15 Major Differences Between Occupy Wall Street And The Tea Party Protests

[Galraedia]

I read an article recently, which compared the origins of the Occupy Wall Street movement to the origins of the Tea Party movement. As someone who has paid attention to both movements, I believe nothing could be further from the truth. Below are just 15 differences between the Occupy Wall Street protests, and the Tea Party movement.

1. Occupy Wall Street is a grassroots movement, funded by people around the world, without corporate sponsorship.
The Tea Party is an AstroTurf movement, receiving most of its funding from corporate sponsorship, and Fox News and its supporters.

2. Occupy Wall Street wants less corporate influence over our Government.
The Tea Party wants less Governmental influence over corporations.

3. Occupy Wall Street didn’t receive mainstream media coverage until several weeks after it began.
The Tea Party held rallies across the country sponsored by Fox News, and even small rallies with minimal turnout received attention from other media outlets.

4. Occupy Wall Street protesters are unarmed.
The Tea Party protesters openly carried a large variety of guns, including assault rifles.

5. Over 1,000 Occupy Wall Street Protesters have been arrested.
Zero Tea Party Protesters have been arrested.

Continue at: http://www.addictinginfo.org/2011/10/25/15-major-differences-between-occupy-wall-street-and-the-tea-party-protests/

[woo me with science]

1. We are the 99 percent.

It is important to stay focused on the real enemy here. The corporations have set us against each other for decades, while stealing from all of us.

This article contains some very good points about achieving unity without sacrificing principles: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=439x2167260

[Hissyspit]

2. I rec'd this and it went to zero.

[woo me with science]

7. I unrecced it, and please stop the namecalling.

We need unity now, not to play Wall Street's game of getting us to attack each other instead of focusing on them.

If you are interested in more than namecalling, please read the OP and article from WillyT about how to maintain unity without sacrificing your principles:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=439x2167260

[Hissyspit]

10. Well, I didn't mean to call you a name. We also need countering of false equivalency.

The false equivalencies are intended to minimize and marginalize OWS, or make them out as hypocrites. There is NOTHING like Americans For Prosperity associated with OWS.

Obviously, I didn't know it was you that unrec'd. Have edited.

[Galraedia]

13. And what group do you think is protecting the corporations?

THE TEA PARTY. Why would you align yourself up with the same people who are against what you stand for? That's just going to invite confusion and corrupt the message of the Occupy Wall Street movement.

[Hosnon]

3. We need to focus on what we have in common, not our differences.

The rank and file of the Tea Party are and should be our allies.

Unrec

[msongs]

4. is that you Barack? nt

[Hosnon]

6. No, just someone smart enough to know two things:

(1) Class - not party - is the most relevant distinction

(2) Remaining non-partisan and rallying MY CLASS NOT MY PARTY is the key to success.

Don't let them do what they ALWAYS do: pit us, the 99%ers, against each other.

[woo me with science]

8. +100000 nt

[Imajika]

12. That would be true if the Tea Party were confused, non partisan workers...

They are not that. The Tea Party are the Republican grass roots. That is all it is. The Tea Party are the most conservative members of a conservative party. We have nothing in common with them. There is no way to build bridges with these people because they are in fundamental opposition to everything we stand for.

[Imajika]

9. That is completely insane...

We have nothing at all in common with the Tea Party. Nada, zilch, zero.

The Tea Party is nothing but hard core movement conservatives who were well funded by corporate interests that understood the Republican brand was trash and needed a new banner.

The Tea Party can never be our allies. These are people who will fight tooth and nail against even the smallest of progressive measures. They are our political enemies.

[Hosnon]

14. I hope OWS isn't infected by your line of thinking.

I know MANY self-described Tea Partiers who have the same complaints OWS does.

The power structure of the Tea Party may be corporate and GOP, but many rank and file members are not. DO NOT alienate them over some mere American political party allegiance.

This is the millennia-old class struggle resurfacing and is MUCH bigger than D vs. R.

[Imajika]

15. Seriously, we really have nothing in common with the Tea Party...

The Tea Party is barely a real thing to begin with. It is just "Republican" repackaged because their brand was broken after 2008. Movement conservatives and assorted right wingers wanted to oppose health insurance reform (and everything else Obama was trying to do) and knew their party label was trashed. They needed a new banner and created the Tea Party. If it wasn't called the "Tea Party", they'd have just named it something else.

They are the conservative grass roots of the Republican party, egged on by Rush, Hannity, Beck, etc, and funded by big money from corporate interests. These people are literally the core of the group that stands against everything that could qualify as progress in this country.

Could you find a few Tea Party types that just latched on because they are politically ignorant? Sure. Is there very many like that? Not a chance.

If you think you can find common cause with these people you are dreaming. About the only way progressives and Tea Party people could unite is if America was invaded by some foreign power - which is not going to happen anytime soon.

[Hosnon]

16. You're too blinded by partisan politics. I hope you come around.

Any 99%er is and should be our ally, we just may have to open their eyes.

That includes 99%ers who are Republicans and Tea Partiers. The strength of OWS is its focus on CLASS, not party.

[Imajika]

17. No, I am not...

I am a realist. One of the few you will find around. I am not even sold on OWS because I am not sure this particular movement will drive elections in our favor - and elections are really all that matter. I support the protesters of course, but if anything I tend to criticize a lot because I see a lack of a coherent message. I want results, not feel good measures.

We will never, ever get 99% of the people on our side. Even if they should be and just don't realize it (which is actually true of many), the absolute most we are ever likely to get is around 2/3rds of the people (even that many is unlikely). The Tea Party are that 10-20% hard core group of people that are never going to come around - they are our political enemies. These people are the most conservative of the Republican party.

I am not saying you can't reach a few. Some people latch on to a movement because they are either angry and don't know how to direct it or they just want to be part of something bigger than themselves. The point I am making is, the heart of the Tea Party is the Republican grass roots and movement conservatives. We will never find common cause with them. Not ever.

[Hosnon]

18. Realism is often an excuse for doing nothing but what can be done within the current power structure

I'm a realist by that definition (for the most part). But this is different - just as the Arab Spring is/was different.

The wealthy have over-reached and the economy is bad enough to the point that the superficial differences the rest of us divide ourselves with are being minimized.

I don't know what the end game is (a constitutional amendment creating a Separation of Corporation and State is an ideal), but I do know that there is nothing gained by scoring points in old battles. Any 99%er who is willing to join is welcome.

And I refuse to do anything that unnecessarily alienates them, like creating silly lists of differences.

[LAGC]

19. I'm with you Hosnon.

We really do have more in common with most of the working-class Tea Party types who are NOT the 1%, than we do differences.

There's nothing wrong with the Tea Party's primary call for a balanced Federal budget. We really should seriously cut spending (especially military and corporate welfare/bail-outs) even if they don't agree that we should also raise taxes on the rich to help make up the short-fall.

We should try to seek common-ground, not play right into the hands of the rich and powerful by the 99% needlessly feuding against ourselves.

[Galraedia]

11. Allies?

That's like aligning yourself with the KKK. The Tea Party is nothing but a group of misinformed destructive idiots.

[Populist_Prole]

5. Spot on, and recced.

I copied and pasted to notepad/document. Quotable stuff, this.