The Tea Party = Hippies

[Zuul]

No, that isn't my assertion. It's the claim of this Tea Partier blogger here.

He breaks down the Tea Party's positions and then says that hippies during the height of their movement would have agreed with the same positions. These positions are:

• A craving for independence;
• A celebration of individualism;
• Joy in the freedom offered by self-sufficiency;
• And an acceptance of the natural order of things.

I'll be honest: I find his description incredibly vague and it could be used to describe a lot of movements that don't have much in common with the Tea Party. But, I'm neither a Tea Partier nor a hippie, so what do I know?

[Revs]

Sounds like someone saw a documentary about the Weather Underground and got angry protest envy. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Weather...rganization%29

Seriously though, the Weathermen is about the only connection I can see between hippies and the tea party. If there really were similarities between the 2 then you would be seeing a lot more long hair and tie dye in footage of tea party gatherings.

[Peeta Mellark]

That was way too long and my time is too precious to read the whole thing, so...I just looked at the pictures. That chart is interesting, though.



While I do think a belief in the innate nature of humans tends to go along with a lot of conservative viewpoints, I don't think you can say that viewpoint is one hippies shared. Much of their movement was wrapped up in creating a new society with new social mores. They were individualistic, yes, but that's not the same thing at all. If they had believed that human nature couldn't be changed, and believed this to a far stronger degree than most people, then that would tend towards a more socially conservative position. If human nature is unchanging, then drastic changes in how humans behave and interact are absurd.

Also, militias, survivalists, hobos, and bums can all come from a wide range of politicial viewpoints. They can't be pinned down to any one spot on that chart.

[Nrblex]

Interesting how bums are so similar ideologically to unions.

[Sarahfeena]

That chart actually kind of explains why, out of all the loony extremists at the corners, I have the most sneaking sympathy for the Libertarians.

[Revs]

Interesting how bums are so similar ideologically to unions.

To quote a king hippie, "everybody must get stoned"... or something.

[Peeta Mellark]

That chart actually kind of explains why, out of all the loony extremists at the corners, I have the most sneaking sympathy for the Libertarians.

Yeah, there are some really good points to the chart. Breaking things down by "innate" human nature versus "constructed" human nature does point to some ideological alliances that seem valid.

[Zuul]

That chart actually kind of explains why, out of all the loony extremists at the corners, I have the most sneaking sympathy for the Libertarians.

As a Hobo American I feel a kinship with Libertarians sometimes, too.