Paul Ryan Challenged By Town Hall Constituents Over Previous Praise Of Ayn Rand (updated)

[ProSense]

Last edited Mon May 7, 2012, 10:19 PM - Edit history (1)

Paul Ryan Challenged By Town Hall Constituents Over Previous Praise Of Ayn Rand

By Scott Keyes

JANESVILLE, Wisconsin — Last month, Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI) disavowed his one-time political muse, Ayn Rand, because of her “atheist philosophy.” Some of his constituents, however, aren’t buying it.

Ryan praised Rand’s ideas at length during a 2005 gathering in her honor and declared that “the reason I got involved in public service, by and large, if I had to credit one thinker, one person, it would be Ayn Rand.” But in an April interview with National Review, Ryan took a far different tone, telling Bob Costa, “I reject her philosophy.”

At a town hall meeting on Friday, Ryan was pressed by a constituent to explain this about-face. “Mr. Ryan, are you telling us that your political career was founded on the concepts of a rally of hers, but until recently, you never realized Ayn Rand was an outspoken atheist, that she felt altruism was evil, supported abortion, and condemned Christianity for advocating compassion for the poor?” the constituent asked.

Ryan professed no inconsistency in his views, arguing instead that “just because you like someone’s novels doesn’t mean you agree with their entire worldview philosophy.” He called the notion that he supports Rand’s views “a canard,” though still insisted that Atlas Shrugged is “a great book” that he recommends to those in his office.

CONSTITUENT: My question concerns your current and previous feelings toward the author and philosopher Ayn Rand. [...] Mr. Ryan, are you telling us that your political career was founded on the concepts of a rally of hers, but until recently, you never realized Ayn Rand was an outspoken atheist, that she felt altruism was evil, supported abortion, and condemned Christianity for advocating compassion for the poor?

RYAN: [...] Just because you like someone’s novels doesn’t mean you agree with their entire worldview philosophy. She has a worldview philosophy which is completely antithetical to mine because she has an atheist philosophy. [...] It’s really kind of a canard, is what I would say.

CONSTITUENT: You spoke as a keynote speaker for Ayn Rand banquets. You were quoted at length about how you loved her. You say you grew up and Ayn Rand taught you who you are and what your values are. I think we’ve learned the question of your honesty.

RYAN: It’s a great book! It’s a great book! Let’s go on to somebody over here, I think we’ve covered it pretty well. By the way, I don’t require it. I have a reading list. Lots of young people ask me what are good books. I give them Alexis de Tocqueville, I take the Founders, Friedman, Hayek, Atlas Shrugged. There are lots of good books worth reading if you want to study freedom, free enterprise, the Founders, economics. There are a lot of good books out there to read, it doesn’t mean that you subscribe to the person’s worldview and philosophy. That’s really kind of a stretch.

Watch it:

- more -

http://thinkprogress.org/election/2012/05/07/479298/ayn-rand-paul-ryan/

Twit!

Updated to add:

Audio Surfaces of Paul Ryan's Effusive Love of Ayn Rand
http://www.theatlanticwire.com/politics/2012/04/audio-surfaces-paul-ryans-effusive-love-ayn-rand/51711/#

[DearAbby]

1. SING BIRDIE SING

Squirm you asshole. La de da de dum de dum de dum.

[Erose999]

14. Po-tee-weet?

[Blue Owl]

2. Ryan = Ayn R.

Too late Paul, the secret's out...

[southernyankeebelle]

3. He had to know who she was and what her feelings were. I think he is lying and he got caught.

[annabanana]

4. Of course he's lying. He is still an Ayn Rand fan, despite how it plays with the fundies..

How inconvenient his youthful allegiances seem today.

[southernyankeebelle]

9. what a hypocrite he is. All while getting benefits off of security security as a teen.

[ProSense]

8. Yup, lying. n/t

[gratuitous]

5. "A great book! A great book!"

A good book "worth reading." But that doesn't mean it should, you know, influence your worldview or your philosophy. "That's really kind of a stretch." Then why read it, Paul? It sort of sounds like you're talking out of both sides of your mouth to say a book is "great" and "worth reading," but that it shouldn't have any influence on a person. Does this kind of mealy-mouth shit fly in your district? In that case, I'd say they have - against all odds - the perfect person to represent them in Congress. I wouldn't have thought you'd have the mental firepower to tie your fucking shoes, as stupid as that shit is that's falling out of your mouth.

[stevenleser]

6. Uh huh

[Major Nikon]

7. So in other words, he only agrees with the pseudo-philosophy part

[Canuckistanian]

10. Cafeteria philosophy now?

To go along with the Cafeteria religion he espouses?

Does this guy have ANY core beliefs?

Or does he just make it up until he gets caught?

[aint_no_life_nowhere]

11. He attended Rand rallies and was a Rand banquet keynote speaker because

he liked her novels? Good God he's so arrogant in dodging these questions and acts like the questioner is a moron.

[FSogol]

12. The stupid puke fell into Romney's personal flip-flop field.

[Scuba]

13. This can be fixed...

http://www.robzerban.com

[muriel_volestrangler]

15. "no better place to find the moral case for capitalism and individualism than through Ayn Rand"

from that link with the audio. Also:

"But the reason I got involved in public service, by and large, if I had to credit one thinker, one person, it would be Ayn Rand. And the fight we are in here, make no mistake about it, is a fight of individualism versus collectivism."

"In almost every fight we are involved in here, on Capitol Hill, whether it’s an amendment vote that I’ll take later on this afternoon, or a big piece of policy we’re putting through our Ways and Means Committee, it is a fight that usually comes down to one conflict: individualism vs. collectivism."

"And so when you take a look at where we are today, ah, some would say we’re on offense, some would say we’re on defense, I’d say it’s a little bit of both. And when you look at the twentieth-century experiment with collectivism—that Ayn Rand, more than anybody else, did such a good job of articulating the pitfalls of statism and collectivism—you can’t find another thinker or writer who did a better job of describing and laying out the moral case for capitalism than Ayn Rand."

"Is this an easy fight? Absolutely not…But if we’re going to actually win this we need to make sure that we’re solid on premises, that our principles are well-defended, and if want to go and articulately defend these principles and what they mean to our society, what they mean for the trends that we set internationally, we have to go back to Ayn Rand. Because there is no better place to find the moral case for capitalism and individualism than through Ayn Rand’s writings and works. "

This isn't just literature appreciation; in his own words, it's his premises and principles he takes from Rand. He is passionately in favour of individualism. He thinks she shows the best "moral case for capitalism and individualism". That's why calling his budget 'social Darwinism' is entirely accurate.