Paul Ryan with Ayn Rand
U.S. Rep. Paul Ryan of Wisconsin, the newly elected speaker of the House of Representatives, presides over a Republican majority that fights to make the rich richer, at the expense of the middle and lower classes. It opposes higher taxes on the wealthy as a way of reducing the nation’s debt, instead favoring cuts to social programs that benefit the poor. Ryan tries to reconcile his positions with his Catholic faith by applying convoluted interpretations of social Catholicism. However, none of the intellectual gymnastic gyrations he comes up with can obscure the fundamental contradiction of the tenets of Christianity and the philosophy of his hero, Ayn Rand, famous for her novels Fountainhead and Atlas Shrugged, the latter of which Ryan has put forth as required reading for his staff. Maybe it’s the similar assemblage of letters in their names that fascinates him.
At this time of celebration of the birth of the person on whom the Christian faith is based, it seems appropriate to regurgitate some of Ayn Rand’s quotations vis-à-vis Christ’s teachings. Herewith is a partial list compiled by the website Daily Coz. Go figure.
