<div>In fact, there has been a significant increase in the number of US citizens "fleeing" to Canada over the past decade, for a variety of reasons, including Bush administration policies ( <font size="2">"The Number of Americans Moving to Canada in 2006 Hit a 30-Year High": </font><a href="http://abcnews.go.com/US/story?id=3433005&page=1"><font size="2">http://abcnews.go.com/US/story?id=3433005&page=1</font></a><font size="2"> ; "How to flee to Canada" February 23, 2004 <a href="http://www.cannabisculture.com/articles/3302.html">http://www.cannabisculture.com/articles/3302.html</a> ), years before the so called "Tea Party" rise to prominence.</font></div>
<div> </div>
<div>Can Glenn Beck, Sarah Palin et. al. and the Tea Party possibly be spokespeople for a cultural/political movement more egregious than the evangelical, gun toting, homophobic ("God, Guns and Gays," as some suggested summed up the major themes of the 2004 Bush/Kerry presidential race) aggregation that supported the Bush administration?</div>
<div> </div>
<div>Fundamentally, the same ideologically aligned individuals who supported the Bush administration are now Tea Party supporters, despite the more explicit but half baked libertarian political ideology they espouse. </div>
<div> </div>
<div>Frankly, I was surprised Obama won the presidency, given the power of the voting block that supported the Bush administration, which I doubt would have happened if the economy at the time had been booming. Middle of the road Republican (Republicrat? Or Demopublican?) leaning voters wallets overruled their ideology on other issues, when Obama was able to gain some support from this swing group. </div>
<div> </div>
<div>There is a theory that McCain was a token sacrificial candidate by the Republicans, who knew very well they had little change of winning the White House in 2008, given the economic collapse. The longer term plan being, when the economy or employment rates do not rebound quickly, as we now see is happening, Republicans can make major gains in the US Congress, partly by blaming the economic woes on Democratic policies. If the US unemployment rate does not significantly drop by 2012, Obama's chances for re-election are slim.</div>
<div> </div>
<div>As is well known to anyone studying the global economy, part of the cause for the current continuing high US unemployment rate is a restructuring of the multinational economic system. This was likely to happen to some extent even without the Wall Street/banking meltdown. And is likely to result in more long term US high unemployment. This development was understood to be underway by some in positions of economic power before the economic meltdown.</div>
<div> </div>
<div>The Tea Party is unwittingly allowing themselves to be stooges for the hegemony of multinational corporate capitalism, as with grand irony they promote less government, while they are manipulated into more control over their lives by multinational corporate interests, who exploit grass roots patriotism to promote a political movement that will encourage a multinational corporate friendly legislative agenda in the US, aimed at government policies controlling the very voters shouting about freedom from government control.</div>
<div> </div>
<div>Quotes below from the following article:</div>
<div> </div>
<div><a href="http://yaleglobal.yale.edu/content/debt-and-unemployment-global-capitalism-responsible-part-ii">http://yaleglobal.yale.edu/content/debt-and-unemployment-global-capitalism-responsible-part-ii</a></div>
<div> </div>
<div>A Publication of<a href="http://www.ycsg.yale.edu/" target="_blank"> Yale Center for the Study of Globalization </a></div>
<div>
<h2 class="title">Debt and Unemployment: Is Global Capitalism Responsible? – Part II </h2></div>
<div>"In declaring an end to recession, economists fall into two camps: One side, including economists with the Obama administration, maintains high rates of unemployment are cyclical and jobs will return soon; others contend that the US economy confronts fundamental restructuring, with massive unemployment lingering for years."</div>
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<div>
<p>"The US economy has gone through periods of restructuring before – from water-power to steam engines and horse-driven transport to automobiles and computers – with the US economy still leading. Increased globalization of production, supply chains, IT-driven manufacturing, along with the rise of large populous economies, have created a new context for a churning caused by massive unemployment."</p>
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<p>Article on corporate manipulation of Tea Party movement by oil industry interests:</p>
<p><a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/heather-taylormiesle/beyond-washington-the-oil_b_695626.html">http://www.huffingtonpost.com/heather-taylormiesle/beyond-washington-the-oil_b_695626.html</a></p>
<p>"One of David Koch's pet projects is the group <a href="http://americansforprosperity.org/national-site"><font color="#0088c3">Americans for Prosperity</font></a>, a group he founded and funds but positions as a grassroots movement. An ad for one of its training sessions for Tea Party activists says, "The voices of average Americans are being drowned out by lobbyists and special interests. But you can do something about it." </p>
<p>But when Americans for Prosperity hosts at least 80 events protesting climate legislation, is it really acting in the interest of average Americans or the interest of oil industry donors? </p>
<p>When it funds an <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ANP-_JFST94"><font color="#0088c3">attack ad</font></a> against Representative Betsey Markey from Colorado because she supported climate legislation last summer that would have brought <a href="http://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&q=cache:wQvyp6K0CIsJ:are.berkeley.edu/~dwrh/CERES_Web/Docs/ES_DRHFK091025.pdf+uc+berkeley+aces+analysis&hl=en&gl=us&pid=bl&srcid=ADGEESjRQWMGA2aUqihaBw9GjPsbpFswxHk_5wdSirgnwLUrFuGZZbJJnIO98mEPWGIOr07f0q3NiR6zOAyEvbfLcutseazZIJWu1Ig-ScG4tegwYM_wSZaTBNcZpWlPwGJK4KW30Ocr&sig=AHIEtbQq0G7oGmDvoYW5-ND4jC7DzE0Hag"><font color="#0088c3">30,000 jobs to her state</font></a>, who is it benefiting? </p>
<p>And when the group pledges to spend an additional $45 million before the midterm elections, is that money really coming from grassroots activists, or from deep corporate pockets? These fat cats pretend to fraternize with the ordinary folks who dangle tea bags from their tri-cornered hats, but, in fact, they are just using activists to put a populist face on their industry agenda. </p>
<p>Manipulating other people's fears about the economy when you are a billionaire -- I would call that the depth of cynicism. But considering those billionaires are getting in the way of climate solutions, clean energy and green jobs in America; I have to instead call it dangerous. "<br>
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<p>Vision2020 Post: Ted Moffett</p></div>
<div><span class="gmail_quote">On 9/1/10, <b class="gmail_sendername"><a href="mailto:nickgier@roadrunner.com">nickgier@roadrunner.com</a></b> <<a href="mailto:nickgier@roadrunner.com">nickgier@roadrunner.com</a>> wrote:</span>
<blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="PADDING-LEFT: 1ex; MARGIN: 0px 0px 0px 0.8ex; BORDER-LEFT: #ccc 1px solid">Perhaps some of you have seen this, or maybe it's already been posted there, but here it is anyway.<br>
<br>>From The Manitoba Herald<br><br>The flood of American liberals sneaking across the border into Canada has intensified in the past week, sparking calls for increased patrols to stop the illegal immigration. The recent actions of the Tea Party are prompting an exodus among left-leaning citizens who fear they'll soon be required to hunt, pray, and to agree with Bill O'Reilly and Glenn Beck.<br>
<br>Canadian border farmers say it's not uncommon to see dozens of sociology professors, animal-rights activists and Unitarians crossing their fields at night.<br><br>"I went out to milk the cows the other day, and there was a Hollywood producer huddled in the barn," said Manitoba farmer Red Greenfield , whose acreage borders North Dakota . The producer was cold, exhausted and hungry. He asked me if I could spare a latte and some free-range chicken. When I said I didn't have any, he left before I even got a chance to show him my screenplay, eh?"<br>
<br>In an effort to stop the illegal aliens, Greenfield erected higher fences, but the liberals scaled them. He then installed loudspeakers that blared Rush Limbaugh across the fields. "Not real effective," he said. "The liberals still got through and Rush annoyed the cows so much that they wouldn't give any milk."<br>
<br>Officials are particularly concerned about smugglers who meet liberals near the Canadian border, pack them into Volvo station wagons and drive them across the border where they are simply left to fend for themselves.<br>
<br>"A lot of these people are not prepared for our rugged conditions," an Ontario border patrolman said. "I found one carload without a single bottle of imported drinking water They did have a nice little Napa Valley cabernet, though."<br>
<br>When liberals are caught, they're sent back across the border, often wailing loudly that they fear retribution from conservatives. Rumors have been circulating about plans being made to build re-education camps where liberals will be forced to drink domestic beer and watch NASCAR races.<br>
<br>In recent days, liberals have turned to ingenious ways of crossing the border. Some have been disguised as senior citizens taking a bus trip to buy cheap Canadian prescription drugs. After catching a half- dozen young vegans in powdered wig disguises, Canadian immigration authorities began stopping buses and quizzing the supposed senior-citizens about Perry Como and Rosemary Clooney to prove that they were alive in the '50s. "If they can't identify the accordion player on The Lawrence Welk Show, we become very suspicious about their age," an official said.<br>
<br>Canadian citizens have complained that the illegal immigrants are creating an organic-broccoli shortage and are renting all the Michael Moore movies. "I really feel sorry for American liberals, but the Canadian economy just can't support them," an Ottawa resident said. "How many art-history majors does one country need?"<br>
<br>In an effort to ease tensions between the United States and Canada , Vice President Biden met with the Canadian ambassador and pledged that the administration would take steps to reassure liberals. A source close to President Obama said, "We're going to have some Paul McCartney and Peter, Paul & Mary concerts. And we might even put some endangered species on postage stamps. The President is determined to reach out," he said.<br>
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