Congressman Paul Ryan has been called "courageous" by his supporters and a "villain" by his detractors. He's obviously a talented "numbers guy" who has forgotten that our country is based on protecting the welfare of its citizens, on providing a social safety net for those who need it, and allowing citizens to retire with the dignity and health that helps them enjoy their declining years. Truth is not found in numbers; truth is found in the needs of people.
It has taken decades for our country to develop a system that affords health care for those who have none, supports citizens working out of poverty to improve their economic situation (especially through public education), provides workers with the ability to bargain for wages/benefits and provides some temporary support if they become unemployed.
Our nation has developed both innovative industries (growing the economy) and child protection laws to help secure the health and welfare of our children.
We value the protection of our nation's environment, support of our businesses and our making society desirable for all.
Jonathan Chait (Newsweek, April 18, 2011) observed: "Ryan's plan does two things in immediate and specific ways: hurt the poor and help the rich ... After extending the Bush tax cuts he would cut the top rate for individuals and corporations from 35 percent to 25 percent. Then Ryan slashes Medicaid, Pell Grants, food stamps, and low income housing..."
A quarter of the food stamp recipients are children, but Ryan seems unconcerned. Marie Antoinette said about starving French citizens, "let them eat cake." She lost her head.
Apparently Paul Ryan is an Ayn Rand devotee - extreme market capitalism and supply side economic theory advocate. Ayn Rand was a Russian emigre, playwright, novelist, who captivated certain groups of conservative intellectuals with her bizarre theories of anti-government vitriol - a theory of Objectivism, egoism, where only exceptional individuals count; altruists are worthless.
"Atlas Shrugged" is her best known work - an interesting read but with poor reviews, a badly flawed depiction of anti-government policy and no social justice.
Congressman Ryan is swimming in the cesspool of Ms. Rand's über-capitalist doctrine. A dangerous place for an aspiring national leader in a democratic society to even tread water.
Paul Ryan is not a villain but is badly informed. Ryan's budget plan will fail the test of national leadership.
The debt is a serious problem and both the Democrats and Republicans need to come together to solve it.
President Obama's budget plan is more responsible, reasonable.
Let's not rely on a second-rate novelist, a vacuous, smiling "numbers" Congressman and a morally bankrupt ideology to solve our problems.
• Eugene Paslov is a board member of the Davidson Academy at the University of Nevada, Reno, and the former Nevada state superintendent of schools.c
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