Paul Ryan, Ayn Rand, and Socialism
As portrayed in the fantasy world of a fictional character named John Galt (and others – “where is John Galt?”), public transportation is a communist and socialist plot to destroy the world. Republicans like Paul Ryan take this “socialist plot” seriously. Same with Sid Dinnerstein in Palm Beach County, as he derides any attempt to improve public transit systems. And Rick Scott who turned back money from the stimulus package to build a high-speed rail system.
I see this issue of public transit in a different light. I see public transit as a healthy competitive force in the transportation and energy industries, competing against corporate monopolies. There are some metropolitan areas which are able to break even and sometimes make a profit on public transit.
If it is run correctly, public, or mass, transit is as capitalist as Mom, apple pie and baseball are American ideals.
After World War II, a Republican general named Douglas MacArthur became Supreme Commander of Japan. We TRAINED the Japanese and changed their culture from one of an ancient feudal landlord system to a modern-day economic giant. The Japanese auto industry came here and ate our lunches. But all the same, the Japanese HAVE invested in high-speed rail. Detractors would look for the negative in those investments, but consider how well that society and culture has competed in the world markets?
Republicans who worship Ayn Rand would turn back the clocks to the days of the feudal landlords, rather than moving America forward. Paul Ryan would do the same. Yet it was a REPUBLICAN – Gen. Douglas MacArthur – who molded the Japanese nation into the competitive force it has become. Due to his effective leadership in Japan, this has enabled that nation to think in long-term strategic investment strategies and have been very successful. In contrast, powerful Americans stupidly embrace short-term investment more aggressively than ever before. “Me first and I want it now” is the evil words in America today, contrary to what truly works.
Only President Obama has provided a long-term vision for America, through investments in industries which can help us become energy independent, including public transit systems, which use less energy.
Despite the fantasy world created by Ayn Rand, there are also side benefits to public transportation. One of those is the ability to solve our drunk driving problems and reduce the punitive nature proposed by iron-fisted law and order jerks. In nations where public transit is more prevalent, a person who drinks too much is not allowed to get behind the wheel of a car, but has an option to take public transportation instead. Long-term, perhaps this can be a more efficient solution, too. But of course, silly me – American wealthy ones refuse to think in terms of long-term efficiencies, don’t you know?
Paul Ryan may flip-flop and say what people want him to say. But in the end, he does wish to invoke policies based on the greed of Ayn Rand, reducing programs like Medicare, Social Security, and public transportation, despite the case some of us can make that these systems CAN better stimulate a capitalist free market – competing with the big corporate monopolies. That is the hidden agenda – the big corporate monopolies which act like a Soviet politburo, but pretend they are not by pointing false fingers at those who wish to invoke free market capitalism.
I would argue that the former Soviet Union was a form of crony capitalism. But Paul Ryan and other Ayn Rand worshipers are so caught up in the Atlas Shrugged fantasy world that they miss this point.
President Obama has a better sense of what it takes to get this nation running again. But he needs our cooperation, not a knife in the back by people who are suckered into the negativity of Fox Noise and other Media outlets – and refuse to consider there might just be a positive side which is not being fully presented.
Go ahead. Attack what I say. Stubbornly ignorant ones intent on holding on to what they believe will ALWAYS find something wrong with any solution which does not quite fit into their narrow line of vision.
“Seek wisdom, not certainty.” — Diana Butler Bass.
President Barack Obama Deserves our Support
The advertisements from the Republicans keep coming, do they not? How many of those ads are supported by huge companies making huge profits from the products sold to me? Yet, MY MONEY is being used to fund deceptive ads – due to the lousy Supreme Court decision in 2010. Antonin Scalia, Clarence Thomas, Samuel Aliota should all be impeached for not supporting their allegiance to the U.S. Constitution.
There. I said my negative.
This negative is related to Barack Obama and his uphill battle for a second term. A recent advertisement shows to “ordinary people” speaking about how they voted for Barack Obama in 2008, but will not vote for him this year. Why? According to these people, Barack Obama has not kept his promises.
This brings me back to 1984 and the election of Ronald Reagan for HIS second term. I was actually working for the re-election of the president that year, as I am in 2012. Reagan’s opponent that year, Walter Mondale, was, in my opinion, a better person and better opponent to Ronald Reagan than Mitt Romney is in 2012 as an opponent of Barack Obama. I was young. I was bullied by the Reagan folks. I have never been bullied by Democrats for the purpose of voting for a Democrat. NEVER.
My perspective on this election might be different, but is it not worth considering?
Barack Obama laid out his healthcare plan in 2008. Fox Noise took the negative parts of it and blew them out of proportion. They have been doing this consistently since that time. If people had examined the plan in 2008, they would have learned about many good parts of the plan. In 2008, even I did not recognize some of the good parts of the plan – such as stimulating capitalist competition in the insurance markets (which probably won’t take place until 2014). I also was not aware of the plan’s similarity to a successful one in Switzerland, either.
So in answer to the two fools who were probably paid off by Republicans to speak in those ads, Barack Obama HAS kept his promises. So you two people go and stab him in the back?
In 1984, as in most years Republicans are elected, Ronald Reagan had NOT kept one of his major promises used to defeat a sitting president in 1980: lower mortgage interest rates. The interest rates were still double digits in 1984, as they had been in 1980 when I obtained a 13% mortgage which nearly killed me financially. BTW. The interest rates were STILL double digits in 1988 when George H.W. Bush defeated the Democrat, Michael Dukakis (and ran some Karl Rove-inspired racist ads known as the “Willie Horton ads”). It was not until Bill Clinton, a Democrat, became president, that interest rates FINALLY came down into single digits. Yes, one cannot give credit to one man, but it was not me who suggested giving credit to one man. It was Ronald Reagan who PROMISED to bring down the interest rates, in order to defeat a one-term president, Jimmy Carter.
Somehow Republicans always act with convenience for themselves. If the credit can go to a Republican, then its ok. If not, well then we don’t give the credit. Cannot possibly give credit to Democrat Bill Clinton for the lower interest rates, even when it was Ronald Reagan who claimed HE could bring them down, but never did.
My point in all of this is that Barack Obama has fulfilled many promises, more than Reagan did in 1984. Yes, he has been weakened by Republicans who were determined in 2009 to deny him a second term. So, do we stab the man in the back or do we give him a chance to do his job in a second term?
Come on American citizens. You are the ones who complain about empty promises from politicians. So you have a man in the White House who has fulfilled some promises and you listen to false rhetoric from people who have been determined to remove him? Since 2008 and his election, these people, like Mitch McConnell and John Boehner, have made it clear. They did not wish to work with Barack Obama, but to destroy him – just as the corporate CEOs with their big money today – they wish to destroy their competition, rather than work for the better good of all in a free capitalist market. That is called fascism. A vote for Barack Obama will be a vote against fascism and one for democracy. It comes down to that.
For all the false rhetoric about Barack Obama and socialism, the man has more in his plans to instill free market capitalism than does Mitt Romney and his monopolistic friends who wish to consolidate power for the crony capitalists. Crony capitalism is no different than crony communism in the Soviet Union … and Cuba … and Communist China. And guess who manufactures campaign buttons for Mitt Romney? The Communist Chinese! When Allen West flings his putrid voice about communism, who really COULD be identified as COMMUNISTS? They are in Allen West’s party. Allen West is being challenged by one of those small business people whom the big guys wish to destroy in their false ideas of capitalist monopoly.
Vote for Barack Obama for president. Give the man four more years and a solid majority to help him achieve what he needs to achieve for America. Barack Obama wishes to elevate Main Street USA to equal footing with Wall Street USA. The Republicans wish to squash Main Street USA by reducing opportunities and jobs for Main Street USA, thereby consolidating the monopolistic powers of Wall Street USA.
There are millions of Americans who recognize we are doing better since Barack Obama was elected. Sure there are those who don’t share these feelings. But I can tell you all one thing. I am doing better, but I am not super filthy rich, either. There are those who are super filthy rich are doing MUCH better since President Obama was elected. If Republicans are elected, those of us who have done better and are willing to fight for the average American will be shelved and put out to pasture. The Republican who received $7M for axing bunches of jobs is not me. Imagine what $7M would do for me. I have endorsed the ideas for opportunity and jobs. So why not take it out on people like me – by voting for Republicans! Silly me, if I am so off base from what Fox Noise and a major part of the Media tells you.
The Palm Beach Post is so intimidated, it refuses to endorse one candidate over the other. The Republican strategy is to endorse the idea that it makes no difference who is elected president, so why bother voting? That’s wrong. Romnesia is relevant. For it was Republicans in 1980 who made the case that THEY could reduce interest rates, so it DID make a difference. Depends on what shoe is on what foot, don’t you know?
Seek wisdom, not certainty. Seek traditions, not traditionalism. Seek to practice [what you preach], not purity. These are lessons Republican fascists need to learn today. By defeating them, we can humble them and give them a learning experience. By voting in favor of their rhetoric, we keep Republicans in an egotistical state and stubbornly ignorant to the TRUE lives led by those of us in the Middle Class.
Vote for Barack Obama. Give him a chance, for four more years.
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