What Tea-Baggers Want - Salem-News.Com

The Republican Heritage Foundation's Jim DeMint believes the universe is divided up into good and evil, black and white, government and business.

(LAGUNA BEACH) - When observing your surroundings, it is critical to pay attention to everything. Let’s suppose you do a good job making your observation noting every little detail. Now you’re ready to make your analysis, draw some conclusions, and say something smart about what you have observed.

But let’s suppose you don’t fully understand your environment. You think you do but you really don’t. Consider this, you are living on a perfectly flat surface and you are a perfectly flat person. One day while observing your surroundings, you notice a circle suddenly appear nearby. The circle grows larger and larger then gradually the circle gets smaller and smaller and just as suddenly it disappears. You explain this phenomena by saying it is a fact of nature. It is what it is... unalterable.

Recently Jim DeMint, former South Carolina Republican Senator and present leader of the Republican Heritage Foundation wrote, "Today, more people than ever before -- 69.5 million Americans, from college students to retirees to welfare beneficiaries -- depend on the federal government for housing, food, income, student aid, or other assistance once considered to be the responsibility of individuals, families, neighborhoods, churches, and other civil society institutions... The United States must reverse the direction of these trends or face economic and social collapse."

For DeMint the universe is divided up into good and evil, black and white, government and business. In DeMint's manichean* world view capitalist business is good and government is bad. Over his entire public career DeMint repeats the tired message that the government must get out of the way of capitalist entrepreneurs because government regulations hold back economic progress and that, according to him, hurts everyone.

What DeMint fails to fully comprehend is the free market he adores is nothing more than a two dimensional rump representation of a far more complex three dimensional economic phenomena.

DeMint parrots a false distinction between the government and business. It is generally agreed that the economy is the basis of all civil society, but DeMint fails to see that civil society includes government. Change the economy and you change the government. For example, reverting back to an agricultural economy would eliminate most industrial production wiping out the industrial working class, the middle class, factory owners, and the need for bankers, corporate lawyers, and stock markets. A government built on an agricultural economy would no longer need to manufacture consent but would rule by decree.

From DeMint’s flat world point of view he therefore becomes blind to the fact that the American government and big business (the oligopolies) are fraternal twins. Every branch of the American economy, and every market within each branch is dominated to the tune of at least 40% by a few corporations. These oligopolies profit from on again-off again government regulation because that regulatory flexibility guarantees their profits. These oligopolies compete in advertising only, never competing over price. The remaining share of each market is fought over by many small and medium size businesses which must compete in the "free" market on price. Thus small business profit margins are slim because they do not benefit from the flexibility of government regulation.

For DeMint’s free marketeers the wolf is always pacing back and forth before the front door. Government always bails out their oligopolistic brothers and, at the same time, disingenuously praises the virtues of free market competition where the small fry businessmen are forced to swim or sink. To put it another way, DeMint’s free marketeers (including Tea Party types) are drowning in the deep end of the swimming pool yelling for help while the government life guard is watching over the oligopolies sipping cocktails in the hot tub.

Because flat-worlders, like Jim DeMint, have a two dimensional perception, that’s why they can’t see the appearing-disappearing circle is actually a sphere intersecting a plane in three dimensions. Moreover, DeMint’s two dimensional vision for the United States can never fully understand the problems facing small business in our nation. And if he can’t fully understand what he is seeing, then, at best, his proposed solutions might make sense on the flat world planet he lives on but on our spherical planet his solutions can never be anything but muddled headed.

Then there are political implications, ominous political implications spreading out from DeMint's flat world ideology. In a republic the government is supposed to mediate disputes between contending parties in civil society. Otherwise the more powerful in civil society will exploit and dominate the weak and powerless. Instead of strengthening our republican government's mediation power, DeMint from his flat earth view wants to strengthen those civil institutions that are selfish and authoritarian ultimately destroying the republic. This is what DeMint and the right-wing Tea-baggers want.

* Manichaeism, a major gnostic religion that originated in Sassanid-era Babylonia, taught an elaborate cosmology describing the struggle between a good, spiritual world of light, and an evil, material world of darkness.

Tyrone Borelli, a resident of Laguna Beach for the past 27 years, is a retired high school physics and earth science teacher. He started teaching back in 1973. Tyrone's first high school teaching job was at George Washington High School with the Department of Education in Guam. He later taught math in San Marcos, Texas for several years, and finished his teaching career at Santa Ana Valley High School where he taught GATE and AP Physics and GATE Earth Science for 23 years. You can write to T.C. Borelli at: alty53@cox.net

Salem-News.com Top Stories

2025: Hope for the Best, Prepare for the Worst

Two Wars with No Way Out

No One Owns the Future

The Ugly Origins of Trump's America First Policy

A One-State Solution Could Transform the World

Comments Leave a comment on this story.

All comments and messages are approved by people and self promotional links or unacceptable comments are denied.

Carp8dm March 26, 2014 8:44 pm (Pacific time)

Very good read. I loved your flat earth analogy

Jay March 14, 2014 4:29 am (Pacific time)

What is wrong with this publication and this author? You really allow this kind of offensive headline and then pretend the author is a legitimate source? Disgusting...truly disgusting.

Cliff March 5, 2014 2:42 pm (Pacific time)

The problem stems from the fact that you have a very broken system and the primary reason for that, is corrupt Judges. Law is what holds a society together and the administrators eg judges, prosecutors etc should be impartial and objective. When either have to stand for election, it means that campaign finance can be influential. The legal system is all about profit for the state! It's another way of getting tax payers to pay more. Even, non elected judges need endorsements etc. All this, reeks of influence. If, at the Supreme court level, influence can be brought to bear. That's how lobbyists etc thrive. Therefore, justice can now be bought! Why, would you not believe that all the lobbyists, are not lobbying on behalf of their clients? Why, would you not think that Health Insurance companies, Banks, Doctors are not lobbying for their own self interests. They can afford it, lobbyists, I mean, can you? Think the Koch brothers are lobbying for you or for their businesses? All the politicians are bought! And the legal system is corrupted by the money of big business, who buys the laws, that are enacted, to suit themselves. Now which party does big business support, mostly? Just a tiny bit of logic is needed! Does big business care about you or their profit margins? Do you think it's cheaper to spill the chemicals into the river or truck it out? Your conclusion!

m.baker February 22, 2014 5:36 am (Pacific time)

You are part of the problem this country is facing. You sir are a sheep. When they come for you(perhaps they won't because you spew propaganda) you're going to cry for one of us to help. I hope you enjoy the bed you are helping to make.

gene1357 February 14, 2014 10:45 am (Pacific time)

Check your premise, Borelli.
Obviously, as you personally have no honor, you would be unable to recognize the attribute in another. Senator DeMint is a man of honor.
Once you based your rant upon a false premise, and without facts or a shred of evidence, you were outed as a progressive buffoon, a stooge, and an ignoramus.
Kindly check each premise, substantiate each claim, and resubmit. You have revealed yourself as one who has left reason and logic at he door.
Heritage Foundation is not Republican, by the way, but it is conservative.
Good and evil, and right and wrong, are as concrete as life and death, and as opposite as thriving and starving.
That which is earned vs. that which is given, stolen, or appropriated, are not equal.
Jim DeMint is the most honorable individual in the national conversation relating to the future of The American Republic.
It is my sincere hope that the RNC will draft Senator DeMint for the 2016 Presidential election.

Don't wage character assaults on our writers because you disagree with them or your comments will not be approved.

Snowbeltguy January 28, 2014 8:36 am (Pacific time)

Was this piece sarcasm?? It couldn't possibly be serious.

Astounding January 16, 2014 10:23 am (Pacific time)

What an astonishing method of deceit. From a line from DeMint describing the dangers of over-dependency on government largess, you conclude that he holds a black & white view of the world, and of ethics? That doesn't even follow logically as a conclusion! What kind of a miserable propagandist are you, Mr. Borelli?

Nate April 18, 2013 6:45 am (Pacific time)

How is it that a "news" story or even opinion piece (such as this is) can headline with a vey offensive term? Imagine the uproar if someone offered an opinion piece diagreeing with Obama's policies and it was titled "What the (insert N word here)s want". You prove this story is not worthwhile because you can't even get through the heading without slanderous terminology. Congratulations on proving you are filled with hate for these "right-wingers". While your opinion is that DeMint has a flat world ideology, you have proven that you have a flat world ideology. You will always disagree with the "right-wingers" because you are already biased against them with your bigoted mindset. We can't have civil dialog in this country because of people such as this writer that refuse to be civil.

Edmundo April 13, 2013 8:27 pm (Pacific time)

Well said Anonymous.

Anonymous April 8, 2013 9:49 am (Pacific time)

I read a poster below who stated California is not losing businesses? Yes they are. This state has a growing deficit that is only being addressed mainly by increasing a number of different fee and tax increases, rather than having spending cuts. The union PERS is already bankrupting many communities. You tax something too much, and it will be gone. I love California, but several years ago I sold some property I had had for over 40 years in Imperial Beach, below San Diego. Many of my old friends have moved away, and they took their management and job producing abilities with them. If you like paying more for consumer goods on average than most of the rest of the nation, then California is the place for you. Maybe some new leadership will change the decay, but it's too late, it's going down and will become a hotbed of chaos in LA, and spread like a virus. How come Texas and Arizona, also diverse states, are doing so much better? How come Wisconsin turned around their PERS programs and now is the only state that has it 100% funded? Because these states understand what capitalism is, and what free market systems mean. Jobs only exist because their is a need, ditto for any other business entity, including the "corporation" which has made us wealthy.

trueblue April 7, 2013 5:11 pm (Pacific time)

we have baby boomers retiring anon or are you really rip van winkle . Right wingers can blame Obama all they want for the baby boomer retiree bulge moving through the python but anyone with sense pays you know mind.

D.Gilmore April 7, 2013 4:50 pm (Pacific time)

funny, more fighting amongst the two party system, that agree 99% of the time on all important issues that effect our future. All the havoc that has been brought to this country have been approved by both parties...Because, wait for it...politicians want nothing but greed and power and will do anything to get it. Ron Paul was about the only one that was somewhat of an actual person, who actually cared more about the people than his own life. And just to show ya I am not a party believer? Dennis Kucinich wasnt so bad either, and that guy, grrr, cant remember his name, he was on the east coast and exposed the bankers and was a democrat. Anyway, lets move on and understand that 99% of our politicians dont care about anything but their own success, and would sell their soul to get it. The two party system is a distraction. Its like when I was younger and became an NFL fan. Until I learned more. I went to a game and the fans were actually fighting each other? over a football game? The owner of the football team I liked turned out to be a very bad man. When I told the fans this, they said "who cares, as long as our team wins".....same scenario, demo's and repubs dont care what happens to this country, all they care about is to be part of a winning team

TC Borelli April 7, 2013 1:35 pm (Pacific time)

to anonymous.....reciting a list of questions is not analysis. But if it is questions you want to ask, then give me the liberty to ask you a question. If the market functions as you imagine, then is it not true that if a business cannot make a profit it will leave the market either by going bankrupt or moving into another market. Correct so far? And if the market is a efficient as you imagine then does it not stand to reason that any business that leaves the market will be replaced by a more efficient business that can make a profit? So as far as I am concern, all you business men who go elsewhere, good riddance. There is always some one else to take your place! But.....California is not losing business and more people move here than leave. Our state is booming because it has a highly diverse economy and Mr. CS anonymous, what you believe you know is not what is known.

Anonymous April 7, 2013 7:25 am (Pacific time)

DeMint is a very fine man who scares the crap out of lazy and the highly inexperienced in the ways of the real world. We now have more people [not] working than we had 30 plus years ago, even with our population increase since then. It is obviously impossible for the far left to admit that their policies have failed, and that if they continue in power much longer we may soon die as a country. Just take real logic and compare and contrast those states that have conservative leadership with their polar opposites. The writer of this article lives in a state where more people and businesses are leaving rather than staying. So what clear conclusion does that provide for you? Sure you can be flippant, but real world reality demonstrates just how feckless the left is. Note: Approximately 2/3's of jobs come from small/medium-sized businesses. So answer these questions: What is a job for? What is the purpose of a business? What is a corporation? What is a market? Why does a government exist? What is their primary purpose? Who does the government work for? Do you trust the current government more than the last couple of them? Why have gun sales been at record levels since 2008? You think the average American feels safer because of Obama's Administration? When people come together and demand accountability and do not damage property or threaten others with harm, and even clean up after a demonstration, then why the hate? They also have 1st Amendment rights. The Marxists never offer a plan, just a demonization of those who simply want to make a better America, and they want to destroy us. They will lose, all they have in due time. Remember there are 30 Republican governors, and how are those democrat governors doing? The Whitehouse loves their parties, vacations and golf while Americans die overseas and the people and cities decay...wake up!

[Return to Top]