The Privilege of Absurdity

Scott Antran is an anthropologist, giving him a unique perspective on the Tea Party's utter unwillingness to compromise. Excellent article, especially if you too are baffled by their myopic focus.

Recent research into seemingly intractable conflicts indicates that, for better or worse, radical movements that have attempted revolutionary changes in society do truly act on what they believe to be their sacred values -- core moral principles that resist and often clash with rational calculations. Once locked into sacred values there is a denial of the validity of opposing positions no matter how logically or empirically well-founded. 

The Debt Ceiling and the Tea Party