Time for all Americans to learn about the hypocritical Ayn Rand.

[Laurian]

Paul Ryan touts her as an inspiration. My understanding of her is that while she railed against social programs, she did not hesitate to make use of them herself (Social Security and Medicare). Actually, she is representative of the hypocritical right that also wants to get rid of these programs for others while taking advantage of them for themselves at every opportunity. The choice of Paul Ryan provides the perfect opportunity to drive that point home.

[KansDem]

1. Another "R" person?

Romney, Ryan, Rand...

Pure hypocRisy!

[RedSpartan]

2. And just wait until they hear her views on religion...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=439x1196342

[Zalatix]

3. Bing!!! That'll alienate the whole Christian voting bloc.

Get that one tied to Paul Ryan and it's all the hell over.

[Shankapotomus]

4. It's true she did take government money but

(and not to defend her, there are certainly other weaknesses she can be called out on) but many people don't realize she justified her use of social and government programs to herself on the fact that she had been "forced" to pay taxes all her working life and therefore had paid into the system from which she felt she was due reimbursement.

So although I think that is the wrong area in which to attack her philosophy and should be abandoned, there are many other ways I know of to go at Objectivism [it's unconscious promotion of Social Darwinism] (and I have gone up against objectivists online) for which they are very vulnerable and, in my case, have [had] little response but to ask me to refrain from asking certain questions on their forums.

It seems Objectivists don't understand the difference between individual economics and social economics. Objectivism's main weakness can be reduced to a "solitary species" view of human relations vs. a "group species" view. In any debate, their argument seems to always break down into a defense of the individual against the group, as if the group doesn't even exist to them. They seem to be incapable of understanding that there is a moral and logistical paradigm shift between a solitary species and a group species. We are a group species and Objectivists see everything from the perspective of a solitary species and all their philosophical weaknesses can be traced backed to that error. Once you understand that, their arguments are very easy to counter.

[ananda]

5. That's my experience with my rw fundie country cousins.

They'll take from the government, but at the same time they're
always touting the values of hard work, charity, and religion.

For them, "hard work" is a euphemism for racism. The key to
the South and many elections is racism.