Paul Ryan Shrugs: I’m Totally Not Into Ayn Rand
Suddenly, Rep. Paul Ryan claims he’s not that into Ayn Rand, even though we know that he is. Ryan once proudly told the Weekly Standard, “I give out ‘Atlas Shrugged’ as Christmas presents, and I make all my interns read it.”
[su_center_ad]But never mind all that. He’s now distancing himself from the godawful author’s ideology, because John Oliver.
The Huffington Post reports:
On the most recent episode of “Last Week Tonight,” John Oliver asked a simple question: How is Ayn Rand still a thing? And during a HuffPost Live interview on Tuesday, noted Rand devotee Paul Ryan saw part of Oliver’s segment and distanced himself from the Atlas Shrugged author.
The “Last Week Tonight” piece — which included a clip of Ryan saying that Rand “did a fantastic job of explaining the morality of capitalism” — questioned why conservatives continue to idolize Rand. When host Marc Lamont Hill showed Ryan a clip from Oliver’s Rand takedown, the congressman said the last time he read the author’s work was “years and years ago.”
“This is why I’m not an objectivist,” Ryan said, reacting to Oliver’s piece. “This is why I disagree with her philosophy. But I think her novels are great. I loved her novels when I was a kid. They triggered my interest in economics.”
A video of Paul Ryan explaining that Rand’s thinking is “sorely needed right now” because we are “living in an Ayn Rand novel” and that “Ayn Rand, more than anyone else, did a fantastic job of explaining the morality of capitalism, the morality of individualism, and this, to me, is what is [sic] matters most.”:
But never mind that, too. Ryan thinks she was a good writer, and that’s another dubious claim. Ryan has been lusting after Rand’s dead bones for ages, and like the worst boyfriend ever, he’s denying that he was ever into her. [su_csky_ad]
Image: NYMag.
forpeace October 2nd, 2014 at 9:56 pm
I always question the integrity of those who dislike the government while following and worshiping Ayn Rand aka the the Welfare Queen. These are the people who dislike and fight the government, but enjoy freeloading taxpayers money from the same government they dislike so much, just like Ayn Rand did.
After years of praising and worshipping Ayn Rand it is very hard to believe anything Lying Ryan has to say.
“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.”
– Paul Ryan in a 2005 speech to a group of R and devotees called the Atlas Society.
I will wait Paul Ryan’s next statement!
tiredoftea October 2nd, 2014 at 10:20 pm
“I loved her novels when I was a kid. They triggered my interest in economics.” He’s consistent! Awful writing and lousy economics.
jasperjava October 2nd, 2014 at 10:51 pm
Ayn Rand was a psychopath who believed that selfish individualism was superior to altruism. It’s an insane upside-down and deeply immoral philosophy.
No wonder right-wingers like it.
raincheck October 3rd, 2014 at 7:34 am
I couldn’t have said it better..
Dwendt44 October 3rd, 2014 at 12:34 am
Ryan started pushing Ayn Rand away once he learned that she was an Atheist. Her economics stink, as does Ryan’s. The austerity policies of conservatives have failed everywhere they’ve been tried to any serious extent. Should conservatives take over both houses of Congress, and, they hope,. the White House, those policies will fail miserably here too. Not that that will stop them from trying.
M D Reese October 3rd, 2014 at 1:39 am
Yup–we would soon be in the middle of the Second Great Depression. We’d be there now if Mitt had been elected.
Dwendt44 October 3rd, 2014 at 12:37 pm
Not sure we weren’t during the Bush recession. It might have been a Depression had it not been for the evil laws and programs those darn Democrats put in place. Social Security, Medicare, government pensions, military pensions, unemployment comp., WIC, EBT, minimum wages, etc…
OR those subversive things those unions made happen, like paid holidays, fixed retirements, equal pay, group insurance, etc…
AnthonyLook October 3rd, 2014 at 2:01 am
If you find yourself groveling, kissing up, quacking like Scrooge McDuck, walking the walk like Scrooge McDuck; you might be lying once again Lying Ryan about that self justification Ayn Rand thing that you’re shrugging away.
m2old4bs October 3rd, 2014 at 3:02 am
Well, once again Lyin’ Ryan proves his nick name to be oh so true.
eddie1247 October 3rd, 2014 at 6:28 am
Awww Paulie, you can run but you can’t hide. You are aware that things you say and do are recorded on film or in print.
raincheck October 3rd, 2014 at 7:46 am
Paul Ryan… Ayn Rand….Rand Paul… Hey! I think I just figured something out!
fancypants October 3rd, 2014 at 8:36 pm
paul ryans election text book of goals to achieve
majii October 3rd, 2014 at 9:16 pm
He’s still very much into Ayn Rand. He just doesn’t want to go public any longer and admit it. Every one of his budgets is a testament to Ayn Rand’s major economic principle–don’t do anything to keep the rich from getting richer, the little poors have only themselves to blame for their economic woes, the lazy bastards.