici on April 15, 2009 at 8:31 PM
Orange, you’re ignorance is blaring. Might want to look into A.N.S.W.E.R., the chief group behind the anti-war protests.
TTheoLogan on April 15, 2009 at 8:37 PM
Now, now, guys. The left is all about tolerance and junk. I mean, seriously, only one guy called me a Nazi as we left the protest.
I, of course, quite demurely ripped him a new a-hole by suggesting that calling a Jew a Nazi was probably not the best way to win converts…..
Liberals are tolerant as long as your belief system is in absolutely perfect lockstep with their own. otherwise, they’re a bunch of whiny little children who can’t imagine that people can possibly disagree with them AT ALL.
mjk on April 15, 2009 at 9:49 PM