The HonesTea Party

(This blog is not associated with the beverage manufacturer Honest Tea.)
   "No Taxation without Representation!"  This famous cry is the popular image of the 1773 Tax Revolt and the iconic Boston Tea Party. It was also the sentiment behind the populist energy of the modern Tea Party at its start in 2009. Early voices in the Tea Party objected to the elected representatives of only one party, Democrats, having sufficient votes to pass the economic stimulus package advocated by the Obama administration.
   At its inception, the genuine modern Tea Party seemed authentically concerned with the same core issue as the 1773: That the interests of the people...ALL the people...be represented in the places of power. The Tea Act was the work of government--the British monarchy--in collusion with gigantic commodity producers/distributors--the East India Tea Company--to enrich those elites and keep the colonists poor and disenfranchised. "Representation" before the powers of government and business was the issue of the historic "tea party", and was originally the desire of the modern Tea Party movement. (source: http://usconservatives.about.com/od/glossaryterms/a/Tea-Party.htm)
    Where would the honest Tea Party sentiment lie in the current conflict in Madison, Wisconsin? The issue is legislation that would deny or weaken the representation of labor before both big government and big business. The deep financial connection between Governor Scott Walker and commodities conglomerates the Koch brothers are a close parallel to King George and the East India Tea company. When the Koch-supported organizations that would claim to speak for the Tea Party call for support for Walker's plan, it is like asking the oppressed colonists to have a "we love the king!" day.
    I find the Honest Tea Party to be a thrilling movement, although I disagree with it on some specifics. I find what is being said and done by "crown and company" in the name of the Tea Party to be repulsive, undemocratic, and a sad and cruel lie.