Paul Ryan Tries and Fails to Distance Himself From his Randian Ideology

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Last updated on September 28th, 2012 at 11:29 am

There is a 16^th Century proverb, “birds of a feather flock together,” that applies to much more than feathered creatures, and it extends throughout the animal kingdom; for human beings it means people with similar tastes congregate together. One need not be a behavioral expert to know why people with similar ideologies gravitate toward each other, and it explains why there are two major political parties when there are really myriad groups with varying special interests within each group. When Willard Mitt Romney chose Paul Ryan to be his running mate in the race for the White House, many pundits believed it was because Ryan earned a reputation as an economic guru, as well as to attract fiscal conservatives to support Romney’s presidential bid. That may be true, but it was more likely because Ryan shared Romney’s contempt for 47 % Americans he called victims and parasites in the secret video released a couple of weeks ago.

Americans were rightly offended that Romney spoke disparagingly about 47% of Americans because they are too poor to pay income taxes, but if they knew Willard’s running mate made similar statements in a recently released audio, they may understand that both men have nothing but contempt for 98% of the American people. Paul Ryan drew boos from an American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) audience recently when he talked about his plan to dismantle Social Security and sell it to Wall Street, but they may have lynched him if they knew what he said during an address to the Atlas Society’s “Celebration of Ayn Rand.”

In an audio recording recently exposed and transcribed by a Catholic blog, Ryan told Ayn Rand acolytes his values were shaped by the author who believed humanity must “reject the morality of altruism,” and that his monetary policy is guided by a fictional character’s assertion that “words to make money hold the essence of human morality.” According to Ayn Rand, “collectivist philosophy” is a “looters credo” and it explains Ryan’s contention that Social Security and Medicare recipients are “takers,” and based on his budget, looters are also children, the poor, seniors, and veterans; anyone who receives assistance from the government whether it is attending a public school or driving on a public road.

Since Ryan was chosen as Romney’s running mate, he attempted to distance himself from his devotion to Randian ideology, but his budget proposals and attempt to end Medicare characterize his belief that seniors, combat veterans, and especially the poor are “looters.” Despite what Ryan says in public, his own words to the Atlas Society explain what drives his privatization campaign; “I just want to speak to you about Ayn Rand and what she meant to me in the fight we’re engaged here in Congress. If I had to credit one thinker, one person for the reason I got involved in public service, it would be Ayn Rand.” Ryan also said that Rand’s fiction “taught me quite a bit about my value system, and what my beliefs are.”

Ryan’s beliefs, like Romney’s, are that Medicare and Social Security are “socialist-based systems” that must be dismantled in their present form. He complained that a collectivist victory will take place “if we do not succeed in switching these programs, health care, as well, from a socialist system to an individually owned system.” In other words, Ryan will not stop assaulting Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, and social safety nets until this nation is transformed into an “individualist” system (code for privatized government). According to Ryan, to “break the back of this collectivist philosophy” Republicans must “go on the offensive” to transform the current system to personal accounts for all Social Securities that “will do so much to change the dynamics in this society.” Ryan’s philosophy is shared by Romney who complained “I’ll never convince them (the 47% who are too poor to pay income taxes) they should take personal responsibility and care for their lives,” but with Ryan at his side, they will dismantle programs that guarantee all Americans security in their old age or disability, and it is the sentiment they have towards all government programs serving children, the poor, veterans, and middle-class Americans.

Romney’s elitist view toward anyone not in his wealthy peer group coupled with Ryan’s hatred of popular and successful social programs epitomize Ayn Rand’s fictional reverence for money and opposition to American social values Ryan demeans “collectivism.” Their views and hatred for collectivism is really hatred for America as a community, and the concept that citizens contribute for the general welfare of the entire population. In fact, the “secret” transcript of Ryan’s address was exposed by Vincent Miller of the National Catholic Weekly blog after Catholic groups mercilessly criticized Ryan and Romney for their assault on social programs. On the tape of Ryan’s speech, he and Atlas Society Director of Advocacy can be heard laughing when describing the plan to personalize (privatize) Social Security as if it is a joke, and unbelievably, they gave tribute to the man who privatized Chile’s pension system under Augusto Pinochet during his “regime of terror.” In fact, Pinochet’s labor minister convinced George W. Bush and the founder of the Cato Institute that replacing Social Security with Wall Street investments was a great idea. Bush said, “You make a very compelling case. I do believe that privatizing Social Security is the most important issue facing the nation,” and Romney campaign advisor John Sununu helped President Bush push privatizing Social Security.

Romney and Ryan are identical in their extreme hatred for what made America the greatest country in the world; collectivism. Republicans have attempted various approaches to destroy New Deal programs that defined American ideology that America cares for all of its citizens, rich and poor alike. They both claim to be Christians, but they advocate selfishness and greed championed by an Atheist and a South American military dictator known for his “regime of terror.” Both men are libertarian extremists whose plan for America will leave this country with a population of peasants indentured to plutocrats, and the concept of community will be replaced by landed gentry charging for everything from education to drinking water.

If Americans were offended by Romney’s remarks that 47% of the population are parasites, they should be incensed that Ryan considers 98% of the population looters and takers, and in Ryan’s case he means every American whether they are senior citizens, veterans, disabled, the poor, and middle class who have the audacity to expect their tax dollars to work for all the people. It is too bad the media fails to report that Romney and Ryan are promoting an anti-democratic dictator’s failed privatization scam, which is exactly what Americans will get if Romney and Ryan are victorious in November; a pair of anti-Americans who revere the sin of selfishness, and reject the morality of altruism.

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Rmuse

Audio engineer and instructor for SAE. Writes op/ed commentary supporting Secular Humanist causes, and exposing suppression of women, the poor, and minorities. An advocate for freedom of religion and particularly, freedom of NO religion.

Born in the South, raised in the Mid-West and California for a well-rounded view of America; it doesn't look good.

Former minister, lifelong musician, Mahayana Zen-Buddhist.