JW asks if he is wasting his time protesting with the Tea Party:
What are your thoughts of the coming tax day tea parties on April 15th? I know that “protests” are nearly always irrelevant for creating change, but I also think that it is one the very few things a can do to create change despite the very insignificant chance that it will change anything. Perhaps a blog post in the near future can help provide so more outside insight on whether or not I am wasting my time standing outside with a stick and John Galt T-shirt.
Yes, I’m not a big fan of protests myself, as to me they usually appear to be events that are manufactured in order to provide an rationale for pushing something that is in the works anyhow. But the reaction of the media in attempting to bury these anti-government protests indicates that they are important; if nothing else, it makes it clear to the rest of the nation and the world that America is not supinely submitting to its financial rape.
Will it change anything? I don’t see how it really can. Washington demonstrated its complete contempt for public opinion in forcing the House of Representatives to vote until it got it right on the Wall Street bailout despite the overwhelming opposition of the American public, and it’s no secret that I have long believed the die is already cast. But, is it worthwhile? I think that it probably is, especially for those conservatives and Republicans who rightly feel conscience-stricken about putting Bush and the GOP into power in 2000. Even if such protests are little more than the difference between striking out while swinging and getting caught looking, the distinction is one of character and conscience. Also, as Daniel Hannan pointed out last week, you just never know what is going to be the last straw on the camel’s back.
So, I fully support the Tea Party movement, in fact, I think that would be an excellent name for a third party not just focused on limited government, but genuinely limiting the size and scope of government.