Ryan gets Randian to Welfare Recipient

1. 77

   Mighty Momposted 11 years ago

   What grade would you give this answer by Paul Ryan and why?
   
   VP candidate Paul Ryan was confronted by a voter at an event who's struggling. She said she makes $316 every other week and can't afford to give up on public assistance. She asked what he would suggest for people like her.
   
   The Republican vice presidential nominee responded, "The only thing that limits you is your God given talent and your own effort. We need to have that dynamic economy return. You do that by drawing the economy and giving people a hand up, not a hand out. Teach a man how to fish, he can feed himself for a life. Don't simply feed fish."
   
   I'm wondering where to get my  "Don't feed fish" t-shirt.

   replyreport
   1. 69

      rhamsonposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Has Paul Ryan been getting ad lib lessons from good old "W"? It reminds me of the "Fool me once" story he screwed up. LOL
      
      http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eKgPY1adc0A

      replyreport
2. 78

   junksellerposted 11 years ago

   "Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a day (and are out a fish). Teach him to fish (and then charge him three of every four fish he catches in order to get access to the river) and you and your family eats off the work of others for the rest of your lives." -Capitalist 'Job-Creators'
   
   I'd give Paul's answer an A-plus. Why? Well, when a public servant responds to a simple question with God and cheesy parables, that pretty much tells you everything you need to know about him, and that is very useful.
   
   Here's another fish parable for Ryan: "Give a person a fish and they'll keep coming back for more. Tell them cheesy parables about how they might theoretically feed themselves and they will starve to death waiting for the mythical Land of Infinite Fish. Problem solved." -The Current GOP

   replyreport
   1. 77

      Mighty Momposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      A+ answer.
      Speaks for itself!

      replyreport
3. 93

   e-fiveposted 11 years ago

   It's like one party is composed entirely of insult comics.

   replyreport
4. 60

   American Viewposted 11 years ago

   What was wrong with Ryan' answer other than the bible references?
   
   Truth is he was right. He is saying we will not give you a lifetime handout. What we will do is give you a hand up. Meaning, we will help you now, we will help you go back school if need be to move up, we will help you train for a better career in order to move up. By moving up you become self sufficient and in control of your own life. Tell me what is wrong with that?

   replyreport
   1. 81

      Don Wposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      What's wrong is that it misses the point. The ability to get ahead is less and less based on what you know, how talented you are, or how hard you work; More and more based on who you know, what family you happen to be born into, and how much money they happen to have ("borrow from your parents" indeed).
      
      So the problem is not lack of hard work, knowledge or talent as Ryan insultingly insinuates. Those things are the problem for some individuals, but for more and more people, the problem is that society has become socio-economically polarised. The gap between those on the bottom, middle and top rungs of the social ladder is becoming too wide.
      
      Statistics relating to income and wealth show that the wealth of the top 1% of earners is increasing at a faster rate than the next 9%, and their wealth is increasing at a faster rate than the other 90% (those last two groups form the famous 99%). The result is that the potential for upward social mobility (AKA the American dream) has been weakened, and in turn social cohesion is weakened. Recent civil unrest such as the Occupy movement is an example of that.
      
      Ryan's comment demonstrates he is too ideologically blinkered to see any of this. It simply does not fit the Randian narrative he identifies with, where the individual is the source of his own success (or lack thereof). In giving the answer he did, the candidate for the Vice Presidency is demonstrating that he is out of touch with the realities of the society he lives in. That's probably not a good thing.

      replyreport
   2. 78

      junksellerposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Very few people truly want lifetime handouts or even handouts of any kind. Americans in general are hardworking, have a good work ethic, and care about being self-sufficient. So right off the bat, it is an insulting sort of comment in line with Romney's 47 percent comments.
      
      But just like people don't want handouts they also don't want platitudes. We need a "dynamic economy" to return? We need more jobs? really? Is that a serious answer. A two-year old could have told me that. Who does this bozo think he is telling people to be in control of their lives and he can't even formulate a simple jobs plan. I'm happy he has a personal dogma to live by, but this isn't theology class, and it is time we start asking more of our supposed leaders--as in detailed and thoughtful plans of action.
      
      Also, where in any Republican policy statements is there any interest at all in job training and helping people go to school? Seems to me that is all stuff they want to cut money from. Perhaps I missed it. But, in terms of helping people to move on to bigger and better things in life, do you know what really works wonders for people? Food...
      
      Republicans act like they can slash food stamps and it will force people to want to improve their lives, but that's ridiculous. Of course people want to improve their lives, the opportunity to do so just isn't there. One job for every twenty people who are looking. Doctors flipping hamburgers at McDonalds. People don't want to be told to want more for themselves. They do that on their own. They want to know what a politician is going to do to help create the opportunity to do so.

      replyreport
5. 77

   Mighty Momposted 11 years ago

   As mangled as the feed fish line is, to me the first line is the real kicker here.
   The first line is a direct repudiation of the woman. Period.
   "The only thing that limits you is your God given talent and your own effort."
   
   He is not talking to a high school graduation class. He is not talking from a pulpit to a congregation. He is talking to one very specific woman who asked a very specific question about her specific situation and what is HE gonna do to help her change it.
   
   The implication here is the woman is completely responsible for her own situation.
   The implication is that she has not taken responsibility for her life, that her obstacles are of her own making.
   
   He has no idea what her story is.
   Perhaps she got laid off from a well paying job after 20 years. Is that her fault?
   I could continue with all kinds of scenarios that refute his INSULTING comment.

   replyreport
6. 0

   LikaMarieposted 11 years ago

   So the woman is poor because she's not Christian enough for his personal taste?  What a bigot.

   replyreport
7. 65

   Aley Martinposted 11 years ago

   My daughter works in a mental health facility and counsels patients who have been abused, tortured, raped and any other manner of horror. She can SEE why some people cannot work and depend on the dole. There are people who just cannot work and would love to do so.
   
   I sometimes think people only think about how things affect them and cannot see the pain of others. There is no compassion in this society, only judgment and name calling. It makes me so sick.

   replyreport
8. 62

   movingoutposted 11 years ago

   Posts like that show exactly how Romney and Ryan care about his fellow man! How anyone can vote for that duo is beyond me!

   replyreport
   1. 65

      Aley Martinposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      agree...he was my Governor...and he was awful!

      replyreport
9. 0

   SassySue1963posted 11 years ago

   Oh please.
   
   #1. It was a chopped up video posted by MSNBC, taken out of context.
   #2. We all know the proverb and know he what he meant to say. And we've all been there knowing exactly what we intend to say that comes out garbled.
   
   I notice we don't have the President's little gaffe here where he said
   "we'd all like to export more jobs"
   or Joe Biden's latest...
   
   "the middle class has been buried the last four years" and let's not forget, as Uncle Joe said in the debate, he ALWAYS says exactly what he means.

   replyreport