I'm seeing some of these "don't tread on me" bumper stickers. I live in wingnut land.

[Mayberry Machiavelli]

Is this part of the whole teabaggy lameness, or some other thing?

[elleng]

1. New Hampshire license plates, isn't/wasn't it?

.

[Mayberry Machiavelli]

7. No we are far from NH.

[Deep13]

8. Live free or die. nt

[elleng]

9. THANKS.

Misplaced Gadsden.

[endarkenment]

13. No - our motto is FOAD or something like that.

[kristopher]

15. Kentucky, I believe. nt

[Bok_Tukalo]

2. The Gadsden Flag is a popular icon in the United States

I always considered it a non-partisan symbol.

[pepperbear]

3. although I do tend to see it more on the cars of "small governement" types where I live (VA) n/t

[Name removed]

11. Deleted message

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[pepperbear]

16. I was using the small gov't label to be ironic.

"small gov't" is in quotes, which means I am using it as a euphamism to describe conservatives. I base this on grover norquist's famous quote:

My goal is to cut government in half in twenty-five years, to get it down to the size where we can drown it in the bathtub.

http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Grover_Norquist

It's my way of saying that they aren't actually into small gov't. they don't mind the gov'ts intrusion into their social lives, but seem to loathe anything to do with the gov't actually, you know, governing the country, at least doing so in a way that enriches people's lives. of course, another part of the irony is that reagan expanded the gov't exponentially, as did bush.

http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/features/2001/0301.green.html

http://www.lewrockwell.com/gregory/gregory12.html

http://digg.com/political_opinion/Reason_Bush_Was_a_Big_Government_Disaster

the other irony is that reagan raised taxes, yet conservatives turn a blind eye to that fact.

http://firedoglake.com/2009/02/01/newsflash-ronald-reagan-raised-taxes-you-idiots/

http://hnn.us/comments/7985.html

http://www.pkarchive.org/column/060804.html

No one wants a big governement, especially one that's worthless. what dems want is an effective gov't. I don't know anyone who indentifies themselves as "big gov't", and I wish cons would stop kidding themselves. The idea that they really want "small gov't" is one of many conservative myths.

[Name removed]

18. Deleted message

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[pepperbear]

24. so I take it you're not into the 14th or 19th amendments? I would offer

that you speak your words like a true "constitutionalist", complete with quotation marks. and the "states rights" argument is just another euphamism for "small gov't", again with a "wink wink nudge nudge" connotation. Come on, among other things, "states rights" was used as an argument against abolition and de-segregation. I am not accusing you of anything, mind you, but I would disagree, and I would imagine most everyone here would also disagree, but I could be wrong. so there's no argument that the power of one of the 50 could become too intrusive for it's citizens?

yeah, I would disagree and say that "10 wasn't enough." do I take it to mean that you feel anything after the first 10 amendments is too intrusive?

[Vickers]

17. 'is there a way to identify oneself as a "big govt. type"?'

Yes, you put a Repuke sticker on your car.

:rofl:

[Mayberry Machiavelli]

6. This seems to be a new development. I don't recall seeing any of these in my area until now.

[ensho]

4. today I was at a stoplight with a car beside me with a HUGE confederate

flag flying at the back and a small one at the front. a 33 sign? plus other signs that were a mystery to me. his a.c. was on with windows shut but I could hear the religious music playing and him singing along with it.

gads

[Ikonoklast]

5. Not really. It is a symbol of defiance in the face of tyranny.

The Gadsden Flag and some of its previous iterations are the earliest flags that flew over our Republic.

It is why I have it as my avatar.

It is a warning to imperialists and a flag of rebellion.

[Uzybone]

10. nothing new

Ive seen them since I was a kid.

[Deep13]

12. A lot of these folks equate Obama with tyrrany for some reason...

...and themselves with colonial revolutionaries. After sitting on their hands during eight years of a Caesarian executive, suddenly American liberty is being threatened by a Federal appropriations act. Apparently only teabagging will save us.

[paparush]

14. "for some reason.."

That reason would be the 24/7 stream of lies vomited forth by Limbaugh, Beck, O'Reilly, Coulter, et al.

They have been beating the "tyranny" drum non stop.

[Deep13]

20. Yup, and they have a receptive audience. nt

[paparush]

23. As another DU said to me recently.."Sheep get sheared".

[Canuckistanian]

19. These guys have treadmarks all over them from the Bush regime

Maybe they're a bit slow on the uptake and are mistakenly blaming Obama.

[scrinmaster]

21. Meh. I've had this as my avatar since I joined.

[blogslut]

22. Yes

The teabaggers have adopted the Gadsden flag for their wee cause:



Google image search with the keyword phrase - "tea party tread on me" http://images.google.com/images?gbv=2&hl=en&safe=off&um=1&sa=1&q=tea+party+tread+on+me&btnG=Search+Images&aq=f&oq=">here

[Mayberry Machiavelli]

25. Thank you, I did the wrong searches. I would have noticed if these had been around before.

I'm well aware of the origins of the symbol.

But I'm also well aware of bumper stickers in my area being that they are often of the Bush/Cheney variety, and this was a change.

[blm]

26. which proves they don't understand what Gadsden flag means - Bush went to war and that was OK

with them, yet Gadsden symbolizes that we are a nation that will NOT attack another nation, but we WILL strike BACK (like a rattlesnake) if trespassed upon.

Many of us liberal Dems adopted the Gadsden after Bush's coup in 2001 and the movement grew after he invaded Iraq. I adopted Gadsden flag as my flag of choice shortly after I learned more about it in the 80s.