“They (The Tea Party) should be called what they really are, the American Taliban.” Most citizens of the United States would not think to compare a ruthless terrorist movement like the Taliban with an “American grassroots movement” like the Tea Party. Nevertheless, these two groups are quite similar. The Tea party started as a grassroots movement that protested high taxes and large government as well as the Affordable Care Act in 2009. They believe that the government is deaf to the people’s voices and that “government should be reduced to the size where I can flush it down the drain.” They have evolved into a group that strikes fear into the hearts of politicians across the country. They believe in shrinking government “to the size where I can drag it into the bathroom and drown it in the bathtub”. The Taliban are a Terrorist Group originating in Afghanistan and Northern Pakistan. They were originally Rebels against the Soviet-Afghani Communist Government in the late 1900s that were supplied weapons by the U.S. They then moved and took over the country imposing a version of an extremely conservative Sharia law. After doing so, the group housed Al-Qaeda in parts of Afghanistan. They have a strict adherence to the Quran, their book of prayer and belief, and believe that women are inferior to men in all aspects of life. With U.S forces leading the way, NATO invaded Afghanistan on orders to purge Al-Qaeda training camps and forces as well as the Taliban Government and Forces. However, the Taliban still exists and survives today delivering terror across Northern Pakistan and Afghanistan. Although it may seem that the Tea Party and the Taliban are nothing alike, these two groups have more in common than what meets the eye. First, T...
... middle of paper ...
...stroyed My Party." Salon. Salon, 5 Aug. 2012. Web. 14 Dec. 2013. .
Lofgren, Mike. "Religion Destroyed My Party." Salon. Salon, 5 Aug. 2012. Web. 14 Dec. 2013. .
.net, Lybio, and Aaron Sorkin. "Tea Party Is the American Taliban." Lybio. Lybio, n.d. Web. 14 Dec. 2013. .
Norquist, Grover. "Conservative Advocate." NPR. United States Government, 25 May 2001. Web. 14 Dec. 2013. .
Research, Pew. "The Tea Party and Religion." Pew Research Centers Religion Public Life Project RSS. Pew Research, 23 Feb. 2011. Web. 14 Dec. 2013. .
Dye, Thomas R. , L. Tucker Gibson Jr., and Clay Robinson. Politics In America. Brief Texas Edition ed. New Jersey: Pearson, 2005.
Fairlie, Henry. The Parties: Republicans and Democrats in This Century. New York: The New Republic Magazine, 1978.
Dye, Thomas R., L. Tucker Gibson, Jr., and Clay Robison. Politics in America. Ninth ed. Vol. 2. New York, NY: Longman, 2011. 337. Print.
Kessler, Glenn and Juliet Eilperin 2001. “The Path of Less Resistance” The Washington Post National Weekly Edition 18:16 (February 12-February 18): 13
In his 2006 “Call to Renewal Address”, Barack Obama gives his thoughts on the role of religion in democracy through a response to earlier accusations of his un-Christianness during his 2004 Senate race against Alan Keyes. He addresses both his accuser, who suggested that Obama's views disrespect his faith as a Christian, and his liberal supporters, who urged him to ignore these statements because “a literalist reading of the Bible was folly” (2). In his speech, Obama recommends a middle ground between these two views, in which “the religiously motivated translate their concerns into universal, rather than religion-specific, values” (7), as the only way to connect religion and politics in a “pluralistic democracy” (7). This attempt, motivated in part by the role of religion in his own upbringing, is his way to “bridge the gaps that exist and overcome the prejudices each of us bring” to debates in which “faith [is] used as a tool of attack, … to belittle [and] to divide” (8). However, contradictions in his speech prevent his vision from becoming a useful model for religiously-motivated political action. Moreover, the fundamental nature of religion, which he admits “does not allow for compromise” (7), makes such a vision impossible.
Lopatto, Paul. Religion and the Presidential Election. Edited by Gerald M. Pomper. New York: Praeger, 2014.
Certain revolutions in Afghanistan occurred between 1978 and 2001 which caused the US War with Afghanistan. The United States helped Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Israel by giving them military weapons and, as a result, the Soviet Union viewed this as if the United States was trying to have power over the Middle East. After the collapse of the Soviet regime in Afghanistan, Afghan socialists fought over power, which led to the creation of Taliban by Mullah Omar, a religious preacher who taught in Pakistan. During Mullah Omar’s time, Osama Bin-Laden came to Afghanistan and he ...
On September 11, 2001 the heart of the United States of America was ripped out in a matter of 10 minutes by Islamic extremists who follow the Taliban Regime. The first attack was at 8:45 am when two planes were hijacked and crashed into the twin towers of the World Trade Centre in New York City. Thousands lost their lives that day. This was the day that started "America's War on Terrorism." The Taliban Regime believes that Islam is the right and only way to live. The government inflicts Islam teachings on their citizens. It is law that all women must wear the hajib when out in public, if not they will be punished. All men must enroll in the army, unless he is the only son with no one else to carry on the family name. Children are taught to die for their religion. When an Islam nation declares a Jihad (a religious war) it is solved by death of a nation.
Democrats don’t like to think about Republicans if they can help it. But for those on the left now contemplating their own “progressive tea party” movement, they’d do well to contemplate one woman in particular: Christine O’Donnell.
Beck, Paul Allen and Hershey, Marjorie Randon. Party Politics in America. 9th Ed. Longman, New York, NY. 2001.
Hawley, Helen, and Gary Taylor. "Freedom of religion in America." Contemporary Review 282.1649 (2003): 344+. Opposing Viewpoints In Context. Web. 20 Apr. 2014.
The article is actually speaking of a small band of pseudo Muslims called the Taliban. The story of the Taliban is complicated, and just like every other story, there are two sides to it. When the members of the Taliban first revealed themselves, they gave the world the impression that they had come to rid Afghanistan of its problems. At first, even the government of today, recognized the Taliban as a legitimate Afghan force that wanted to rid corruption and disorder. However, as time passed, the true nature of the Taliban was revealed. Soon the Taliban became known as a militia that used a mixture of Kalashnikovs, false Islam, foreign money, and opium to get its way.
Jenson, Robert. “Religious Traditions Can Play a Healthy Role in Politics.” Politics and Religion 2013: n. pag. Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Web. 30 Mar. 2014.
The tea party has been a hot topic in the United States ever since the movement began in 2008, yet many people do not understand what exactly it is. Contrary to what some people may think, the tea party is not a true political party. It can broadly be defined as a gathering of libertarians, conservatives, and other people who want to change Washington. The common ideals of the tea party movement are cutting government spending, limiting taxes, and stopping excessive federal regulations. The most important thing one needs to know about the movement though, is that there is not a single tea party- the movement consists of hundreds of different autonomous groups, each widely varying in priorities and size.
Schumaker Paul, Dwight C. Kiel, Thomas W. Heilke, Ideological Voices: An Anthology in Modern Political Ideas, New York, The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., 1997.