Over the last several years two allegedly grassroots quasi-political movements have sprung up in America. Both the Tea Party and the occupy movements have addressed what they consider to be grave inadequacies in our current political and economic existences. Although on first glance they would seem to be diametrically opposed there are more similarities than differences between the two movements.

Both the Tea party and the occupy movement feel that they are being wronged by the powers that be. Both feel that the America they love is being destroyed by malevolent powers that they have little power to oppose. Both want to take their country back. The apparent difference between the two lies in who they blame for this atrocity.

The Tea party mostly blames what they consider to be an overreaching big government which has insinuated itself into every aspect of their lives, taking away their freedoms and dictating how they live and interact. The occupy movement blames corporations for dominating our economic and political lives through the unholy application of power through expenditure of their seemingly inexhaustible resources. Both are correct to a degree but these are not so drastically different viewpoints as it might seem.

What is probably the real truth here is that both government and corporations are colluding to create these inequities. Corporations, through lobbying and with the assistance of the Citizens United ruling, have undo influence on the election and workings of congress and government in turn rewards their corporate sponsors with favorable legislation and ineffectual regulatory oversight. Who is to be blamed comes more from the basic political philosophy of the observer than from reality.

What we are dealing with here is in 20th century terms good old fashioned fascism. The collusion of business and government is not a new idea and has been the goal of potential oligarchs everywhere since the early 20th century. The new age fascists have honed their craft to rule not by dictatorial means but through the illusion of democracy. They use fear and misinformation to fool the public into thinking that they still have power when in fact only the monied few have any real power in today’s America.

If we are not careful we will be ruled by our corporate overlords and their congressional enablers for many years unless both the Tea party and the occupy movement can see past their differences and actually take back their country through the overwhelming application of that best of means, the power of righteous, heartfelt will to overcome. Both the Tea Party and the occupy movement are correct that our democracy faces a grave challenge. They just need to bury their differences and work together to restore America to its original promise, equality of opportunity and real freedom.

The future is at stake and the stakes are high.