High Tea at High Noon

I always look forward to summer vacation, but this year I returned from a few days off to find that the HPE Opinion page had been taken over by leftist propagandists.

I think “propaganda” is a proper word to describe tactics that use false “facts” to support one’s position, whether it’s the result of an intention to deceive, or just simple ignorance.

With the Left, it’s often difficult to make that distinction, but as I was reading my way through the pile of accumulated newspapers, the first ditty I noticed was an article offering tips to the Republican Party to help them in the coming elections. It warned the Grand Old Party about the dangers of getting too cozy with the “wild sides” of the Tea Party and its “reputation for being extremists.” You know about the Tea Party, don’t you? It’s that group of folks who get together with their families and dress up like characters from our colonial period, and make catchy cardboard signs and spout out dangerous ideas. Like quotes from our Declaration of Independence, our Constitution and our Bill of Rights, and ideas about individual freedom and liberty. Worthy of concern, for sure.

Of course, it’s beside the point that the so-called Tea Party consists primarily of folks who are dissatisfied with the Republican (and Democrat) Party to begin with.

Other helpful suggestions for the GOP recently included advice to always ride on the fox’s nose if you should accept a ride across a stream from the furry little fellow, because that’s the only way to make sure you won’t get wet. And, if you’re opposition proposes to jump off the rotunda of the Capitol building, then go ahead and jump. Otherwise, you risk being labeled as the “party of no.”

Or, is that the party of “know”? Because anyone who has watched the video of Nancy Pelosi stuttering through an explanation of why Democrats needed to pass the health care legislation before they read it, could reasonably conclude that such a preening ignoramus is the leader for the opposition party of “don’t know.”

In another recent “party of don’t know” example, the writer claimed that conservatives “planned to eliminate Medicare and Social Security” and used the story about an impoverished senior citizen who was reduced to eating cat food for survival.

Nice try, except conservatives merely want the opportunity to choose their own retirement investments, rather than be required to participate in the current folly that won’t even be able to pay the meager promised amounts, much less a living income. By the way, the story about eating cat food was originally used to make just that point, because the particular senior of interest was trying to survive on her monthly Social Security check.

But, it wasn’t all bad news for conservatives. One Lefty told how to trick liberals into buying stuff they don’t want. Apparently, all we have to do is charge them double what something is worth and then they will buy it “on sale.” And, another writer claimed that since most Hollywood actors are liberal and belong to unions, then liberals are pro business. Well, that may be true since $12 to see a movie does seem like something that Obama should be controlling. But then the writer went on to admit that liberals are for equality, protection of individual rights, due process, inalienable rights, democracy and ... say, wait just a minute.

You know, I’m still thinking as I write this because my deadline is nearing, but that first writer may have a point about those sneaky Tea Baggers, after all. I’ll get back to you.