Posted on 10/25/2012 7:46:33 PM PDT by Free ThinkerNY
President Obama dismissed Ayn Rand, whom Republican vice presidential candidate Paul Ryan said at one point "inspired him," as having "a pretty narrow vision" in an interview with Rolling Stone.
"Well, you'd have to ask Paul Ryan what that means to him," Obama said in the interview. "Ayn Rand is one of those things that a lot of us, when we were 17 or 18 and feeling misunderstood, we'd pick up. Then, as we get older, we realize that a world in which we're only thinking about ourselves and not thinking about anybody else, in which we're considering the entire project of developing ourselves as more important than our relationships to other people and making sure that everybody else has opportunity – that that's a pretty narrow vision."
The president went on to describe Rand's objectivist philosophy — which emphasizes self-interest — as having overtaken the GOP.
"It's not one that, I think, describes what's best in America," Obama said. "Unfortunately, it does seem as if sometimes that vision of a 'you're on your own' society has consumed a big chunk of the Republican Party."
(Excerpt) Read more at thehill.com ...
That may be true. But Obama never did "pick up" Ayn Rand when he was 17 or 18, and the country is worse off because of it.
Ayn Rand was far off on the good guys, but she had the bad guy pegged!!
Hasn’t he become bitchy...
Yes, Rand is really good at showing that the government can be really evil, petty, and destructive. Statists simply reject all of those possibilities. They have replaced God with government.
The more we do for others, the less they do for themselves. Simple truth.
the only thing Obama was picking up at age 17-18 was a roach clip
” - - - “Ayn Rand is one of those things - - - “
WHOA!
Ayn was not a “thing!”
Ayn was a WOMAN!
She wrote books before Obama was born!
Does this mean that Obama has been carrying on a WAR AGAINST WOMEN?
Does this mean that Obama hated his own Mother who lived at the same time as Ayn?
Wow! Here we are in the final weeks of the Campaign and we find out that Obama hates women who write books!
BTW, no wonder Obama wants to keep free sex advocate Sandra Fluke flat on her back at taxpayer expense.
Obama really does have a low opinion of women.
Who is Hussein Galt?
Clearly a mere coincidence.
Rand’s brand of self-interest does not dishonor the self-interest of others. Everyone is free to cooperate in this endeavor, without coercion and the tyrannical use of force.
Communism’s ostensive altruism knows better. These enlightened philosopher kings know what is in our best interest; and will kill us if we don’t comply. The 20th century has more than born out the dangers of this fatal conceit.
A well-regulated militia being necessary for the security of a FREE state, the right of the people to keep and bears arms shall not be infringed. Commies like Obama hate the police powers being vested in the people, and not solely in the state, as he confirmed in the 3rd debate. (Many RINO’s don’t get this either).
Dont look now. Obama’s mask has slipped.
I didn’t read Rand until I was 43 and I too was shocked how much of that book rang true with what is happening today. We need more Hank Reardens and fewer Jeffery Immelts.
Well I guess when your heroes are Marx and Lenin, Ayn Rand’s theories on the worth of the individual against the soul-destroying gargantuan state (which you worship) is anathema.
Why is there no “like” button on FR? If there were, I would hit.
:)
Wow, Obama just lost Bill Maher’s vote. He’s a libertarian, you know. /sarc
When Obama was 17 or 18 he was stoned out of his gourd staring at his fingernail thinking there could be a whole universe in there.
“Ayn was not a “thing!”
Ayn was a WOMAN!”
Could’ve been worse. Could’ve called her a ‘stinky fish.’
Ping
The only way Obama would have "picked up" Atlas Shrugged when he was 17 was if someone had stacked it on top of his signed copy of Das Kapital. And even then he would have held it like a dead fish... well, a dead tuna.
I'm Head of State Thompson and I heartily endorse Obama's redistributionist policies.
obama never read Ann Rand, or he would have learned something.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.