The Tea Party aren't Hobbits by any stretch of the imagination - hobbits are more like 1970's back-to-the-land hippie organic farmer types.
No, the Tea Party seems to be much more like the Easterlings, who's society has been thoroughly corrupted by promises of power regardless of the decency or lack thereof of the individual members. And Obama seems to be playing the role of Denethor, trying to hold back the tide but not really being able to do so and kinda ambiguous about where he's loyalties really lie.
Disagree. In Tolkien's narrative the Hobbits were clearly an analog for simple English villagers that he grew up around. They want to live life without the bother of the ambitious and the power hungry. The Tea Party are those same simple folk, transplanted into our modern era, who have reluctantly decided to get involved. A few years back they were being denigrated as the inhabitants of "flyover states". Nobody cared about them and they didn't matter, until they decided to get involved and upset the status quo. Because both parties represent two faces of the same shit mountain. Choosing between Democrat and Republican is like choosing between Saruman and Sauron.
"They" didn't choose Republicans. First of all, they didn't organize tightly for the express purpose of making the "they" more difficult to apply. The individual chapters are tied together with nothing more than common ideals. Second, about 30% of those identifying with the Tea Party voted for Obama. It was the Man-Child in chief that constantly chose to denigrate them, because they represent a force that is looking to take his major power away, the ability to tax in order to buy votes with.
The Sauron and Saruman presidential bid provided this country with the strong leadership it needed, backed with wisdom and experience. The Gandalf, Aragorn bid gave us a man on his last legs hitched to an unknown forest ranger from a state not even contiguous with the rest of Gondor!
Now, it's true that the Denethor administration left the country in a terrible way, in considerable debt, fighting losing wars on two fronts, and many were uncomfortable with the presidents stance on religious issues, especially funeral rituals. But that is no reason for people to turn away from strong leadership and a prosperous future, in favour of weed smoking, sound-bites about all the free peoples of Middle Earth, most of whom the majority of Gondorian's don't even know exist outside of legends!
I remind the house that in Mordorian society, there are no taxes, and no unnecessary labour or environmental protection, and all that is needed to succeed is drive, ambition, and a phalanx of orc mercenaries. The Sauruman bid allows us to partake in this forward looking society, abandon the failed liberal policies of Eldarianism, and return Gondor to the glories of its manifest destiny, as it was in the days of Ar-Pharazon!
Therefore, I urge citizen to cooperate with the new regime and offer up their young as orc feed as eagerly as I would offer up my own. Thank you, and God Bless Gondor.
"Ea" is the created world (literally: "being", as in a noun formed from the verb "to be"). It should have been "Eru" or "Iluvatar". That said, there's nothing wrong with "God", it is exactly what he is.
Aragorn has been corrupted by marrying a powerful agent of Rivendell. The affairs of men must remain such! The White Council must be kept in its place, performing magic tricks at Birthday Parties.
And what are these hobbits doing in Gondor? Did anyone check their papers? I hear one of them is even taking a job of tower guard away from decent hardworking Gondorians!
The Libs are likely to say it is McCain. I am not sure there is a Gandalf figure around these days, even considering a global view rather then a US one.
Saruman was accounted among the very wise, and there are no politicians on the national stage I can think of whom I would truly call wise. Wisdom is rarely a trait of politicians.
Sauron would have had great charisma--so Obama is closer than the Republican candidates, though some would say less evil, because he is more charismatic.
Charismatic leaders are more dangerous because they can get away with more before the criticism starts, which could well be too late to do anything about it anymore. Judge your leaders by their actions. Not their words and not their looks.
I think claim is that while the Tea Party see themselves as hobbits, the reality of modern politics and finance does not lend itself to fairy tale endings no matter how much the "hobbits" believe their righteous cause and unwillingness to compromise will prove themselves reluctant heroes. The Wall Street Journal was in fact claiming that they were clueless to reality and will greatly harm the Tea Party and Republican cause.
And the Wall Street Journal has access to universal truths that allow them to see the only clear path out of this mess? Right. Pull the other one. It's got bells on it. The Wall Street Journal is another status quo organization. It's paid to say things that it's readers want to hear.
In fact, I don't think there is a way out of this mess. It's just a question of who can keep the broken machine running a little longer. It has been broken for over 50 years and nobody has bothered to fix it. They've just thro
And the Wall Street Journal has access to universal truths that allow them to see the only clear path out of this mess? Right.
If by universal truths you mean "addition", then yes, it appears the WSJ (and the rest of us) have access to those truths while the tea party does not.
The tea party position is that we can not raise taxes and must balance the budget by cutting spending.
That's not mathematically possible, unless we cut federal government to the point that new drugs don't get approved, corporations can
I think claim is that while the Tea Party see themselves as hobbits, the reality of modern politics and finance does not lend itself to fairy tale endings no matter how much the "hobbits" believe their righteous cause and unwillingness to compromise will prove themselves reluctant heroes. The Wall Street Journal was in fact claiming that they were clueless to reality and will greatly harm the Tea Party and Republican cause.
I think of them more as the Jar-Jar Binks of politics. Stupid, annoying, don't really add anything at all in the way of ideas, and ultimately responsible for the destruction of the Republic (well, not _really_, just the unwitting tool of those who sought said downfall).
That's ok, because they all see you as stupid, annoying, don't really add anything at all in the way of ideas, and ultimately responsible for the destruction of the Republic. At least we can all agree on something.
The hobbits are NOT just the members of the fellow ship of the ring but the entire people who believed that if they didn't mind the outside world the outside world wouldn't mind them. The majority of hobbits wanted nothing to do with the outside world problems. Only when the troubles came to them and a few hobbits helped them did they finally make a stand when they had no other option. Scouring of the Shire, the bit that did NOT make it into the movie.
Really kid, READ a book. Just once, it won't bite.
Well, if you RTFA, you would have saw the context of the WSJ article was the hobbits that were heroes and won the war...Really kid, READ TFA. Just once, it won't bite...it was not some great anthropological study of hobbits...it was a sarcastic remark about the Tea Party appearing to be stuck in a fantasy world...
When the tea party stops trying to impose their morality on me perhaps.
Currently they have no real sense to them.
The backman's live off of government money (our evil government funded medical programs and farm subdidyy)I wonder how motivated they willl be to cut things.
Additionally as government shrinks you need more lawwsuits , yet nobody that supports a reduction of goovernment wants to make sueing easier or more attainable.
The Tea Party are not the simple folk who don't want to be bothered. The simple folk who don't want to be bothered are the "silent majority" who are not that interested in getting involved, but when pushed hard enough, or bothered enough will finally join the fight. The Tea Party is "supposed" to represent those people, but so are the Republican and Democratic parties. Realistically, the parties represent only themselves. If we're going to qualify the Tea Party as a distinct and separate party from the
by Anonymous Coward writes:
on Thursday July 28, 2011 @12:35PM (#36909830)
You gotta be fucking kidding me. There is nothing simple, wholesome, grassroots, or legitimate about any teaparty candidate. It's an image that's been sold to you and nothing else. These people did not "decide to get involved" there were handpicked by rich conservative interests to front for extreme pro-business and pro-wealthy agenda.
Recent effective uncapping of campaign contributions let private investors buy elections with unrelenting media saturation. You just don't care to question where the money came from. Nobody has ever been to a teaparty fundraiser.
Their voting record reveals the truth. Complete lockstep, unwavering synchronization. Zero deviation among the ranks of a group of people that are supposed to be 'grassroots', 'mavericks', and 'fiercely independent'. They're employees, not politicians.
Fake politics, fake people, fake values, fake truth. This is the modern republicanism. Real conservatives are gone.
"Their voting record reveals the truth. Complete lockstep, unwavering synchronization. Zero deviation among the ranks"
That would match the Democrat and Republican statistics. Most of our current "representatives" could be replaced with central party robots without anyone noticing.
that comparison holds up is if Hobbits were as virulently racist as the Tea Baggers. Seriously; there are more minorites in an Abercrombie & Fitch catalog than any attending a Tea Bagger rally. Be honest; if polled, around 90% of Baggers would state they believe Obama isn't a Christian or a US citizen or both. Their rallying cry wasn't "Budget!", it was "Ni**er!!".
Provide a link. I've never heard any racial rhetoric, or accusations, from any reliable media source. Otherwise I'm just going to assume you have nothing of substance to add and dismiss this ridiculous accusation out of hand.
The cardinal virtues in Lord of the Rings are courage and willingness to sacrifice. The isolationism and disinterest of hobbits in the world at large is not depicted as a virtue, nor is fear and distrust of the elites (the elves and Gandalf) which is characteristic of most hobbits. What makes the laziness, insularity and gluttony of the hobbits acceptable is that they're willing to put them aside; to do without in the service of a greater cause.
"The isolationism and disinterest of hobbits in the world at large is not depicted as a virtue..."
Bullshit.
"nor is fear and distrust of the elites (the elves and Gandalf) which is characteristic of most hobbits."
Double bullshit. Look what happened to the elite Saruman and Wormtongue. Nor is fear and distrust of the Elves and Gandalf "characteristic of most hobbits."
"The refrain you hear over and over is "I want my country back." Can you imagine *Frodo* saying such a thing? "
I reread that chapter every year, and have for the past three decades. Frodo did not fight in the scouring of the Shire, and none of the actions he took were to save his country for *himself*. As for Saruman and Wormtongue, most hobbits didn't know they existed.
Only the ignorant hobbits like Ted Sandyman take no interest in the outside world, or are suspicious of Gandalf or the Elves. The noble hobbits are without exception interested in the outside world and often have surprising connections to it (Bilbo
But the Hobbits didn't ally themselves with Sharky willingly, whereas the Tea-party "we're just common folk" types are gladly in bed with big corporations.
The Tea Party are those same simple folk, transplanted into our modern era, who have reluctantly decided to get involved.
I was with you up until the reluctance part.
There's nothing "reluctant" about the Tea Party. They are an exceptionally vocal minority with a political influence far exceeding their proportion of the population due to their exceptional organization, unity and cohesion. Not to mention the leverage of very, very deep pockets by members who are wealthy capitalists.
No, the closest analogy I can think of is the Sheriffs of the Shire that Frodo and Sam discovered after they returned from Mordor.
Obviously McCain doesn't understand the story (Score:5, Insightful)
The Tea Party aren't Hobbits by any stretch of the imagination - hobbits are more like 1970's back-to-the-land hippie organic farmer types.
No, the Tea Party seems to be much more like the Easterlings, who's society has been thoroughly corrupted by promises of power regardless of the decency or lack thereof of the individual members. And Obama seems to be playing the role of Denethor, trying to hold back the tide but not really being able to do so and kinda ambiguous about where he's loyalties really lie.
Re:Obviously McCain doesn't understand the story (Score:4, Interesting)
Re: (Score:2)
And picking the Tea Party is like picking Melkor.
Re: (Score:1)
He prefers Morgoth, btw
Re:Obviously McCain doesn't understand the story (Score:4, Informative)
The problem is, it seems when picking their leader they rather went with Saruman and Sauron rather than Gandalf.
Re: (Score:2)
"They" didn't choose Republicans. First of all, they didn't organize tightly for the express purpose of making the "they" more difficult to apply. The individual chapters are tied together with nothing more than common ideals. Second, about 30% of those identifying with the Tea Party voted for Obama. It was the Man-Child in chief that constantly chose to denigrate them, because they represent a force that is looking to take his major power away, the ability to tax in order to buy votes with.
The Tea Part
Re:Obviously McCain doesn't understand the story (Score:5, Funny)
The Sauron and Saruman presidential bid provided this country with the strong leadership it needed, backed with wisdom and experience. The Gandalf, Aragorn bid gave us a man on his last legs hitched to an unknown forest ranger from a state not even contiguous with the rest of Gondor!
Now, it's true that the Denethor administration left the country in a terrible way, in considerable debt, fighting losing wars on two fronts, and many were uncomfortable with the presidents stance on religious issues, especially funeral rituals. But that is no reason for people to turn away from strong leadership and a prosperous future, in favour of weed smoking, sound-bites about all the free peoples of Middle Earth, most of whom the majority of Gondorian's don't even know exist outside of legends!
I remind the house that in Mordorian society, there are no taxes, and no unnecessary labour or environmental protection, and all that is needed to succeed is drive, ambition, and a phalanx of orc mercenaries. The Sauruman bid allows us to partake in this forward looking society, abandon the failed liberal policies of Eldarianism, and return Gondor to the glories of its manifest destiny, as it was in the days of Ar-Pharazon!
Therefore, I urge citizen to cooperate with the new regime and offer up their young as orc feed as eagerly as I would offer up my own. Thank you, and God Bless Gondor.
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
Thank you, and God Bless Gondor.
So much perfection destroyed by that one line. Should've been "Ëa bless Gondor."
Re: (Score:2)
"Ea" is the created world (literally: "being", as in a noun formed from the verb "to be"). It should have been "Eru" or "Iluvatar". That said, there's nothing wrong with "God", it is exactly what he is.
Re:Obviously McCain doesn't understand the story (Score:4, Funny)
an unknown forest ranger from a state not even contiguous with the rest of Gondor!
Good point, I never even saw Aragorn's birth certificate.
Re: (Score:2)
Aragorn has been corrupted by marrying a powerful agent of Rivendell. The affairs of men must remain such! The White Council must be kept in its place, performing magic tricks at Birthday Parties.
Re: (Score:2)
And what are these hobbits doing in Gondor? Did anyone check their papers? I hear one of them is even taking a job of tower guard away from decent hardworking Gondorians!
Re: (Score:1)
Re: (Score:2)
+1 from me if I had mod points.
Re: (Score:2)
The problem is, it seems when picking their leader they rather went with Saruman and Sauron rather than Gandalf.
Now you lost me... Just who this Gandalf is?
Re: (Score:2)
The Libs are likely to say it is McCain. I am not sure there is a Gandalf figure around these days, even considering a global view rather then a US one.
Re: (Score:2)
Saruman was accounted among the very wise, and there are no politicians on the national stage I can think of whom I would truly call wise. Wisdom is rarely a trait of politicians.
Sauron would have had great charisma--so Obama is closer than the Republican candidates, though some would say less evil, because he is more charismatic.
Re: (Score:2)
Charismatic leaders are more dangerous because they can get away with more before the criticism starts, which could well be too late to do anything about it anymore. Judge your leaders by their actions. Not their words and not their looks.
Re:Obviously McCain doesn't understand the story (Score:4, Informative)
I think claim is that while the Tea Party see themselves as hobbits, the reality of modern politics and finance does not lend itself to fairy tale endings no matter how much the "hobbits" believe their righteous cause and unwillingness to compromise will prove themselves reluctant heroes. The Wall Street Journal was in fact claiming that they were clueless to reality and will greatly harm the Tea Party and Republican cause.
Re: (Score:1)
Re: (Score:2)
And the Wall Street Journal has access to universal truths that allow them to see the only clear path out of this mess? Right.
If by universal truths you mean "addition", then yes, it appears the WSJ (and the rest of us) have access to those truths while the tea party does not.
The tea party position is that we can not raise taxes and must balance the budget by cutting spending.
That's not mathematically possible, unless we cut federal government to the point that new drugs don't get approved, corporations can
Re: (Score:2)
I think claim is that while the Tea Party see themselves as hobbits, the reality of modern politics and finance does not lend itself to fairy tale endings no matter how much the "hobbits" believe their righteous cause and unwillingness to compromise will prove themselves reluctant heroes. The Wall Street Journal was in fact claiming that they were clueless to reality and will greatly harm the Tea Party and Republican cause.
I think of them more as the Jar-Jar Binks of politics. Stupid, annoying, don't really add anything at all in the way of ideas, and ultimately responsible for the destruction of the Republic (well, not _really_, just the unwitting tool of those who sought said downfall).
Re: (Score:1)
Re: (Score:2)
That's ok, because they all see you as stupid, annoying, don't really add anything at all in the way of ideas, and ultimately responsible for the destruction of the Republic. At least we can all agree on something.
Re: (Score:2, Insightful)
Tea Party supporters are living a fairy tale, but continuing to spend 40% more than you makes all the sense in the world?
I see.
Read a book (Score:2)
The hobbits are NOT just the members of the fellow ship of the ring but the entire people who believed that if they didn't mind the outside world the outside world wouldn't mind them. The majority of hobbits wanted nothing to do with the outside world problems. Only when the troubles came to them and a few hobbits helped them did they finally make a stand when they had no other option. Scouring of the Shire, the bit that did NOT make it into the movie.
Really kid, READ a book. Just once, it won't bite.
Re: (Score:2)
Well, if you RTFA, you would have saw the context of the WSJ article was the hobbits that were heroes and won the war...Really kid, READ TFA. Just once, it won't bite...it was not some great anthropological study of hobbits...it was a sarcastic remark about the Tea Party appearing to be stuck in a fantasy world...
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:1)
When the tea party stops trying to impose their morality on me perhaps.
Currently they have no real sense to them.
The backman's live off of government money (our evil government funded medical programs and farm subdidyy)I wonder how motivated they willl be to cut things.
Additionally as government shrinks you need more lawwsuits , yet nobody that supports a reduction of goovernment wants to make sueing easier or more attainable.
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:1)
The Tea Party are not the simple folk who don't want to be bothered. The simple folk who don't want to be bothered are the "silent majority" who are not that interested in getting involved, but when pushed hard enough, or bothered enough will finally join the fight. The Tea Party is "supposed" to represent those people, but so are the Republican and Democratic parties. Realistically, the parties represent only themselves. If we're going to qualify the Tea Party as a distinct and separate party from the
Re:Obviously McCain doesn't understand the story (Score:4, Insightful)
You gotta be fucking kidding me. There is nothing simple, wholesome, grassroots, or legitimate about any teaparty candidate. It's an image that's been sold to you and nothing else. These people did not "decide to get involved" there were handpicked by rich conservative interests to front for extreme pro-business and pro-wealthy agenda.
Recent effective uncapping of campaign contributions let private investors buy elections with unrelenting media saturation. You just don't care to question where the money came from. Nobody has ever been to a teaparty fundraiser.
Their voting record reveals the truth. Complete lockstep, unwavering synchronization. Zero deviation among the ranks of a group of people that are supposed to be 'grassroots', 'mavericks', and 'fiercely independent'. They're employees, not politicians.
Fake politics, fake people, fake values, fake truth. This is the modern republicanism. Real conservatives are gone.
Re: (Score:2)
By European, and even by Canadian standards, the Democrats are a conservative party.... What's gone in the US is liberalism.
Re: (Score:2)
Strong words...too bad you don't believe them.
People stand behind their words when they matter. When they don't, they're just useless whispers from the shadows... Anonymous Coward.
Re: (Score:2)
"Their voting record reveals the truth. Complete lockstep, unwavering synchronization. Zero deviation among the ranks"
That would match the Democrat and Republican statistics. Most of our current "representatives" could be replaced with central party robots without anyone noticing.
Disagree: the only way (Score:2)
Re: (Score:1)
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The Tea Party are orcs.
Re: (Score:2)
Well, if you're going to labor the point....
The cardinal virtues in Lord of the Rings are courage and willingness to sacrifice. The isolationism and disinterest of hobbits in the world at large is not depicted as a virtue, nor is fear and distrust of the elites (the elves and Gandalf) which is characteristic of most hobbits. What makes the laziness, insularity and gluttony of the hobbits acceptable is that they're willing to put them aside; to do without in the service of a greater cause.
If courage and sac
Re: (Score:2)
Could I imagine Frodo saying such a thing?
Before or after the scouring of the Shire?
Re: (Score:2)
You obviously missed the point of the book's ending.
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"The isolationism and disinterest of hobbits in the world at large is not depicted as a virtue..."
Bullshit.
"nor is fear and distrust of the elites (the elves and Gandalf) which is characteristic of most hobbits."
Double bullshit. Look what happened to the elite Saruman and Wormtongue. Nor is fear and distrust of the Elves and Gandalf "characteristic of most hobbits."
"The refrain you hear over and over is "I want my country back." Can you imagine *Frodo* saying such a thing? "
You need to reread the penultima
Re: (Score:2)
I reread that chapter every year, and have for the past three decades. Frodo did not fight in the scouring of the Shire, and none of the actions he took were to save his country for *himself*. As for Saruman and Wormtongue, most hobbits didn't know they existed.
Only the ignorant hobbits like Ted Sandyman take no interest in the outside world, or are suspicious of Gandalf or the Elves. The noble hobbits are without exception interested in the outside world and often have surprising connections to it (Bilbo
Re: (Score:2)
But the Hobbits didn't ally themselves with Sharky willingly, whereas the Tea-party "we're just common folk" types are gladly in bed with big corporations.
Re: (Score:1)
The Tea Party are those same simple folk, transplanted into our modern era, who have reluctantly decided to get involved.
I was with you up until the reluctance part.
There's nothing "reluctant" about the Tea Party. They are an exceptionally vocal minority with a political influence far exceeding their proportion of the population due to their exceptional organization, unity and cohesion. Not to mention the leverage of very, very deep pockets by members who are wealthy capitalists.
No, the closest analogy I can think of is the Sheriffs of the Shire that Frodo and Sam discovered after they returned from Mordor.