Should we care about who and what influences our leaders?
By Tom Quiner
We have a clue on what and whom influenced Barack Obama.
His father was a socialist.
He admired Saul Alinsky, author of “Rules for Radicals.” Other Obama influencers where the communist Frank Marshall Davis, Harvard’s anti-American Roberto Unger, and most notoriously, the America-hating Reverend Jeremiah Wright and terrorist, Bill Ayers.
These are the philosophers and intellects who molded the mind of Barack Obama. Each is distinguished by his hatred for American values.
In 2008, conservatives were simply accused of racism if they tried to make too big of a deal of Barack Obama’s self proclaimed admiration for these men.
Likewise, I am unaware of any interest from the mainstream media (MSM) on who and what influenced Joe Biden, other than, perhaps, former British Labor Party leader Neil Kinnock whom Biden plagiarized back in the 1988.
On the other hand, there has been an unrelenting focus on Paul Ryan’s youthful admiration for Ayn Rand.
The Left is agog. The media is agog.
The gripe? Ayn Rand loves capitalism and greed.
Let us pause here.
America’s economic might has been built by the power of free markets, by the opportunity for the most innovative and hard-working Americans to rise.
America was built on a simple premise: equality of opportunity. And Ayn Rand in her monumental novels, especially Atlas Shrugged and The Fountainhead, dramatized the potential of capitalism and the peril of socialism.
In a sense, each of these economic models is built on greed. Capitalism allows the most productive and ingenious people to reap financial success unimaginable in other countries and other times.
Socialism is built on envy for the success of others, to use the power of government to seize the productivity of these successful people and redistribute it to certain groups who did not earn it. The socialist philosophy that molded Mr. Obama believes that the successful, in fact, did not “build the business themselves,” but that everyone else has a stake in it.
The America-haters that influenced Obama believe in equality of outcome. In other words, socialism. In other words, legalized theft.
I’m proud that Paul Ryan has read Ayn Rand. He publicly denounces parts of her philosophy, as do I, for her unrepentant atheism.
Interestingly, the same people who attack Ryan’s embrace of Randian capitalism ignore his embrace of one of the foremost Christian philosophers in history, St. Thomas Aquinas.
Paul Ryan is an intellect who can just as easily discuss and debate theology as economic theory or immutable government budgets.
I’m disturbed by the number of people who show such little concern for the anti-American influences of Barack Obama, and yet are so equally upset by Paul Ryan’s intellectual curiosity for one of capitalism’s greatest philosophers, Ayn Rand.
To simplify:
Obama reveres a terrorist.
Media and the Left: nothing wrong with that. If you say there is, you’re racist.
Ryan enjoys reading Ayn Rand.
Media: Ryan hates the poor. If you say otherwise, you hate the poor.
Interestingly, it is Randian economic model that has lifted more people out of poverty than any other.
St. Thomas Aquinas would be pleased.
How true it is, Tom. We have reached a point where it seems up is down, right is left, good is bad, bad is good, true is false and false is true. Should we care about what and who influence our leaders? Hell yeah! That goes for the Church as well (side bar). All we have is a leader’s history, words, and character to go on. What formed those elements in a person is essential. As a republic we once held an informed conscience up as the principle for elections. Vote by your conscience is our hope for our representatives to follow. Seemingly, there is very little of that since it is the party’s “conscience” that holds sway. Yet, behind it all there is an all-powerful force that uses them all like puppets. Until we can bring ourselves to examine what is going on behind the curtains that moves the government, we spin our wheels debating all the daily ups and downs of every moment. It took 4 years for the press to begin to accept that they may be leaning to influence elections. 4 years! With that warp speed we are far behind what is really going on all around us. Follow the money which is the root of all evil! Proverbs 12:3 A man is not established by wickedness, but the root of the righteous will never be moved. We need the tzaddik and the mench in office. A little of my 1/4 Jewish heritage! Ryan certainly stands out as one. The last thing politicians want is the righteous in office.
Good insight. Where I dissent is on your observation that it took the MSM 4 years to observe that they were biased. I believe they know it and don’t care.
Agreed. I wrote that with tongue in cheek so to speak. That is their scandal and shame. The problem is that we knew it too…and seemingly ignored the deciet… “…all it takes is for good men to do nothing.” And to add to your thesis…The evil of the world is made possible by nothing but the sanction you give it. Ayn Rand (1905 – 1982), Atlas Shrugged, 1957
Good quote by Rand. But it begs the question: “what is evil?” Typically, a definition for evil flows from religious faith, and Ms. Rand was an atheist.
I think it is time for the Natural Law to stand up and be recognized. At one time even by an atheist as Rand seemingly was, could distinguish good from evil. So it is time to once again find that manual that makes us human and act accordingly. Grace takes that which is our nature and raises it again to a new dimension of life and knowledge. I always believed that the 10 commandments are what demonstrate what is needed to be human. It is where we must begin to take that next step. Jeremiah 31:33 But this is the covenant which I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the LORD: I will put my law within them, and I will write it upon their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Hebrews 10:16 This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, says the Lord: I will put my laws on their hearts, and write them on their minds. All we have to do is search within and be honest. It is what is good that we seek, that for which we have been created. We always seek the good though too often we may be deceived by the world, the flesh and the devil. Basically, evil is going against our very own human nature to reject what is good. That good is intrinsic. Humbly offered…
Humbly received and appreciated. Thanks for great insights.