Been having some discussions lately with some folk around Texas.  It seems like those “Tea Parties” were a bit hit with a certain crowd, who is quite happy with themselves.

My hats off to them, and I hope they drank some Texas Tea, or Long Island Ice Tea because it’s going to take more than one party for them to get through the next four-eight years.

Look, I love the idea of not paying taxes on things.  It can be quite a savings.  And not paying taxes is another way to stick it to Uncle Tom, err, Sam, or Obamao, or whatever it is they are calling him now in private.

The thing about it is, those of us with a long view, those of us not looking to next quarters profits are of the understanding that this economy thing is a longer haul.  It’s going to take more than 100 days to fix problems that have been brewing for 28 years (the credit crisis), international competitiveness (60 years) and our lazy ass human nature (four or five billion years).  A couple of those problems *might* be solvable in 10 years, and we might make enough progress on them in the one to two year time range to be happy with a slight progress.

We still have a very vibrant economy and the rest of the world has slowed down quite a bit more than us (the U.S.) and quite a bit more than my local us (Texans), so we are sitting pretty watching the world tumble into a new shape.

I mentioned ye olde Fox “News” for this bit.

Fox News hosts Sean Hannity, Glenn Beck and Neil Cavuto are all scheduled to broadcast live from tea parties in different cities across the country, and they’ve wasted little time in diligently working to boost attendance levels for these events.

Hannity has told his viewers, “And don’t forget, you can log on to our Web site to get all the details one week from tomorrow, our special, ‘Tax Day Tea Party’ show. You can attend. It’s live. It’s in Atlanta.”

[full article]

That link actually includes Dick Armey’s original call to arms, and a general response, from which I quoted above.

So it turned out to be a moderate success and the many, many times Republicans will gather to lament our new and profoundly different socialist tax system (which increases taxes four percent on the richest one percent of the population) can all be called “Tea Parties” and folks can drink the years ago, once or twice a month, until we get to vote again.

My hat goes off to Fox and the Fellow Tea-Partiers.  You have succeeded in manufacturing a new meme, perhaps even a social tradition, where people can gather and talk smack about the greatest black President in the History of the United States of America.

There, I said it.

I absolutely and truly belive that Barack Obama is the Greatest Black President in the History of the United States of America.  Yes, I also undertand that it could be said he is the Worst Black President in History, but the fact that both can be true at the same time is not one I wish to ponder endlessly.    As in 100 days I’ve seen a guy deal with multiple problems, on multiple fronts (inlcuding a violent one with him giving the go ahead on the snipers to whack the pirates), I have been impressed with Barry’s leadership.

He made some good, personal, points at the G20.  He has successfully shifted blame and responsibility for the economic stuff on his secretaries and their institutions.  A good idea, since his background isn’t really in big finance, like say an MBA like Bush (yea, I had to get one in there).  His decisions seem more moderate and pragmatic than what I think his truly liberal heart desires.   He understand he has to pick his battles, and has yet to *really* go after one.  Which I’m fine with.

The country in under a lot of strain, both economically and socially.  In addition to the economic woes, we have the immigration thing, which is changing what an American looks like.  And not in the Normal Rockwell sense, but in the 21st century sense.  White, Black, Asian, Latin, Other, we all have American in our blood, even the Natives.

We can party apart, and have our own venting Tea Parties, when the blood boils and the pot neeeds to whistle, so to speak, before it explodes.   Have a couple ‘rita’s and bitching is a time honored practice, and one I encourage on occasion.

But let’s keep things in perspective here.  We are in a Democracy, you have the right to vote.  We vote a lot (local, state, federal), and there’s other stuff you can do (outside of violate the law by not paying taxes), that help the situation, rather than stagnate the economy.  I guess the party supply industry should be  safe haven, either way.

We also need to work together to get the whole thing rocking again, at least in a more steady and sustainable way.  We just completed the roarin’ Aughts! (01-09) and now it’s time for the 10 year party to mark the end of millenium to end, and it’s time to get back to work building tomorrow.