Ah the undercurrents of US History... that go back a LONG TIME

[nadinbrzezinski]

So been doing some serious research and damn hottity damn I knew that I heard some of the slogans we have seen at the Tea Bagger rallies BEFORE...

Of course I have, and you know what, if you had a decent history class, so have you. The outrage of our tea bag express against guv'ment and them stealing our way of life, and I mean all the way to them foreigners and the invasion... go back a LONG TIME. In fact, if you had these folks wear suits, and hats and drive a horse and carriage instead off a car, and shorts... you'd be right. The populist anger that these guys espouse going back to the Traditional Family Values go back a LONG WAY... and not in history mind you, but in American myth.

In fact, the themes of the modern tea bag demonstration have a LOT in common with those of the late 19th century and the Granger halls. It is a reaction to a changing economy, at the time the end of the dominance of Rural life upon America, and immigration pressures. By the way, not that I am going to go tell them this, I mean that means I read a book or two... but their hate of the intellectual while fighting for the common man also goes back that far and further back too, all the way to Jackson.

And who said history would not be fun. It is one of those where I am just going... head hurts.

Of course here is more... you know where the Neo Con comes from? the New Conservative? The 1950s... surprised? On that one I was actually. I truly believed it was newer than that and coalesced in the 1980s, but no, it actually took form and was already talked about, in the 1950s. Oh and the Third Way, we also know it at Neo Liberal, started to take form around the same time. It is amazing those connections which mean that there is far more continuity to it than I ever believed. I thought you'd like to read these thins.

Oh and here is one more before I hit the books once again... here is another characteristic of populist thinking... mind you I suspected it, but now I KNOW IT... Conspiracy... and conspiracy theories. Whether it is the commie under the bed or the truthers, they all have a lot in common as it blames an outside force for what is taking the pure (and mythical) nature of the country.

By the way readying all this is reminding me why I went into history to begin with. All those damn connections.

But you know what? Those Tea Bag Express members, and the truthers, and a few others in the modern populist movements on "both sides of the aisle" have a lot more in common than they believe they do, and truthfully (I know a little pun here never hurts) I don't expect them to realize that. After all the fights are also part of the traditions in this country. Me, will continue readying, and searching for nuggets, so far in the secondary sources and the historian's comment on it.

[nadinbrzezinski]

1. kick for morning crew