Chicago Columnist Illinois Review · Political Strategist Analyst · Expert Advisor Institute for Truth in Accounting

SEIFFE:  Tea Parties and Social Movements

April 16, 2009

By Ralf Seiffe

Over the history of this nation, there have been several events that signaled the start of major transformations in public opinion. The publishing of Harriet Beecher Stowe’s Uncle Tom’s Cabin was an event that raised and galvanized Abolitionism and may have lead to the establishment of the Republican Party. One hundred and ten years later, Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring made the case against synthetic pesticides by revealing these chemicals’ undesirable collateral effects. The book’s lasting legacy is the Ecology Movement. For many, the imagery of fire hoses turned on demonstrators in Birmingham or the nightly films from Viet Nam were events that we remember as the catalysts which brought large numbers of supporters to the Civil Rights and the Anti-War Movement.

Like these memorable beginnings, the phenomena of Wednesday afternoon’s spontaneous Tea Parties might qualify as the seminal events that herald the arrival of a new civil rights movement.

Walking through Chicago’s Federal Plaza and reading the many hand-made signs, one might identify the crowd’s grievance to be the tax burden they carry. Taxes are high and the new administration promises our extraordinarily progressive system will become even more so and more expensive. Those prospects alone should be enough to motivate the protestors. Add to that the states’ and local governments’ plans to increase taxes and enough compression develops to generate some sort of public combustion. 

But to come away thinking this event a mere tax protest-- the natural extension of Proposition 13--would be to miss recognizing an embryonic social movement. This demonstration was not simply about taxes; it was about these demonstrators’ displeasure with their fundamental relationship with their government. Their grievance is not just the money, it’s about their liberties; it’s their perception that the government has erected systems, policies and plans that are designed to serve government’s interests, not those of individuals. 

The parties were a good and entertaining start but, for these 750 nationwide events to grow beyond a one day event and to effect any real change, depends on whether they coagulate from their randomness into a focused social movement. The definition of a social movement is a massive change of public opinion from an existing viewpoint to a new, widely-held and conflicting point of view. From that, political change occurs.

In this case, the existing point of view is the public’s general perception that the government is a source of benefits and is something to be encouraged. The replacement opinion is to view the government as a threat to liberty which, using its insatiable appetite for taxation, destroys and replaces liberty with governmental prerogative.

The Tea Parties—at least in Chicago—articulated this alternative point of view and no one did it better than John Tillman from the Illinois Policy Institute. Tillman concretely connected the effects of large government and the every-day freedoms that are evaporating before our very eyes. Nevertheless, emerging leaders of this potential movement, like Tillman, would be well served by co-opting strategies from earlier, successful social movements and from those examples, quickly develop the next steps. 

In the most basic terms, successful social movements change the status quo by accomplishing three things: identifying a compelling grievance, offering a credible solution and a convincing sympathetic individuals and organizations to join, rather than to watch the movement as a "free-riders". 

The success of the Tea Parties shows there is awareness and outrage among the 500,000 Americans estimated to have participated in the events across the country. For some perspective, 1969’s War Moratorium Marches attracted perhaps 1,500,000 demonstrators after some six year’s organizing efforts by anti-war activists. Given the fact that yesterday’s demonstrations were actually the Tea Party movement’s "kick-off" event, one has reason to believe that a movement addressing the grievances expressed yesterday could eventually grow larger than the anti-war movement.

With regard to a compelling reason to join the movement and the communication of that offer to potential "joiners", the nature of the demonstrators themselves is encouraging. These were what Bill O’Reilly would call "the folks" and it’s my sense that they were not people who normally participate in political events, like ACORN operatives or union members required to "show up". The demonstrators I saw appeared to be the kind of people who have computers at home and can communicate reasons to join to their friends and neighbors. Indeed, the crowds at yesterday’s Tea Parties were probably invited by a viral, very lightly managed, internet campaign. 

What was missing at yesterday’s parties, however, was the "credible solution" social movements must advocate to succeed. The solution in Silent Spring was the end of DDT’s use while the anti-war movement’s solution was to withdraw from Viet Nam. Tea Partiers need to develop an alternative to the big-tax, "beneficial government" model that is understandable and desirable to those who might be sympathetic with the Tea Bag movement but are not yet aware of or influenced by it. 

Salving the Tea Partiers’ grievances is an opportunity for conservatives and Republicans. By creating a positive message that includes liberty and opportunity, we position against the Democrats’ offers of "shared sacrifice" and "lowered expectations." This a creates a real alternative, replacing the pastel version of the Democrats’ failed policies Republicans have been offering . 

The Tea parties were the seminal event of a new civil rights movement. Describing it in these terms is both accurate and indicated. Rumors are that the next "big thing" will be on July 4th. I think that’s a bad idea because so many other events will compete but, regardless of the date, can we have some solutions by then? 

Ralf Seiffe advises business start-ups and product launches from Chicago, Illinois, and is a political analyst and columnist for the Illinois Review. Mr. Seiffe is also an Expert Advisor with The Institute for Truth in Accounting.

Webmaster Contact:  Alynn Patzer alynn11111@aol.com