Many have seen the Tea Party movement as an entity that had only existed because of the election of Barack Obama. That it can be written off as simply racism. But it is more complex than that. To me, its a denial complex of what is really happening. I see it with this discussion over a Tea Party protest.
Seeing the present day tea party movement, it deals with the complexities of not only racism, but class and the system of order. If many here ever studied about the history of India and Africa, you would remember that when British empires came to rule these areas at the times, that they imposed caste systems and ethnic groups to pit the basically same people against each other. In those systems, depending on where you were unless you were at the very bottom, you always had someone under you who wasn't as "privileged" as you or blessed as you. In many African countries such as Rwanda, you had people, all black, pitted against each other.
The Hutu's and the Tutsi's could be the very same shade of black or even in the same family tree, but according to British and German colonists, the Tutsi's were the more presentable shade of black. Meaning, that though they were in fact black, some were light skinned, some were very dark,but handsome or beautiful, at least in the colonist's eyes. Some of the Tutsi's features included having a more narrow and thin noses. They looked to be not from the Sub-Saharan African nations but instead from East Africa or North Africa near the Mediterranean. In all of that, the closer white looking they were, the more superior they were. The Tutsi's had amassed much more wealth and lived in stable, nice areas. The Hutu's, in contrast, were seen as smelly, degenerate and vile. They encompassed what was wrong with Africa. They were poor and dirty and were not "presentable". They had plump noses, which mean't that they were sub-Saharan. This very meager difference between noses was one of the catalysts of having uprisings that killed thousands to millions of people in each group.
I use these facts above for this very revelation, because in America, we lived under the same system. After the Civil War, many believed that former slaves were still not up to the same level as the all American white person. They were no longer obligated by bonds to serve as slaves, but were still subjected to unjust laws restricting their rights. Even President Abraham Lincoln, before his untimely demise at the hands of an assassin, believed that former slaves could not live in the U.S., and sought plans for transferring them over to Liberia and the Caribbean Islands. Perhaps he saw that there would be class conflict between poor and middle class whites and the newly free men and women.
This persisted well after the War into Reconstruction. Soon, we had black Representatives in the U.S. Congress such as Rep. Jeremiah Haralson of Alabama and Senators such as Hiram Rhodes Revels. P.B.S. Pinchback became the first minority Governor of the state of Louisiana in 1872. If you think Barack Obama faces an upheaval of pushback from his position as President, these guys were in the mosh pit of hell. Hate mail, localized threats and confronted personal threats were a daily routine. Motions to impeach and remove for office came about. Friends, family, and associates who supported these men or who were closely associated with them were killed. Nearing the end of Reconstruction, most of these elected officials were ousted from office after serving a single term or just days in the office. When they were turned out by the electorate, cries of jubilee erupted over the victors and the citizens felt a return to normalcy in the power structure that had been in existence.
To maintain that structure, the laws of Jim Crow and separate but equal became the paradigm to follow. When the movement for Womens Suffrage came to fruition in the early 1920's, minority women, notably black women, were excluded. When progressive legislation passed for the working class, many minority groups were left out of the equation altogether. During the Depression, when the passage of Social Security became law, excluded were domestic workers and sharecroppers, predominately black. No matter what happened, lower to middle class whites saw there social mobility increase while seeing blacks mobility staying stagnant. It seemed as if no matter what happened to them, that there would be no way that life could get worse for them. Since there was always someone below them, there would be no worries about their own lives. This line of thinking reminded me of a scene in Roots: The Next Generations where Alex Haley's father, Simon Haley, were trying to organize the local farmers for a Union during the Depression. I remember vaguely the story, and I believe that it went like this. Upset at a black man being the head of the Farmer's Union, some of those farmers wanted to lynch Simon Haley. One night, they broke into his house, which was empty, presumably they went out somewhere. The white farmers were astonished at what they saw. The house, was furnished in the modern era decor. Full living room set, radio in the corner, kitchen was furnished with fresh food. One guy stated, "My house doesn't look this nice." Another aimed to steal some of the furniture, but the first farmer shot back, "NO!, I won't steal from them." So, they went on to destroy and ransack the house.
I believe this is what the Tea Party is aiming to do. To destroy all semblance of reality of who and what minorities really are rather than the conjured hype that they believe we are. Wiping away history in the process to vindicate their positions, refusing to take in a more accurate viewpoint. It is not about government or how it doesn't work. The facts don't match up. For them it works perfectly. How else would you explain a guy who lost his job under a Republican President advocating taking away government aid from people while he himself has been looking for and has received government aid. How else would you explain an anti-government activist in Alabama railing against the new health care bill which would probably aid him and is living on disability checks from the U.S.Government. It would be easy to say racism, and a lot of that has to do with this. However I believe its the old adage set up by the oligarchs of this nation, " No matter how poor you are, you are always better than "them". After the Civil War, the people who remained rich and wealthy knew they had a problem. They had poor whites, who wanted more opportunities to mobilize up the social ladder and they had the newly freed blacks, who also wanted to revel in their new found freedom and mobilize up the social ladder. The wealthy knew that these two groups, if they could get through their racial differences, teamed up, that they would be an unstoppable force, guaranteeing upward social mobility. The wealthy of the land knew that in order to level the playing field for both groups, that they would need certain programs instituted by state and local governments. This meant that money was needed to fund these programs, and who had the money? The wealthy elite. So, it is also a cause of greed which led them to say to the poor whites, that it was "them", who was holding them back. It was "them" that was the cause of all of their troubles. That "they" would want the same rights that you always had. "They" never paid taxes like you. "They" never worked hard like you. "They" work, to take everything from me and you. I want to help you, but I can't because of "them".
It was the most successful con job and it still works to this day. Wall Street and television personalities take over the jobs from those landowners and wealthy elite of the mid 19th Century. We have former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin, currently their hope for a 2012 Presidential election. A woman, who in their eyes personifies their outlook on politics and life, even though she really isn't one of them. This is a woman, who quit her job as Governor for a book deal and reality show, yet rails against President Obama, saying she is more hardworking and qualified than he is. This is a woman who chastises this President for being a constitutional scholar and believes that her journalism degree makes her more qualified to be the President. This is a woman who rebukes the President for using a teleprompter while encouraging people that writing notes on her hand is a good trait. Rush Limbaugh, who lived in this gaudy, Miami Vice-esque house is telling these willing listeners that government is bad and should be rebuked. That this President should be scorned and rebuked. That this healthcare bill is socialism. That same socialism that has probably saved his life numerous times, including this occasion.
I also think that it is in fact not only the President's race, but the man himself. President Barack Obama represents everything that scares these people. A competent, intelligent, diligent, man who just happens to be a minority, who, whether they want to believe it or not, is above their level in their own system. He wasn't supposed to be President of the United States to them. He BREAKS that system. Every stereotype about black men and women are broken by him everyday. His life story is the quintessential American story. Raised by a single mother and grandparents. Never really knew his father. Wasn't sure if America had a place for a guy like him in society. Had a rough and tumble teenage years, but buckled down in college. Came to know people like him in college. Showed his compassion as a community organizer. Became a state senator, U.S. Senator and Presidential candidate within 10 years. With his charm, eloquence, and intelligence, beat conventional wisdom, took down known and revered names and became President of the United States.
If he were white and Republican, they would absolutely adore him. But since he is who he is, and what he stands for discombobulates their world view, it is scary. They, by their own guilty conscience believe that he may institute reparations for all minorities, taking away their meager, hard earned funds. They believe that he will ruin this country intentionally, as payback for misdeeds done to people like him in the past. They believe that he will overshadow their own leaders (i.e. Ronald Reagan) if he is successful in his endeavors. That his face would replace Ulysses Grant's on the $50 bill. They believe that their world of so called well deserved entitlements will dissipate due to the fact that more minorities will sift off their stuff.
They will slowly figure out, that the "facts" the wealthy elite told them for many years were lies and that they and the minorities of this nation are one in the same. No differences, other than color. Some might discover, like the farmers at Simon Haley's house did, that "they" might be better off and living comfortably while they struggle and scrimp for the crumbs. That is why they scream, as the lady infamously screamed to Rep. Mike Castle of Delaware,"I WANT MY COUNTRY BACK!" They want that fairy tale back. The fairy tale of superiority. That their lives are better than they actually believe.
They haven't learned it yet, nor have they allowed it to seep into their brains, but if we keep having these legislative victories, and if this President leaves this country in better shape than when he found it, the truth may start finally easing in.