Tea History and The Tea Party

In reading MacFarlane's article titled The Empire of Tea, I was intrigued by the immense history of tea.  I don't think I quite understood just how important tea has been, until after reading that article.  One of the historical facts highlighting the popularity and importance of tea during the 18th century was the actual economic boost it  gave to commodities.  Tea's popularity gave rise to the demand for production of ceramic's in Britain.
"The containers holding the tea, the tea caddies, had to be made, and the tables for serving the tea from, and the biscuits and cakes to accompany the drinking on appropriate side-plates, and the chairs and screens and fireplaces which would provide the elegant cosy setting.  So a consumer boom was launched in the first third of the 18th century, serviced by craftsmen and the expanding profession of general grocers, tea tasters, and auctioneers."
I thought that the economic growth of these tea commodities were interesting because I've read recent articles citing the increase of sales in powdered wigs due to the popularity of the Tea Party.  "The Tea Party movement, touting principles based in the Constitution and the Founding Fathers, has boosted the economy by fueling the sale and rental of anything symbolic of Colonial times — costumes, flags, even powdered wigs," states The Pittsburg Tribune.  This article in the Wall Street Journal also talks about how the rising demand for powdered wigs has spiked sales and vendors of the product.
Ultimately, the Tea Party movement has interestingly, such as tea did during the 18th century, generated an economic growth for a commodity.