History is full of examples of people inspired by great ideas who believe they are 'doing the right thing' - where the end result turns out to be anything but what was intended.
Indeed some of these efforts have turned out to be quite the opposite of what was intended - on a pragmatic, ethical and moral level.
Let's look back in history to the Fourth Crusade; by 1200, the Third Crusade had come to a close with 'limited' success. Jerusalem had been lost to the Arabs - with only a few cities along the coast remaining in Crusader hands.
Pope Innocent III came into the papacy in 1198 and made reconquest of the Holy Land his primary focus. But after years of conflict and limited success, interest in Crusades was waning. Europe has spent a huge amount on these efforts, with decreasing success rates. Nevertheless an army was raised and an agreement negotiated with Venice who agreed to transport 33,000 troops.
The goal of this Crusade was a noble one in the eyes of the Catholic Church and European powers - even if many were tired of these efforts and ongoing conflict in the Holy Land far from home.
Venice spent a year preparing for this endeavor - at some cost to its normal commerce.
When the Crusader army arrived in Venice in 1201, it was far smaller than the expected number - some 12,000 instead of 33,000. Venice demanded the full contracted payment of over 80,000 silver marks but the Crusaders could only come up with just over 50,000 silver marks and managed that only with great difficulty.
Venice was in a difficult situation - having lost business in preparing for this effort. The fleet they assembled required almost as many Venetians to man as the number of Crusaders they were now transporting. Venice proposed that the debt be paid by having the Crusaders attack the Christian City of Zara - a commercial rival once under Venice's control but now under the protection of the King of Hungary. Some Crusaders refused to do so and returned home. The papal representative - afraid of the Crusade ending before it began- endorsed the Venetian proposal. However Pope Innocent III opposed this and threatened to excommunicate those who did so. This news was NOT passed on to the majority of the Crusader Army.
The city was put under siege - despite demonstrations by the city's residents that they were Catholic. The city fell after a brief siege. The Pope was outraged and excommunicated the leaders of the Crusade and ordered them to proceed to Jerusalem. This was not made known to the Army in general - its leaders were afraid of the repercussions..
Venice also had poor relations with Byzantium at this point in time - In 1182 there was a large scale massacre of Roman Catholic merchants in Constatinople. Many were killed, others fled and others were sold into slavery to the Turks. The Byzantines were unhappy with the domination of trade by western merchants from Venice, Genoa and Pisa - and their meddling in local politics.
http://en.wikipedia.org/...
Meanwhile you had a recently deposed Byzantine emperor looking to regain his crown offering a number of inducements to the Crusader army if they would topple the reigning emperor. He offered money men and more.
http://en.wikipedia.org/...
so...... what started out as an endeavor to free the Holy City of Jerusalem turned into the looting of a Christian City. The Fourth Crusade collapsed after the fall and looting of Constantinople - with few reaching the Holy Land.
The fall of Constantinople to a CHRISTIAN Army weakened the Eastern Empire and hastened its eventual collapse and conquest by Muslims. Christianity suffered in an immediate and long term sense. Subsequent Crusades were smaller and smaller in scope and had limited results before the movement faded in failure with a growing expansion of its rival - Islam.
What had been the bulwark of Christianity in the East fell to the Ottoman Turks a few centuries later. The tension that had existed between the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox branches of Christianity become a full out rift. Efforts by the West to help suport a collapsing Byzantium in the 15th century failed as the Byzantine citizens wanted no part to this effort, remembering how their capitol was looted.
We now have a number of Americans - honestly concerned with the future of their country and wanting desperately to put it on the 'right track'.
They have hitched their wagons to a number of groups who have their own agenda and are redirecting these present day Crusaders. Those wanting to fight for change are short of funds and more than willing to make deals with those willing to finance their crusade.
A few may have discerned the true motives of their 'benefactors' and have gone home - refusing to pillage fellow Christians. Others see what is happening but are willing to ignore them and believe the 'greater good' is worth the bargain they are making. Nobody wants to announce the truth to the troops.
So, instead of uniting against a common enemy and working towards a common goal, we have a Crusading Army subverted and used against fellow Americans, in an effort to subvert those that are perceived as political rivals. Of course there are substantial economic returns to the new Crusade sponsors. But these are not obvious to the mass of the Army and are indeed concealed from them.
Few Crusaders would fight to restore a deposed emperor - one already wealthy beyond their means if they knew that the fight would permanently injure the cause they fight for. These American Crusaders THINK they are fighting for the United States of America - to strengthen it and 'restore' it to its former power and glory. But instead they are fighting to increase the wealth and power of some of the richest people in America. They would loot part of this country and funnel the riches they grab to the already wealthy.
Never mind if their actions only weaken the nation they profess to care so much about. Never mind if their actions only lead to more strife and discord, a further weakening of the nation they claim to love, a further weakening of the Constitution and Rights they speak so much of.
The Tea Party 'Army' - like many (most) in history - has been inspired by supposedly noble ideals but is being used to accomplish far baser goals. The common man has been used throughout history to add power to the already powerful and make those already rich even wealthier. Few of the inspired volunteers in such fights ever manage to see the truth.
But in current politics no efforts are being made to enlighten those who think they are fighting for a great Crusade. No banners are hung to say 'We too are Christians' - 'We ALL are AMERICANS'. It SHOULD be obvious to those in this fight that sacking Constantinople has little to do with freeing Jerusalem but I do not hear much shouting or see many efforts to enlighten the troops.
The Republican Party Leaders may be horrified (in private) by the Crusade they have unleashed but (with only a few exceptions) are unwilling to stand up to the usurpers. The lure of additional money and more troops is too much to ignore.
Perhaps the leaders have convinced themselves that they CAN somehow go on to free Jerusalem after leaving Constantinople in ruins but the truth is that a few will end up with most of the loot and their cause will collapse without accomplishing their goals. Instead of a weakened Christian Europe- East and West - they will leave behind a far worse off America, divided even more, ill equipped to face the challenges it faces. And even those that benefit in the short term, lose in the long run. The Koch Brothers will pay less in taxes, face fewer regulations and get far richer. The oligarchy paying this Crusade's bills will get wealthier while most Tea Party soldiers will get poorer.
In the end the country they profess to care so much about will be far weaker and worse off - and none of their stated goals will be achieved.
In some ways, this could be also viewed as a modern day version of the Children's Crusade
http://en.wikipedia.org/...
There are two basic versions of that effort: children believing they can convince Muslims to convert to Christianity, heading off to the Holy Land and being sold into slavery by fellow Christians - or older but naive young men believing something similar - dispersed and sent home before even attempting their crusade.
However that effort did harm only to its participants. The Tea Party is doing real damage to this nation - looting and pillaging their fellow Christians in the service of the already rich and wealthy.