Regarding the Tea Party:
Tea Party Contract from Wikipedia:
1. Identify constitutionality of every new law: Require each bill to identify the specific provision of the U.S. Constitution that gives Congress the power to do what the bill does. (82.03%)
Sure. Doesn't stop anyone from hammering anything through Congress, even if it's constitutionality is questionable. And arguably obviates a need for a judicial branch, or alternatively gives previously judicial power to Congress.
1. Reject emissions trading: Stop the "cap and trade" administrative approach used to control carbon dioxide emissions by providing economic incentives for achieving reductions in the emissions of carbon dioxide. (72.20%)
Absolutely ridiculous. Cap and trade *is* an economic incentive to reduce emissions, and it's by definition more efficient.
1. Demand a balanced federal budget: Begin the Constitutional amendment process to require a balanced budget with a two-thirds majority needed for any tax modification. (69.69%)
Forcing a balanced budget is patently stupid. Most Tea Party candidates have credit cards and mortgages. Also flies in the face of Keynesian as well as neoclassical economics.
1. Simplify the tax system: Adopt a simple and fair single-rate tax system by scrapping the Internal Revenue Code and replacing it with one that is no longer than 4,543 words – the length of the original Constitution. (64.9%)
The closest thing to an actual proposal that i've heard is rand paul's 23% consumption tax. That favors the rich, because the rich can save more money by not consuming, making the tax regressive. Current tax system is much more "fair", if you presume that favoring the rich and hurting the poor is "unfair".
1. Audit federal government agencies for constitutionality: Create a Blue Ribbon taskforce that engages in an audit of federal agencies and programs, assessing their Constitutionality, and identifying duplication, waste, ineffectiveness, and agencies and programs better left for the states or local authorities. (63.37%)
Judiciary's job. And to be constitutional *is* to be ineffective.
1. Limit annual growth in federal spending: Impose a statutory cap limiting the annual growth in total federal spending to the sum of the inflation rate plus the percentage of population growth. (56.57%)
Ridiculous. If medicine prices go up more than at an inflationary rate (or food prices, which aren't even included in that rate), then what the hell happens with your balanced budget provision in place too? Cut services? But they're legally entitled to them, so now you've engineered your own catch-22. Also, none of these numbers are even known until after a budget proposal has been passed and used for half a year.
1. Repeal the healthcare legislation passed on March 23, 2010: Work towards the repudiating the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. (56.39%)
Legitimate. Barely a majority though.
1. Pass an 'All-of-the-Above' Energy Policy: Authorize the exploration of additional energy reserves to reduce American dependence on foreign energy sources and reduce regulatory barriers to all other forms of energy creation. (55.5%)
Legitimate. Barely a majority though.
1. Reduce Earmarks: Place a moratorium on all earmarks until the budget is balanced, and then require a 2/3 majority to pass any earmark. (55.47%)
Legitimate. Don't know enough about earmarks.
1. Reduce Taxes: Permanently repeal all recent tax increases, and extend current temporary reductions in income tax, capital gains tax and estate taxes, currently scheduled to end in 2011. (53.38%)
How do you balance a budget and reduce taxes? Reduce spending. I believe that over 70% of the budget goes to social security, medicare, defense, and debt payments, if not higher, and it's going to increase going forward. Nothing to cut.
As far as you liberal/socialists go (pick whichever one you'd rather be called, i don't mean to pigeonhole), you guys are really great. As far as civil liberties go. Economically, I never heard such ridiculousness since 3rd grade. Now, being an anarchist, I don't mean to proffer my opinions as a solution since no one would listen to it anyway.
As far as history proving that "fascist conservatives" screwed up the economy... facts. One singular fact or even the slightest hint of causality, and I'll give you the argument. Nothing any conservative did was any worse than the economy than any liberal, and things conservatives do are sometimes beneficial. Like gridlock. Or tax cuts. Or de-regulation. Also, not all conservatives are fascist. Some conservatives want a religious theocracy, some conservatives are fascist, and some conservatives are libertarians/anarchists. Also, there's Ron and Rand Paul (I can't really tell you what they are, but it ain't fascist).
Thanks for your time.