When Low Taxes Mean Socialism

I wonder what type of signs the local Tea Partiers will come up with for their next rally at the state Capitol now that this news is out:

From USA TODAY:

Amid complaints about high taxes and calls for a smaller government, Americans paid their lowest level of taxes last year since Harry Truman's presidency, a USA TODAY analysis of federal data found.

Some conservative political movements such as the "Tea Party" have criticized federal spending as being out of control. While spending is up, taxes have fallen to exceptionally low levels.

This doesn’t necessarily mean taxes will stay this low, but it’s important to note the Tea Party rhetoric ignores the fact that some of the stimulus funds paid for tax cuts. Why wouldn’t Tea Party members now want to pay that money back to the government? Isn’t it tainted with the stench of socialism? Wouldn’t that be consistent with their argument?

Sure, people can make an argument about the growing deficit, one started under former President George W. Bush, but this recent information, again, shows the Tea Party movement is really not a movement based on much of anything, except fear mongering, slippery slope arguments and, yes, racism. (This is not to imply every Tea Partier is a racist.)

The information also brings up this question again: Why are the Tea Partiers so angry? They’re paying the lowest taxes in 60 years. How could that possibly drive people to fits of anger as they label President Barack Obama a socialist?

I opposed the Wall Street bank bailouts, but they worked. Financial experts are predicting the U.S. will actually make a profit on its loans to the banking industry. Now General Motors, which also received a government bailout, is reporting profits and paying back government loans.

So, let’s see, the bailouts for private industry worked, the stimulus funds paid for tax cuts, the economy continues to improve and Americans are paying the lowest in taxes in decades, but for Tea Partiers this means the country is on the dark slide to socialism.

How long can the Tea Party movement get away with ignoring the basic reality on the ground and still attract new followers?

Maybe Democrats aren’t going to do as bad in the November elections as everyone is predicting right now.