View original postAre those comparisons relevant though? The tea party was not a riot or popular demonstration, it was a planned, organized and specific PR move. And yes, it WAS about the principle. That was the whole point. A lot of Torys (contemporaneous and historical) have attempted to point out that the tax was not particularly onerus and that it was a reasonable and justifiable means to defray expenses associated with the colonies. The opposition's point was always that it was about the principle, and that a representative Parliament had no right to tax those it did not represent. And the crown's position was likewise that even if it chose to repeal certain taxes, it was not out of agreement with the colonists' protests, and the tea tax was left in place as an assertion of their right to levy whatever taxes they wanted to. Like "Winter Dragon" was made and aired to retain the rights to "Wheel of Time". The tea party demonstrators dumped the tea in order to make the point that even if they couldn't stop the taxes from being passed or collected, they were going to make sure they were not paid. They reimbursed the owner of the tea, repaired damaged property and one demonstrator caught stealing tea for his own use was punished. This has absolutely no relation to people setting random cars on fire and fighting the police because they don't like a tax.