To the editor:
Paul Ryan - the Republican Vice Presidential candidate ... Here's what we need to know:
1. A follower of Ayn Rand, a now-deceased Russian immigrant who developed a "male hero" based philosophy and had a cult-like following of her version of capitalism: altruism (unselfish concern for the welfare of others) is immoral, aversion (an intense dislike) to the Sermon on the Mount, refusal to compromise, adherence (support) to atheism.
I saw a TV clip in which Mr. Ryan said, "I grew up on Ayn Rand".
2. Randian components of the Paul Ryan Budget:
(a) Cut $3.3 trillion from low-income programs over the next decade - biggest cuts in Medicaid, reduce food stamps by $135 billion (17 percent), causing an increase in hunger, particularly among children
(b) Turn Medicare into a voucher plan, causing seniors to come up with an average additional $6,500 (analysis of info given by Republicans to non-partisan Congressional Budget Office).
3. The hypocrisy involved in saying people who receive help are "parasites" when help received by Randians is downplayed. For example, Paul Ryan's father died when he was 16 so he received Social Security survivor insurance benefits (yes, Social Security is an insurance) which he banked and used to attend college. This was a good thing, but Mr. Ryan should acknowledge he didn't educate himself alone - he had the assistance of the U.S. Social Security system and others who paid in. This ignoring of help is similar to Ayn Rand never giving credit to the Bolsheviks (communists who overthrew the czar) with giving her the opportunity for a free college education. One of the first things the communists did was lift restrictions against Jews attending college, thus she was able to acquire this advantage.
As President Obama has said, "We are in this together. Nobody does anything alone."
There is much more about Mr. Ryan, but the important thing is not to vote for the Republican Party which has presented him as somebody suitable to be president, if need be.
Jacquelyn Fisher
Lewistown
