Who is Ayn Rand?

To See Our Congressman as Others See Him

In my previous post I asked us to consider how others view us since the tragedy of Scott Walker in Wisconsin. The conclusion was, we are now viewed as being stupid. But, we Wisconsinites are now two time losers. We have lost our State to Walker and the corporate billionaires who own his soul. And we are unleashing our Congressman, Paul Ryan, whose soul belongs to those same billionaires, on the country and the world. Others are watching, and they are oftentimes more insightful than those of us who are in the middle of this mess. So, just as I asked the Robert Burns question “...to see ourselves as others see us?” about Wisconsin. It is now time to see how others see our newest demon, Paul Ryan.

In the last several days there have been many comments and international critiques of Paul Ryan, especially in regard to Ayn Rand. The best, in my opinion, is the passionate and moral plea from the British intellectual and founder of Globalization for the Common Good. His comments are shared below;

The Damning Impact of a Toxic Philosophy on America: The Tragedy of Ayn Rand

Written by Kamran Mofid, Ph.D.   

Friday, 17 August 2012 09:22

“Her psychopathic ideas made billionaires feel like victims and turned millions of followers into their doormats.”

And now the Darling of the Tea Party, Paul Ryan, who 'grew up on Ayn Rand' is planning to fire the last shot of Randism: Destruction of the so-called “Promised Land”

"It has a fair claim to be the ugliest philosophy the postwar world has produced. Selfishness, it contends, is good, altruism evil, empathy and compassion are irrational and destructive. The poor deserve to die; the rich deserve unmediated power. It has already been tested, and has failed spectacularly and catastrophically.”

Rand was a Russian from a prosperous family who emigrated to the United States. Through her novels (such as Atlas Shrugged) and her nonfiction (such as The Virtue of Selfishness) she explained a philosophy she called Objectivism. This holds that the only moral course is pure self-interest. We owe nothing, she insists, to anyone, even to members of our own families. She described the poor and weak as "refuse" and "parasites", and excoriated anyone seeking to assist them. Apart from the police, the courts and the armed forces, there should be no role for government: no social security, no public health or education, no public infrastructure or transport, no fire service, no regulations, no income tax."...

And now, given the tragic consequences of this toxic, immoral, untrue philosophy, once again, this ugly belief system has become the central agenda of the Tea Party whom is hoping to capture the White House.

I can only say, God help America, God help the world. Please God, let wisdom, sanity, and goodwill  prevail.

Paul Ryan 'grew up on Ayn Rand'

“Ayn Rand is the high priestess of undiluted capitalism and a champion of looking after number one. With an estimated 25m copies of her books in print, including Atlas Shrugged and The Fountainhead, her ideas about small government and unfettered markets still resonate in conservative circles, with a young Paul Ryan, the Republican vice-presidential candidate, being a big fan.

"I just want to speak to you a little bit about Ayn Rand and what she meant to me in my life and [in] the fight we're engaged here in Congress. I grew up on Ayn Rand," Ryan told an audience in 2005. "I grew up reading Ayn Rand and it taught me quite a bit about who I am and what my value systems are, and what my beliefs are."

The Russian-born American author, a refugee from Soviet communism in the 1920s, wrote at a time when collectivism was widely seen as a blueprint for the future. However, her vision was for a free society where the strong flourished and egoism ruled over altruism. In Rand's world, material achievement had spiritual value and unproductive citizens were "parasites," "looters" and "moochers". There are no state benefits, no national healthcare.

She believed that humans are rational and self-interested, thriving if left to their own devices. Rand said, : "Making more money means we are making more use of our brains." Admiration of the rich only stopped with those who inherited their wealth, whom she viewed as living well from cronyism and nepotism.

Rand argued her theories with almost messianic passion, winning a coterie of acolytes , including eminent members of the Reagan administration (notably Alan Greenspan, the former Federal Reserve Chairman, who became a lifelong fan.) Another devotee is the influential conservative talk radio shock jock Rush Limbaugh.

We, in Wisconsin, have an obligation to not only make sure that Paul Ryan never becomes Vice President, we are the only ones who can make sure he will never go back to congress. That is why it is so important to support Rob Zerban in the First Congressional District as he runs against Ryan.

Vote; Obama/Biden and Zerban!

I don't have much of a comment here except to say that the spirit of Ayn Rand continues to invade our capitol.  And H/T to Rep. Kelda Roys.

OK, she probably won't talk, since she died in 1982. But you can bet she's pissed.

Her lover boy, Paul Ryan (that's the couple pictured in happier days), after publicly lavishing affection on her for years, not only says their affair is over.

He claims it never happened, that he never even really liked her.

The Paul Ryan Watch has more.