Coffee, Tea, or Me?
March 13, 2010
by William P. Meyers

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My wife was aghast that, after her and all her (and my) friends working for years to talk to people about democracy issues (See CaliforniaDemocracy.org, Alliance for Democracy), someone with little apparent knowledge suggested coffee parties to counter tea parties and suddenly, if probably momentarily, is famous, via Facebook. A funny thing is most of our democracy activist friends also have facebook accounts, and try all sorts of ways to spread their ideas.

I think the tea parties are a good thing, even though some of the stances taken by tea party people don't agree with me. People should talk to each other, share ideas, and even argue. To the extent that coffee parties provide that for people who are not already politically engaged, they will also be a good thing.

Across the country, without a doubt, Democratic Party strategists and paid flunkies are getting ready to attend coffee parties the same way Republican paid staff have tried to capture the tea party movement. And vice-versa: if the coffee parties amount to anything, people will think they can capture the Democratic Party.

Sorry folks. The most basic lesson of American politics is that the Democratic Party belongs to the military-industrial complex. They created it, they own it, and they have the resources to maintain control of it. (See Brief History of the Democratic Party)

The other basic less of American politics is that the Republican Party belongs to the military-industrial complex. They re-created it for the Civil War, they own it, and they have the resources to maintain control of it. (See Brief History of the Republican Party)

Has anyone besides me noticed that both coffee and tea are imported? Where is the Americanism in either of them?

Wine and cheese parties, as effete as they may be, at least can be supplied with American products. Or beer and pretzels. Or root beer and hog's feet.

I'd like to see a California Party. I think the main problem with the Democrats and Republicans in California is that they are tied to national parties run from states that have almost nothing in common with California. States like Mississippi and Texas and Illinois.

California grows a lot of cool crops, but as far as I know, none of them is made into hot beverages. Are we doomed to oblivion because we have no California-specific hot beverages?

California does grow righteous strawberries, and we have a healthy dairy industry. Perhaps we should skip the hot beverage and go straight to strawberry yogurt. What it is lacking in caffeine, the Strawberry Yogurt Party might make up for in nutritional wholesomeness.

I really should get a Facebook page. But the idea of constantly hearing trivia from a myriad of Internet friends, well, that still repulses me. I hate feeds. I'd rather just get information when I go looking for it.