Times change, but for some reason we don't.

[Savannahmann]

Ten years ago, the moneyed men ran the Republican Party. That was factual, and truthful. Then the Tea Party was started. Now, the Moneyed men find themselves unable to influence the direction of the party to the extent they once did.

But far too many posts here keep expecting the Wall Street bankers, the Koch brothers, the folks with serious money to make the Republicans toe the line. Many replies expect much of the same thing, and it's not happening, and you can't figure out why.

Part of this is the problem that we don't want to believe what we are seeing. We are like people who find a serial killer living next door, we don't want to believe it. But here is the truth and we need to adjust our thinking to reflect the truth.

The Tea Party is defeating the Moneyed Interests left and right. Saxby Chambliss cast one too many votes across the isle, and was targeted by the Tea Party on January 13 of this year. http://thehill.com/video/campaign/275399-tea-party-express-chambliss-will-be-primaried A week later Senator Chambliss announced his retirement. http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2013/01/25/saxby-chambliss-to-retire-at-end-of-term/ Georgia is concerned about the clout that the Tea Party swings. http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Elections/Senate/2013/0817/In-Georgia-s-Senate-race-signs-of-GOP-unease-about-tea-party-clout

Why you ask? The lame claim of partisanship? No because he saw what happened to Bob Bennett. He saw what happened to others who were too reasonable and were vulnerable to a challenge from the RW.

The Money Men hope that the Tea Party goes away so they can go back to running the Republicans, but so far they've been unsuccessful in their efforts. The reason is that small groups can make a big difference in Primaries, and traditionally Republican districts and states will most probably remain Republican.

So what can we do? First, we need to recognize that the image we carry around of Republicans as the party of the Rich is outdated. Then we need to recognize that the Republican Party of today is extremist enough to actually do the things they say they will. They will shut the nation down, they will default on the debt, and they will vote for national suicide.

Before you say they are crazy, to their point of view, they are taking drastic actions in drastic situations. They honestly believe that if we don't turn around and start spending a lot less money our Government will default eventually, and we'll end up like Zimbabwe in the 2000's or Germany in the 1930's. They honestly believe they are standing on a line between long term solvency and hyperinflationary destruction of the middle class. They honestly believe they are standing against rampant socialism and they will not surrender without a political fight.

The first rule of warfare is supposed to be know your enemy. We need to know who we are facing and we need to update our vision to recognize this in order to effectively deal with the situation. Just declaring that they aren't that crazy isn't enough. Just laughing and saying that they are batshit crazy isn't going to do it. They are part of a growing trend in our nation, look at the booming sales of survivalist crap from freeze dried foods to bulk ammunition purchases. These people honestly believe they are fighting against the end of the world as we know it. How many TV programs have highlighted people who seem normal and reasonable until you find out on the weekends they are working on bug out bunkers or even castles in the middle of the wilderness. They are serious about this, sinking money into it, and they are convinced it is a real and present danger.

To merely denounce them as crazy and ignore their threats is our own form of suicidal myopia. They aren't thinking about the next Presidential election, they are fighting today to stop the collapse of the Government tomorrow. There is no time in their minds for half hearted measures, only staunch defenses.

They make up a goodly portion of our population, and they have some seriously influential supporters. Here in my town, there is a Judge, a Federal Judge, who is preparing for the doomsday. Here in my town normal everyday people are buying supplies, gas masks to help protect themselves from the bodies of the dead and the resulting disease. Here in my town there are people who have arsenals sufficient to fight a young war preparing for the breakdown of civilization. Some are expecting race war, some are expecting complete collapse of social order. Some are expecting other things too numerous to list.

These are the people driving the Republican Party. People who have real fears about the direction. It is asinine to merely denounce them as racists, because they are not just old school good old boy racists. They are people who work and live alongside people of other colors. They honestly believe these threats. And how do you argue them out of it?

For us, change is coming too slowly. For them, it's coming too fast. They honestly believe we are on the verge, and they have nothing to lose. If the collapse comes, they are at least prepared. If the collapse is pushed back, and we are diverted from our "suicidal" course, even a little, then they are making progress.

That is who we are facing, and that my friends is why we are past the time to start taking this seriously. Because it isn't just a game for them, it's life and death choices being made.