The taxman at the tea party.

For the past six weeks I’ve been working my ass off at a CPA firm, filing other people’s taxes for them. So naturally, I’ve been thinking a lot about the subject of taxes and it’s been interesting to see what various people have made, and what they have to pay.

I really don’t understand the Tea-Party movement. Do they want a military? Roads? The police force, prisons and firemen? Did they go to public school? Are they going to collect social security? Do they benefit from the society they live in? I'm just wondering..

They answer me, “I'm not against all government and I'm not against all taxes. Of course, we need some government and some taxes, but I think we could use less of both of those things.”

Oh, so it's only some places your taxes go that you don't like? Maybe I should join the movement. I have a whole list of places I don't like my tax dollars going. I don't like my tax dollars going to subsidize corn or soy. I don't like my taxes going to build hundred-million dollar aircraft for the military, or any of the wars we are currently engaged in, or any CIA operations. I don't like how much we spend on prisons. And I don't think tax dollars should be used to fight something as natural and benign as cannabis, which if you read into its history, is illegal for completely different reasons then what we are told. And I don't like my tax dollars going to teach abstinence only sex education.

“I think what the tea party movement is struggling against is big government and the road to socialism.” They say.

Well, I think a government should take care of it's population. especially one like ours, where there is no place to opt-out. And I think that capitalism equates a person’s worth to the size of their pocketbook

I suppose it comes down to differences of opinion. And I don’t think Humans will ever overcome their differences. I also wonder if the Tea Partyers are really any different than the Iraq war prostesters that sprouted up during the Bush era. I also wonder how big the movement really is compared to the media attention it receives.

But the differences that are there are huge. The protestors who want peace for everyone, and those that propagate hate and hording. So they don’t want to lend out a helping hand. Those who claim to be christians and follow in the footsteps of he who said “if he is naked, clothe him; hungry, give him bread; tired, a bed; thirsty, your cup.” I paraphase. But I, not claiming to be christian, turn the other cheek, and do unto others as I would have done to me because I believe in being a decent human being.

I’m half-convinced that the Tea Partyers are just really pissed off that they have a black Democratic president. They are so mad that they lost and the person who won is black. They are so mad, they are going to stupid lengths to express their anger. For example, in my state of Arizona, governor Jan Brewer is spending state resources to file a lawsuit against the federal government over the health care bill, (along with 13 other states, who are not going to win, and are just doing it for the political points) while they are having to slash the state budget everywhere else, cutting education, health and social services. When this country is filled with the super-rich living in cities surrounded by walls, and massive slums are filled with illiterate, ignorant, hungry and beaten down people and they begin to riot, we will have none but ourselves to blame.