Say It Ain't So, Cliff...

Resident barfly, Cliff Clavin (John Ratzenberger in real life) showed up at the Tea Bagger protest, and had this to say about the Health Care plan: "These are Woodstock Democrats," he said at the rally. "We have to remember where their philosophy comes from. It doesn't come from America. It comes from overseas. It comes from socialism. And socialism is a philosophy of failure." So what is the logic of his argument? Woodstock Democrats adopted an overseas philosophy, which is bad. Overseas, they are socialists; and socialism is a failed doctrine.

Little do these Tea Baggers and their leaders realize, but their grasp of history, philosophy, and everything else other than douchebaggery is entirely flawed. . Democracy, the politic philosophy that Tea Baggers love was adopted from none other then Charles-Louis de Secondat, baron de La Brède et de Montesquieu, who just so happens to be French...which means our political system also comes from "overseas". Montesquieu wrote The Spirit of Laws arguing for the first time in writing that the three branches of government (the Judiciary, Executive, and Legislature) should be separated from each other to act as a series of checks and balances.

But, Cliff was talking about socialism, which is technically an economic system. Well how about free market capitalism?  It first emerged in Italy during the 14th century (also a country overseas), but was really discussed and elaborated upon by...drum roll please...Adam Smith. Who is Scottish. A country also overseas. His Wealth of Nations explained in detail how the division of labor benefited productivity, famously how the "invisible hand" of supply and demand would regulate the market, and how government interference was bad. He is still taught in colleges by the way. I am left speechless when people stand up and spout nonsense and other people listen and then believe them. Where is our historical consciousness?

Cheers is dead to me because of your inability Cliff to put together a better argument other than "those damn hippies!" Americans are mutts...like our language, we typically pick and choose, combine and recombine our social systems...The only thing the Tea Baggers seem to be good at is showing up on time to protests about nothing really that important.