Although the Whiskey rebellion broke out in 1794, it had been simmering for several years. The problems in the new nation that lead up to the rebellion was founded in an agreement for the federal government to pay for the movement of the nation's capital from Philadelphia to a swampy area of the Potomac, which today is known as Washington D.C., in exchange for the federal government assuming the war debt of the states. In order to help pay these war debts, Alexander Hamilton as Secretary of the Treasury placed a 25% tax on all liquor sold in the United States. This tax was vehemently opposed by farmers in the western areas of all states south of New York because many relied on whiskey for their livelihoods.
Flash forward to 2010 and consider the Tea Party mob. Are they the precursors of a new resurgence of the Whiskey Rebellion of 1794, or are they the members of the 21st century revival of the Confederacy? Take a peek below the fold for a "breaking news" reconnoiter of America 2010.
An interesting coincidence lies in the fact that two of America's greatest presidents were actively involved in both of these national events. General Washington, our first president recruited a militia force in August 1794 from four states of over 12,000 troops. Negotiations between federal commissioners and the whiskey rebels eventually broke down, and Washington once again put on his Revolutionary War uniform and personally led his 12000 man army into Western Pennsylvania and quickly put down the rebellion. The most significant thing that emerged from the aborted whiskey rebellion was a demonstration of the power and supremacy of the federal government and the citizens of the states have been wary of that power ever since. The other president Abraham Lincoln guided and ultimately preserved the Union through the bloodiest war on American soil, the Civil War. Both insurrections sought to challenge the authority of the federal government, one for the right not to pay taxes, the other for the right to keep, breed and market other human beings in a perpetual state of slavery. So the profound question to ask is "what is really motivating the Tea Party to mount a challenge against the federal government"?
First it is important to evaluate the players on the field in the current Health Care Reform (HCR) controversy. First and foremost are the business interests whose industrial sector is the Health Industry. Like the whiskey farmers of 1794, many consider that their livelihoods are at stake and are sure to be compromised by ANY HCR bill that emerges from Congress.
Next, there are the congressional personnel who are congressional defenders of various corporations who belong to the health sector. These people are connected and controlled by these corporations through various complicated arrangements between lobby groups and the respective congress person.
Next there are the so called "Conservative" talk show hosts who dominate the American airwaves (AM Radio) 24/7 through out the southern and western states. This group includes the TV "conservative" hosts on Fox and other networks who simply provided a TV version of the right wing propaganda commentary of the day already broadcast by the likes of Limbaugh, and Savage on AM radio. It is important to note that this group is strongly driven by large financial rewards to "push the envelope" as far as possible in terms of delivering the most outrageous statements over their respective broadcast media. This group is also responsible for delivery of the Republican orchestrated Propaganda over the airwave to millions of people on a daily basis. I call this propaganda channel the Republican/Wingnut Propaganda Machine.
Finally, there is the respective listening/viewing audience which is the ultimate target of all of the bombast that Uncle Sam so patiently facilitates every day so that the broadcast people described above can live in very wealthy means.
First in viewing the current political scene it is obvious that the Republican/Wingnut Propaganda Machine has been working overtime to fan the flames of racist violence against Barack Obama increasing in intensity everyday since his election as POTUS. The question now is WHO ARE THEIR TARGETS? Their simplistic lying propaganda is designed primarily for mentally disturbed people on all levels of severity. These unfortunate marginally stable people range from conspiracy obsessed schizophrenics to raging homicidal maniacs. The Right Wing Propaganda Machine broadcasts their propaganda on a "shotgun" basis, designed to reach as many of these pathologically dangerous people as possible, with the fervent HOPE that the increasing violence in the Propaganda rhetoric will eventually push one of their avid listeners to commit some sort of violent action against the government. The Right Wingnut demagogues think that with this tactic that they are in a WIN-WIN political situation against the hated liberal Democrats. Their rationale is that in the event widespread racial riots eventually break out, that the American voter will run back to them (the Republicans) as the only party that can restore "law and order". The implications of their argument will essentially be that "we had a black man as president and the American rejected the very idea of his leadership so it is only natural that they turn to us to give the country a chance to quiet down and step away from this unfortunate experience." That is the Republican idea of a WIN-WIN situation.
In the event one of their mentally unstable listeners kills or injures a highly visible well known official either elected or appointed in the Federal government, it will unleash a widespread climate of fear that will break the will and create panic among most of the Democrats in Washington. Democratic resignations will flood both houses of Congress, and the Democrats will become a Party on the run. We are quickly approaching this tripping point. The effects of this type of violent threatening rhetoric has been acted out by anti-abortion pro-life activists many times across this country, even on a Sunday morning inside the sanctuary of a peaceful holy church. The attacks and violent rhetoric against Rep. Louise Slaughter has all the trappings of early anti-abortion propaganda, and is a dangerous sign of the shift in Right Wing propaganda.
President Obama bears significant responsibility in the escalation of the current inflammatory rise in exhortations to violence being broadcast daily by the Right Wing Propaganda Machine. Obama has steadfastly refused to turn the power of the DOJ on against anybody broadcasting threats against him as president of the United States. He has allowed Limbaugh, Beck, Savage, and many others to call for his assassination from the comfort and safety of their broadcast studios and yet he has done nothing about it. He has even allowed Limbaugh to broadcast his pernicious racist violent rants over Armed Forces Radio to our troops.
Unfortunately Obama is a man conflicted in his position as POTUS. He is conflicted between his strong personal sense of values which honors and extends good will to all persons. He also strongly believes that there is always a compromise available as an effective resolution to ALL conflicts. Fortunately for the President the Secret Service and the American Military have screened all of the serious threats away from the Obama family. Unfortunately for the rest of us who do not have a cadre of trained security about us at all times, the President is desensitized to the growing threat being driven to explosive levels by the Right Wing Propaganda Machine.
Simply summarized the violence levels of many of the MENTALLY UNSTABLE listeners and devotees to the various media outlets for the Right Wing Propaganda Machine are near a dangerous tipping point. This violent racist propaganda has been allowed to flow unchecked across the airwaves of America unchallenged from the time that the Obama took office. Its growth in influence and power is directly attributable to the failure of the Obama administration to both suppress and contain it. We have now reached a point where threats of violence are being directed on a personal basis against elected members of Congress and against people who work for the Federal government. Obama may be celebrating the new HCR law that he just signed, but he better initiate a serious domestic terrorist counter-campaign NOW or face the immediate future prospect of trying to govern a country torn apart by violence and riotous mob rule.
My suggestion is that the President be given a subscription to the Southern Poverty Law Center's monthly magazine, The Intelligence Report. Further, a copy of this publication should be placed on the President's desk on a daily basis as a constant reminder of the REALITY of the state of the so-called "post-racial" America in the Obama era.