http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x8860548
The colonies refused to pay the levies required by the Townsend Acts claiming they had no obligation to pay taxes imposed by a Parliament in which they had no representation. In response, Parliament retracted the taxes with the exception of a duty on tea - a demonstration of Parliament's ability and right to tax the colonies. In May of 1773 Parliament concocted a clever plan. They gave the struggling East India Company a monopoly on the importation of tea to America. Additionally, Parliament reduced the duty the colonies would have to pay for the imported tea. The Americans would now get their tea at a cheaper price than ever before. However, if the colonies paid the duty tax on the imported tea they would be acknowledging Parliament's right to tax them.
DUmbasses.
Yup. Parliament's refunding to the EIC of duties paid on tea going back to the colonies was only tangential to the matter. The new tax levied on the colonists was the issue. If it hadn't been tea it would have been something else, as Parliament was hellbent on collecting some kind of tax.
The DUmbass is trying to say if Parliament had kept the duty charge on the East India Company (representing the evil corporations, I presume) there would have been no need for a tea tax on the colonists. But, being a DUmbass, he misses the whole point. It's this kind of bastardization of history from which Leftists draw all their "America is teh evul" memes.
