The Misinterpretation of Historical Events

[Nephew Twiddleton]

This has probably been tackled before, but I haven't seen that thread yet, and a post I made a few minutes ago made me think of it.

I disagree with the Tea Party for a variety of reasons (pretty much all of them), but the thing that bothers me about them the most is the gall that they have to steal the image of one of the few cool things my city has done. Ok, you hate taxes and the American Revolution and the events leading up to it is about as American as you can make your movement. So start with the shouting of "No taxation without representation!"

Yeah! I fully agree! But you're overlooking the last two words. Think about it. Without representation. Congress, the governmental body that is empowered to levy taxes against the American people, is your representation. The members of Congress are chosen by the people (of the people, for the people, etc, etc). Wanting lower taxes and less governmental interference by the accepted governing body of the US is not the same demand as being a British colony not enjoying representation in Parliament. DC is the only place in the US that has a right to bitch about this.

No taxation without representation is not the same as no taxation period. And the converse of the statement is also true. No representation without taxation. You want a piece of the government pie, you gotta pay your dues.

That is all for the moment.

You have to remember that people are stupid.  They're just repeating what they've been told, by slightly less stupid people that are smart enough to try to co-opt the founders.

"You know how stupid the average guy is?  Well, by definition, half of all humanity is dumber than THAT!"
- Orton Nenslo.

Coincidentally enough, the Tea Party and GOP together are about 48% of the population.

I suppose that's the problematic part of slogans. Sum up an idea in one sentence or less so that it's easily repeatable and just as easily nuance subtle enough for people to eventually fuck up the idea.

But as you noted, appeal to authority via the Founders is a good way to sell your product.

[Doktor Howl]

I suppose that's the problematic part of slogans. Sum up an idea in one sentence or less so that it's easily repeatable and just as easily nuance subtle enough for people to eventually fuck up the idea.

But as you noted, appeal to authority via the Founders is a good way to sell your product.

Slogans are the perfect control tool...They let people have the luxury of getting angry, without all that hard work thinking.

You've heard the term "A conclusion is where you stopped thinking."?

Well, a slogan is where you let someone else do it for you.

[Cramulus]

Coincidentally enough, the Tea Party and GOP together are about 48% of the population.

are there stats on how many teabaggers there are?

http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/mood_of_america/partisan_trends

^ according to that, republicans are only 33% of America, whereas democrats are 35%. Smallest gap since they started tracking it, btw.

[Nephew Twiddleton]

Coincidentally enough, the Tea Party and GOP together are about 48% of the population.

are there stats on how many teabaggers there are?

http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/mood_of_america/partisan_trends

^ according to that, republicans are only 33% of America, whereas democrats are 35%. Smallest gap since they started tracking it, btw.

MAybe Dok was talking about percentage that support the GOP and the Tea Party

[tyrannosaurus vex]

Representation is fucked up in this country. A total of about 500 schmucks speaking for 300 million. A more reasonable approach to the same system we have now would have representatives numbering somewhere closer to 30,000. That, of course, would turn the Tea Party "Small Government" types into suicide bombers. Maybe they could rename their movement "The Constikazi Party."

[Nephew Twiddleton]

Representation is fucked up in this country. A total of about 500 schmucks speaking for 300 million. A more reasonable approach to the same system we have now would have representatives numbering somewhere closer to 30,000. That, of course, would turn the Tea Party "Small Government" types into suicide bombers. Maybe they could rename their movement "The Constikazi Party."

I'm cool with it. It would create 29,500 new jobs. 

[Nephew Twiddleton]

Actually, on further reflection, it would weaken the power of an individual Congressperson. Might make things pretty funny.  Corporations would have to shell out even more money to keep politicians in their pockets.

[tyrannosaurus vex]

Actually, on further reflection, it would weaken the power of an individual Congressperson. Might make things pretty funny.  Corporations would have to shell out even more money to keep politicians in their pockets.

Congress would be such an enormous clusterfuck that it would be impossible to do anything except whatever your constituents told you to fucking do.

[Phox]

Actually, on further reflection, it would weaken the power of an individual Congressperson. Might make things pretty funny.  Corporations would have to shell out even more money to keep politicians in their pockets.

Congress would be such an enormous clusterfuck that it would be impossible to do anything except whatever your constituents told you to fucking do.

Wouldn't it be fantastic? 

[Nephew Twiddleton]

Actually, on further reflection, it would weaken the power of an individual Congressperson. Might make things pretty funny.  Corporations would have to shell out even more money to keep politicians in their pockets.

Congress would be such an enormous clusterfuck that it would be impossible to do anything except whatever your constituents told you to fucking do.

Wouldn't it be fantastic? 

I kinda like this idea.
Interesting comparison. (Numbers are rough estimates)

US Congress has about 500 some odd politicians representing 301 million
Indian Parliament has about 750 representing over a billion
The Irish Oireachtas has about 200 representing 4 million

Math spags, how does that break down percentage wise for population and representative?

[Nephew Twiddleton]

Oh, and the Althing of Iceland is 63 politicians representing about 300,000- which is fewer people than is covered in an American congressional district with one member in the House of Representatives. (ie, if Iceland was a state in the US, it would be represented with 2 senators and 1 representative)

[Cain]

Idiots will always misconstrue historical events for politically expedient reasons.

This is why we teach history in schools, so people know they're full of shit.

[Adios]

It seems sometimes the history I see being taught today isn't the same history I was taught.

[Cain]

Unfortunately idiots in some places are in charge of the cirriculum, it is true.

That said, you can still pick up The Peloponnesian War and The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich for pretty cheap (the former you can actually download for free), so there is really no excuse.

[Nephew Twiddleton]

It seems sometimes the history I see being taught today isn't the same history I was taught.

You can pick and choose facts, and interpret them in different ways.

Once when I was in high school, I told this Greek dude who worked at a sub shop I liked that I was learning about the Byzantine Empire, and he got pissed off. He was like "The Byzantine Empire, huh?" "Yeah... like, the Eastern Roman Empire..." "Not the Greek Empire, right?" "Um... the capital was in Byzantium, so..." "Ok, what are they teaching you about Alexander the Great?" "He was the son of Philip of Macedon, and..." "Oh for fucks sake, Alexander was Greek, not Macedonian!"

Matter of perspective.

Cross reference Civil War vs War of Northern Aggression.