Paul Ryan admires atheist Ayn Rand's principles. He says that the fight we are in here, make no mistake about it, is a fight of individualism versus collectivism, individual freedom versus big government socialism. Do you agree with Ryan?

He has already said that he agrees with the individualism and not her atheist views. What does one thing have to do with the other? I am a practicing Catholic and very much in awe of Rand's books and philosophy.

Personally, I think ‘Atlas’ should be required reading before you are allowed to vote.
Her religion – or anybody else’s – should have nothing to do with their economic philosophy.
(some religions do prescribe an economic model i.e. Sharia)
Obviously, Ryan took from the book the intended lesson.
I dragged out my old copy of ‘Atlas’ I bought in the 60’s and re-read it a couple of months ago. (By the way the price on the cover was $1.50!)
I was struck with how prophetic the lady was. She possessed a very clear crystal ball.

Analyst, Ph.D.

I am John Galt

I agree with what he said, but there might be a disagreement over why he said it. Remember, the "show" must go on!

Yes - I do. I am not sure what the part about atheism has to do with anything. No I am definitely not one but that doesn't mean that I can't find truth where ever it lies. I don't automatically dismiss any or all information or ideas just because someone doesn't agree with me on the nature of God. If I did that - I probably wouldn't listen to too many people at all because I feel most of us will have a very unique opinion about what God is and how God operates and even members of a family who all go to the same church will vary in their concepts. On Rand - there are things that I do and don't agree with her about - but then the same goes for most folks.

Her principles might work if both parties of our government had not stacked the deck against small businesses and other domestic entities.

Individual excellance and loyalty to one's principles is what keeps our human hearts on track. Meanwhile, some can scream 'atheist' all day long but Ryan is a Catholic.

I'm not in love with Ryan, I think he's only slightly less of a moderate than Romney, but at least he understands what the fight's really about. That's more than I can say for Romney or Obama/Biden.

Obvoiusly by voting for TARP, supprting the auto bailouts and voting to put the 2 mid-east war costs on the next generation, he's no Ayn Rand fiscal conservative when its important.

He's said he rejects her "atheist philosophy."

http://www.nationalreview.com...

One can both agree and disagree with Ayn Rand. I do. I don't agree with her objectivism, but do with her individualism.

While I find some of what I read interesting, I would not try to live my life around what I understood of her philosophy. I did not read that much.

Such clarity of discernment might just make Joe Biden's head explode.

I hope they capture it on tape for YouTube preservation.

I agree with Ryan but not to happy with Romney he and obama are just alike.

Not at all. With or without Ryan, Romney had already distanced himself almost 180 degrees away from Obama on business, government spending, abortion, illegal aliens and just about everything else. Why do you think pro-life groups and groups opposed to illegal immigration think so highly of Romney, but not Obama? See, for example:
https://www.numbersusa.com/co...

it's good except for the second part of it and Romney's view on NDAA how do you explain that?

Dumney supports tarp, patriot act,TSA, NDAA, militarily trained and equipped police forces, nafta, flip flops on the other issues you mentioned depending on the group he's addressing. He is the same as barry but people think it's ok because he has an (R) beside his name. Americans are being played like a bunch of naïve suckers. Don't let them fool you so easy. At this point it really doesn't matter. We are going to have an economic collapse leading to chaos, outbreak of violence, martial law, civil war.

This is going to be a 12 round knock out!
Send the bama's packing.

He is absolutely right.

I agree with Paul Ryan 100% and think he is a fabulous choice for VP.
Romney has given this country great hope by choosing a died in the wool conservative as his running mate!
A man whose mission in life is to save this country from bankruptcy and reverse the disctruction brought on by King Obama and his royal court of socialist dirt bags.

As a christian I believe in doing the right thing!

Mentioned the fact to emphasize that not all atheists support socialist collectivism. I've seen Conservative blogs time and time again wrongly lumping atheists altogether as leftwing extremists. Many who you would label as atheists are in fact just as Conservative politically as anyone.

being an atheist isn't relevant to Ayn Rand's economic views.

"being an atheist isn't relevant to Ayn Rand's economic views."


One thing that this quality does confer on Alisa Zinov'yevna Rosenbaum (by birth quite thoroughly Jewish) is a decidedly non-sectarian perspective on matters of ethics, politics, economics, and philosophy generally.

No wonder her writings are so lucid, so well-reasoned, and above all else so readily acceptable across the broadest spectrum of of honest, decent, rights-respecting human beings.

Which naturally leaves out socialists and other collectivists, of course. They HATE the old bag.

yep .. agree red horse. I'm a person of faith, but agree with Rand's economic views. The idea that government assists commerical ventures is not a direct cause and effect that I generally agree with.

Can't believe everything you read and yet you cannot believe everyone who you may gravitate toward either. I am more gravitated to his philiosophy before turning our constitution around into socalist politics which BO has seriously introduced and blatantly never listened to the people against his policies acting like a King and not a president

No, because you've mischaracterized Mr. Ryan as wholly supporting of Ayn Rand. Paul Ryan has often criticized Ayn Rand for oversimplifying human emotions, ignoring religious faith, eschewing personal friendship and community and not believing in personal charity. Mr. Ryan does not believe in big government, but he believes in the bigness of human spirit - Ayn Rand, on the other hand, believes in neither.

Ayn Rand was "part" right in that those things are important to building a free society. But Rand did not distinguish her political beliefs from her personal beliefs. Rand didn't believe in principles of charity or giving to the less fortunate and particularly hated Christian principles of faith and family.

"Rand didn't believe in principles of charity or giving to the less fortunate and particularly hated Christian principles of faith and family."


Not so much, actually. What she SAID (1964) was:

"My views on charity are very simple. I do not consider it a major virtue and, above all, I do not consider it a moral duty. There is nothing wrong in helping other people, if and when they are worthy of the help and you can afford to help them. I regard charity as a marginal issue. What I am fighting is the idea that charity is a moral duty and a primary virtue."

Big difference. Mrs. O'Connor's point was that nobody should be obliged to practice self-sacrifice for whatever he THINKS might be to the benefit of others. First, that's because (as any firefighter or ambulance squaddie will tell you) you can't do any kind of job in preserving other people's well-being if you allow the situation to kill you or incapacitate you.

Don't add to the victim count.

Second, your perception of what is genuinely beneficial to other people is NOT going to be infallible. Too damned often, what people offer - with excellent good will - as charity turns out to inflict heavy damage on the recipients.

Sure, Ayn Rand is dispassionate about the "Christian principles of faith and family."

That's because she approached the propositions with conscientious honest and clear reasoning.

Oh contraire mon amie.
She did believe in charity of the individual kind. If you possess capital it is your decision as to what to do with it. (A good read is ‘The Virtue of Selfishness’) What she did not believe was that the government is supposed to take it away from you and decide who should be the recipient of your charity.

Analyst, Ph.D.

I agree with what he says and he understands the libertarian doctrine but he's not a libertarian, he's good at acting like one, but he's exactly that, a great actor. He's VP because he;s the closest a libertarian the establishment can get (without having to become libertarians), do not deny this Paul Ryan is an establishment Republican.

And I don't think it matters that Ayn Rand is atheist.

Just because someone is an atheist doesn't mean that some things that person says is not right! The freedom of the Individual should be sacrosanct in this country. However, along with inidvidual freedom goes individual responsibility that may require collective enforcement. We need to stop enabling bad behaviour and bad choices. Drugs, Gangs, Promiscuity, Absent Parents, Fiscal irresponsibility, violence, misuse of firearms, Truancy, Slackerd Effort. IT IS TIME WE STOPPED PICKING UP THE TAB FOR EVERY LAZY IRRESPONSIBLE PIECE OF CRAP IN THIS COUNTRY. SHAPE UP OR SHIP OUT. LITERALLY!

our country is all about fighting communism and socialism - and we are losing

http://www.sodahead.com/unite...

I go with JMCC here. I also don't believe it is quite as extreme as that. I do agree that it is a fight between freedom versus big government, but I don't believe it is a fight between Individualism and Collectivism.

I am not sure it goes as deep as that, more an effort to curb the extremes of egocentricity.