Portland Teabagging: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly -pics & comment (revised)

[depakid]

As a veteran of many a Portland protest (and the Wellstone candlelight vigil) during the Bush administration, it seemed fitting to cap it off one last time- on the other side of the fence. In a way, I'll miss these sorts of deals down under. So without further ado:

The Good

This being Portland, there were more than a few wandering around having a laugh- and often a say of their own.



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The Bad

These folks were a uniformly sorry lot- dime a dozen. Talking to them was a waste of time, and quite franky taxing. Their motivations were obvious, and they had nothing interesting or amusing to say.



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The Ugly

Now these people piqued curiosity, often drawing strange or befuddled looks from passers by and observers. Something about psychopathology, bizarre beliefs, and astonishing stupidity that just invites inquiry. The results were often surreal.



I asked this fellow how Obama was killing charities. He responded quite matter of factly that taxing the rich (especially the very rich) would cause them to stop giving to charitable organizations, and that this was proven by economics. When I mentioned that people who make donations to charitable non-profits get a tax deduction- and queried whether or not a higher bracket or estate tax might be an incentive or motivation for people to actually increase their philanthropy, there was pregnant pause, followed by some mumbling about Jon Huntsman, and all the good that he does.
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I asked this woman (with her husband in the wheelchair) how higher taxes on the wealthy equals greater poverty. She went into a bit about their small business, and how would employ more people and how they could hire more people. I said: other western nations have much higher tax rates than the US- and yet they have much lower poverty rates. Why is that? She piped up, looking a little riled, and replied: do you know how many people in Belgium are on welfare? "Belgium?" I thought, and said, no how many?


"Well a lot!" "Maybe that's one reason nations have so much less crime and don't have to spend so much on their prison system? Could be it's pretty good deal economically to have that sort of safety net"?

The husband then chimed in with a long diatribe, the essence of which was: I don't want the government to take MY MONEY and pass it out to anyone else (and this included, on inquiry- people who turned up at hospitals- they should be turned away if didn't have the means to pay. He seemed unimpressed with public health notions like disease left to spread afflicts the rich and poor alike).
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The woman carrying this sign was from somewhere in the South per her accent- but had never been to Europe (or Canada or Australia). She also didn't believe that in many European countries, people got 3-4 weeks paid vacation. And when we talked about health care- (which she conceded "costed her an arm and a leg") she also wouldn't believe that people in countries with universal health care scored much better on leading health indicators than the US.

She proclaimed (rather emphatically) that the media would have told us! "Hasn't Fox news said anything about that?" "No, but they've talked about how long people have to wait to see a doctor that the government chooses for you." She really said that.

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I have no idea what a "libophile" is. Must be some sort of code. Too crowded to go and ask. Figured I'd google it up when I got home.

Not much comes up, other than this entry on a reactionary blog: Fed Up And Angry At Obama And His "Libophiles"

http://www.tcunation.com/profiles/blog/show?id=2476373%3ABlogPost%3A71392&page=1#comment-2476373_Comment_71560
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I asked the young guy scratching his head what his sign meant. Apparently, he and his crew off camera to the right believe that Obama (and Congress through HR something or another) are going to involuntarily conscript 18-21 year olds send them off to perform some sort of service (they weren't sure what). Wasn't Amercorps or the draft. They were also concerned about "The FEMA camps."
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and what stroll around a freakshow would be complete without these guys!

http://www.constitutionparty.com/party_platform.php

It sure will be nice to get back to sanity again.

[POAS]

1. "Founding Principals"

Held by the guy in the wheelchair on what appears to be a professionally printed sign.

[kaygore]

2. Was this Portland, OR, or Portland, ME?

[depakid]

3. It's Oregon

Hence the relatively large progressive contingent (I'd guess around 15% or so). There were lot of gawkers, too. Normal folks who were just as wierded by the whole deal as I was.

[Arugula Latte]

4. Thanks for documenting. I'm in Portland, but don't have a strong stomach for these loons.

Glad to see there were some sane people counter protesting, though. Good ol' PDX.

[stubtoe]

5. They probably bussed them in from Clackamas County.

n/t

[Arugula Latte]

6. I'll bet one was from PDX -- "Del Ball of Southwest Portland"

He's the immensely wingnutty and prolific writer of letters to the editor in the Oregonian. I can't imagine he'd miss this chance to gather with his fellow loons.

:)

[Reader Rabbit]

7. Louis Sargent of Northwest Portland was probably there, as well.

He's got letters in the Oregonian almost every other day!

[Arugula Latte]

8. OMG -- my family sort of knows him.

He's actually a nice guy but he likes to play the libertarian contrarian. He's surrounded by liberals all day so that's probably part of it. ;)

[Reader Rabbit]

9. He has actually written me a few letters.

I've had some editorials and LTTE's published in The Oregonian, and I've gotten a letter or two from him in response. (I'm in the phone book.) One was even coherent! :P

[depakid]

12. In fact, many of them took MAX to the event

This was a topic of some amusment among the progressive crowd and a few of gawkers who had had seen members of this sorry lot on the trains with their "socialsm evil" signs.

[neverforget]

13. Careful now! I live in Milwaukie

:hi:

On the plus side, the Blazers were there today! Good mojo needed to wipe out the stench from the teabag nuts.

[stubtoe]

14. All Right!! I KNEW there must be some Dems there!!

Keep putting out that good mojo.

[high density]

11. Portland, ME doesn't have enough right wingers to organize a rally like this.

:)

[DefenseLawyer]

10. Where do I get my cool American flag disco jacket?

Oh yeah, 1978.