You've played by the rules. Went to work every day. Paid your bills and taxes. When your country summoned you to fight in its wars you were proud to serve. You've worked hard all your life and now what do you get? Bupkis as they say in Yiddish. Goat droppings. Your job was outsourced overseas. Your house has been foreclosed. You're in debt. Meanwhile, the big banks are sitting pretty on tons of cash. The stock market and corporate profits are up. GE made billions in 2010 and didn't pay a dime in taxes. With this backdrop in walks the Tea Party. They got the answers. You know why you are getting shafted? It's the immigrants, gays, uppity women, minorities, liberals, unions, and public service workers.

Arun Gupta, journalist and activist, was founding editor of The Indypendent newspaper in New York. He's a regular contributor to Alternet and Z.