# Tea Party: the hippies of the 00's?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tea-party-the-hippies-of-the-00s/630288>\
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion\
**Created:** [August 3, 2012, 1:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tea-party-the-hippies-of-the-00s/630288 "2012-08-03T13:37:25Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 4

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**Author:** ![Maastricht](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a88e57/32.png) [@Maastricht](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maastricht)\
**Post date:** [August 6, 2012, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tea-party-the-hippies-of-the-00s/630288/61 "2012-08-06T17:26:13Z")

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> [@Budget\_Player\_Cadet](#):
>
> I will say this: when’s the last time you saw the police tear-gassing and fire-hosing a tea party rally? I thought so. :rolleyes:

Isn’t that just because the police is a lot more subject to laws these days and can’t apply physical violence anymore ?

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**Author:** ![Beware\_of\_Doug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/278dde/32.png) [@Beware\_of\_Doug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beware_of_Doug)\
**Post date:** [August 6, 2012, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tea-party-the-hippies-of-the-00s/630288/62 "2012-08-06T18:56:11Z")

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Probably not. It’s because TP’ers are on average older, whiter, and more obedient to authority.

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**Author:** ![Crafter\_Man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crafter_man/32/458_2.png) [@Crafter\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crafter_Man)\
**Post date:** [August 6, 2012, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tea-party-the-hippies-of-the-00s/630288/63 "2012-08-06T19:26:50Z")

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> [@septimus](#):
>
> Hippies preached love; Teabaggers promote hatred.
> 
> Hippies embraced social liberties: sex, drugs, etc. Teabaggers want to impose strict morality.
> 
> Hippies were generally young. Teabaggers are generally old.
> 
> Hippies were in the forefront of civil rights, marching for blacks. Teabaggers are generally racist.
> 
> Hippies praised spirituality over money. Teabaggers pursue greed.
> 
> Hippies opposed stupid wars. The military is the one part of government Teabaggers support.

I’m not sure where you’re getting this from. :rolleyes: I’ve attended three Tea Party rallies, and I did not see any evidence racism, hatred, “greed,” or a desire to impose strict morality on people. If you have evidence of this, I would sure like to see it. As far as I could tell, the speeches centered around less government spending and the desire for a smaller & less-intrusive federal government.

My only point of contention with the Tea Party is on government spending. As a libertarian, I want spending to be cut across-the-board; there should be no sacred cows. I get the impression many in the Tea Party desire an increase in military spending.

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**Author:** ![foolsguinea](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foolsguinea/32/14751_2.png) [@foolsguinea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/foolsguinea)\
**Post date:** [August 6, 2012, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tea-party-the-hippies-of-the-00s/630288/64 "2012-08-06T22:27:47Z")

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OP, I think your “Dutch take” really has nothing to do with our experience in the USA. Over here, the cultural conservatives never really lost big nor went away, except perhaps in a few coastal cities.

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