Ok, you've got me confused now. First of all, I don't see where your quote of Rand has anything to do with atheism. I don't think most people here have a problem with Rand's atheism by itself, anyway. It's just the hypocrisy of somebody like Paul Ryan saying his budget comes from Catholic doctrine, not from Randian doctrine. Ryan's denial is sort of a strange inversion of scripture, I've referred to this before but this time I'll quote chapter and verse:
Now as Peter was below in the courtyard, one of the servant girls of the high priest came. And when she saw Peter warming himself, she looked at him and said, "You also were with Jesus of Nazareth." But he denied it, saying, "I neither know nor understand what you are saying." And he went out on the porch, and a rooster crowed. And the servant girl saw him again, and began to say to those who stood by, "This is one of them." But he denied it again. And a little later those who stood by said to Peter again, "Surely you are one of them; for you are a Galilean, and your speech shows it." Then he began to curse and swear, "I do not know this Man of whom you speak!" A second time the rooster crowed. Then Peter called to mind the word that Jesus had said to him, "Before the rooster crows twice, you will deny Me three times." And when he thought about it, he wept.
- Mark 14:66-72
Ryan, of course has the problem of maintaining relations with culture-warrior Republicans. You don't have that problem, though, so I don't know what the story is there.
Second, I think you are softpedalling the influence of Rand on Paul in particular and American libertarians in general. I've had discussions with libertarians on SI in the past, and most of them have proudly acknowledged the leading place of Rand in the movement.
I could be mistaken about how central Rand is to libertarians in general, but for the leading lights on the political front, I'd need some credible contrary evidence. A summary on a few obvious subjects from thedailybeast.com
Paul Ryan
Ryan has given out copies of Rand’s most famous novel, Atlas Shrugged, to his staff as Christmas presents. In 2005 he praised Rand’s views of capitalism and said her influence pushed him towards politics. “[T]he reason I got involved in public service, by and large, if I had to credit one thinker, one person, it would be Ayn Rand,” Paul said. “And the fight we are in here, make no mistake about it, is a fight of individualism versus collectivism.” However, in April Ryan toldNational Review that his fascination with Rand is an “ urban legend.”
[ I'm sure I could dig up a couple more denials from Paul to make the biblical quota, but nevermind. ]
Alan Greenspan
Alan Greenspan was introduced to Rand at the tender age of 25. He married into the Collective, her inner circle, which met every week to discuss her writings and philosophy. The future chairman of the Federal Reserve was said to be enamored by the fact that she defended capitalism on moral grounds. He even went so far as to write The New York Times after the paper criticized Atlas Shrugged as a book dedicated to hate. “Atlas Shrugged is a celebration of life and happiness,” Greenspan wrote. “Justice is unrelenting. Creative individuals and undeviating purpose and rationality achieve joy and fulfillment. Parasites who persistently avoid either purpose or reason perish as they should.”
[ Ok, Greenspan is hardcore, having had direct exposure to Rand, who is pretty widely known to have been not the easiest person to get along with ]
Rand Paul
A noted libertarian who was swept into office as Kentucky’s junior senator in 2010 amid a wave of anti-incumbent fervor, Rand Paul likes to quote Ayn Rand at length. During an April 2011 hearing of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee about phasing out incandescent light bulbs, Paul gave a synopsis of Rand’s novel Anthem. “Individual choice is banned, and the collective basically runs society,” Paul said. “There’s a young man, and his name is Equality-72521. He’s an intelligent young man, but he is banned from achieving, or reaching any sort of occupation that might challenge him.”
[ Yeah, his wife may say she just shortened Randy, but somehow, I have the feeling she might have gotten wind of her husband's devotion early on ]
Ron Paul
Rep. Ron Paul, a Republican from Texas, has earned the distinction of being the member of Congress most likely to mention Ayn Rand (that his son Rand and his hero Ayn share the same name is apparently merely a coincidence). Paul used Rand’s words to criticize the United States Post Office and to praise famed economist Milton Friedman. But he usually mentions Rand when he’s talking about NASA, one of the few government agencies he sees great value in. His favorite quote: “Think of what was required to achieve that mission: think of the unpitying effort; the merciless discipline; the courage; the responsibility of relying on one's judgment; the days, nights and years of unswerving dedication to a goal; the tension of the unbroken maintenance of a full, clear mental focus; and the honesty. It took the highest, sustained acts of virtue to create in reality what had only been dreamt of for millennia.'
[ Ok, so I don't think there's any danger that Ron Paul is going to deny Rand three times ]
Clarence Thomas
Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas isn’t technically a politician, but he has a summer ritualthat’s become famous in Washington, D.C. Every year, his four new clerks go to his house to watch the 1949 film adaptation of The Fountainhead, one of Rand’s most famous books. The novel depicts an architect who would rather blow up his building than have to compromise his standards. Thomas says he identifies with the main character, Howard Roark, who decides to stand alone instead of conforming. "If you think you are right, there is nothing wrong with being the only one," he said. "I have no problem being the only one."
[ Another allegedly religious man who doesn't have a problem showing his devotion. Don't know how Rand would fit in with his "natural law" thing, though ]
Barry Goldwater
Barry Goldwater wrote to Rand in 1960, praising herconservative positions on capitalism and complimenting her writing. “I have enjoyed very few books as much in my life as I have yours, Atlas Shrugged,” the five-term senator from Arizona added in his note. For a while, the admiration was mutual. Rand thought Goldwater’s staunch anticommunist credentials were promising. But when he failed to deliver a speech she had written and had hand delivered to him, she decided he wasn’t worth her time.
[ just for amusement, Rand was supposed to have disliked Reagan too. ]
Gary Johnson
How romantic. Gary Johnson, the former governor of New Mexico, gave his fiancé a copy of Atlas Shruggedwhen they first started dating and said, “If you want to understand me, read this.” Johnson, who unsuccessfully ran for the 2012 GOP presidential nomination, is a renowned libertarian who believes in gay marriage and legalizing pot as well as free markets.
[ The Libertarian candidate for President this year. I guess his fiance couldn't quite figure out how to get Rand out of Gary or something ] |
