[Vision2020] We All Built this Great Nation Together: Ayn Rand, Paul Ryan, and the Myth of Radical Indivualism

[Nicholas Gier]

Hail to the Vision!

With regard to Roger Falen's judgment that Ayn Rand's philosophy is mostly
correct, I beg to differ.  It is of course mostly wrong.

Rand wanted to be taken as a serious philosopher, but she would brook no
criticism and she refuse to enter into discussions with professional
philosophers. The words that Tom Tomorrow attributes to her ghost in his
cartoon (see below) are not exaggerations.  Tom T. has a very strict
requirement about reprinting.  Otherwise I would attach a file.

The full version is attached. By the way, Roger, I have appended the
shortest version (649 words) of the column just for you.  I hope that you
are able to hook up a printer to your computer soon.

The subheadings of the full version indicate what I cover: "Rand to Ryan:
'You Disgust Me, You Collectivist Pawn," "St. Thomas Aquinas to Ryan: "You
Know Nothing of My Work," "Ryan Filling the Federal Troughs," "Uncle Sam
Supports GOP Convention and a Key Speaker," "Bain & Co. Receives Bail-Out
from FDIC," "We the People, the General Welfare, and a More Perfect Union."

Although the national polls are tied, Real Clear Politics, the folks who
predicted the 2008 election by a tenth of a percentage point, have Obama
(after resolving all toss-up states) winning 332 to 206.  They now have the
GOP winning the Senate by one seat.

Let's not allow the GOP to ruin the country,

Nick

*WE ALL BUILT THIS GREAT NATION TOGETHER:*

*Ayn Rand, Paul Ryan, and the Myth of Radical Individualism *


A recent *This Modern World* cartoon features Mitt Romney, Paul Ryan, and
the ghost of Ryan’s philosophical hero Ayn Rand.  Rand believed in
unfettered capitalism, radical individualism, and virtue of selfishness.
 The ever irascible Rand calls Ryan a “collectivist pawn” for using his
Social Security Survivor benefits to pay for his college education.


            The Ghost of Ayn Rand is right to condemn Ryan for filling the
federal troughs. Congressman Ryan voted for the 2002 stimulus (he said,
just Obama would say, it would create jobs), two unfunded wars, a new
entitlement program (drugs for seniors), TARP, and the initial $17 billion
auto industry bail-out.


He has brought millions of dollars to his own district, but then refused to
ask for federal funds to rescue the GM plant that he says Obama failed to
save. That facility was in Ryan’s hometown Janesville, a transportation hub
whose freeway was widened with $1 billion in federal highway funds.


Ryan’s hometown is also benefiting from the Economic Innovation Center,
started with $1.2 million in Obama stimulus money.  Uncle Sam is also
chipping in a cool $10 million for a high tech medical facility


The GOP delegates met at the Tampa Bay Convention Center, which was built
with $68 million in federal funds. Congress appropriated $50 million
dollars for security costs, and that did not include the 1,700.


The theme of the convention’s first night was “We Built It,” and one of the
speakers was businesswoman Sher Valenzuela. The delegates loved her, but
she failed to mention that her successful upholstery business was supported
by $2 million in federal loans and $15 million in government contracts.


Further destroying the “I built it” myth is the recent revelation that Bain
& Company received a bail-out from Uncle Sam.  In 1990 Romney took a leave
from Bain Capital to save its parent company from bankruptcy.


Tim Dickinson of *The Rolling Stone* discovered that Romney, using his
father’s connections in the government, saddled the taxpayer-funded FDIC
with a net loss of $10 million. Dickinson states that “in an added insult,
Romney rewarded top executives at Bain with hefty bonuses at the very
moment that he was demanding his handout from the feds.”


Russian-born Ayn Rand held a deep grudge all of her life: the Soviets
confiscated her father’s pharmacy business in St. Petersburg.  She
transferred her hatred for one evil government to all governments.  She
taught her disciples that there is one primary choice in life, namely,
between individualism and collectivism. For her there is absolutely no
compromise in the middle, where, as a matter of fact, most successful
governments have found themselves.  For my arguments see
www.NickGier.com/ThirdWay.pdf.


The GOP and FOX News have made much of Obama’s awkward statement “you did
not build that.”  In response to critics who say that he rips it out of
context, Romney curiously and outrageously says that it is far worse in
context.


Ironically, on this point Ryan charges that Obama offers a false dilemma
between individual liberty and government.  He says that he believes that
infrastructure is important, but his draconian budget will not allow the
massive improvements that will be necessary in the 21st Century.


The Constitution begins with “We the People” not solitary individuals or
states threatening to secede; and it requires that America’s leaders
promote the “General Welfare.” Our national motto is “out of many, one” (*e
pluribus unum*), which follows the constitutional aspiration of a “more
perfect union.”


The Ghost of Ayn Rand calls Ryan a “moocher,” but we should be glad that he
and other Republican Congressmen indirectly acknowledge that we all built
this great country together. Their budget cutting and tax aversion will,
however, ensure our demise in the decades ahead.


Nick Gier taught philosophy at the University of Idaho for 31 years.
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://mailman.fsr.com/pipermail/vision2020/attachments/20120905/f65a4ecb/attachment-0001.html>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: RyanRand.pdf
Type: application/pdf
Size: 170650 bytes
Desc: not available
URL: <http://mailman.fsr.com/pipermail/vision2020/attachments/20120905/f65a4ecb/attachment-0001.pdf>