Evening Round-up: A bit of this Ayn that…
Posted: August 15, 2012 Filed under: 2012 elections, 2012 presidential campaign, immigration, Mitt Romney, SDB Evening News Reads | Tags: Ayn Rand, NOM, Paul Ryan, Southern Poverty Law Center 25 Comments
So Good Evening!
For the last four days, I have taken care of an OPM, other people’s munchkin. This boy is one of a few friends of my son that we have watched grow up before our eyes. So I’ve been busy with the extra “things” that go with having an extra teenager in the house…and it has made me think about some things.
Both his parents work, his mom works nights…his dad can’t find a job locally, so he works in construction with a crew that travels around the US, so he is gone for weeks at a time. On those days that his mom is working, if his grandma can’t come up to stay with him, he stays at a friend’s house. This week he is with me.
My thought is this. We help each other out…as caring individuals. Whether it is watching someones kid, taking another kid to school or practice, or even bringing someone dinner when things are rough. It is part of a decent way to live because…well, it is just unthinkable not to do it. We are not Jesus freaks or hypocritical Christian church goers. We are not perfect either, we have our problems and issues…but we are good people…and we don’t really talk about what we do for each other. It is just done.
I’ve seen a lot of crap (articles) lately about Ayn Rand and her selfish belief system. Folks running for office and asking for votes based on the attitude that helping others is against their principles and that people should live their lives with no support or assistance of others…at least the help and assistance that they feel the government, or their taxes, should not provide. Oh, and of course they seem to take the benefits offered to them, without a thought about the ironic nature of accepting this support.
Yes, independence is one thing…but part of being a considerate human being is that element of helping or giving support to another human being. And even independent, strong and determined people need a hand sometimes, support and encouragement, or a lift into town.
I am completely disgusted with the beliefs and policies of these Randian men and women who seem to take being a selfish asshole to a deeper level in their heartless hearts.
Oops, I mean selfish hearts, because they only care about one thing, themselves.
Now just a few links:
For young immigrants who win deportation deferrals, what next? | McClatchy
Pawlenty Suggests That Soledad O’Brien Doesn’t Understand English | Video Cafe
Southern Poverty Law Center takes heat after D.C. shooting | The Raw Story
This is an open thread…
peej
Carissa
dakinikat
ecocatwoman
grayslady
mablue2
JJ Lopez aka Minkoff Minx
peggysue22
skydancingguestblogger
Mona (aka Wonk the Vote)
Sky Dancing 
I still need to catch up on the comments from Daks most awesome post…hope everyone is doing fine!
This is f’ing unbelievable!
UK threats to raid Ecuador embassy to arrest Assange unprecedented: expert
http://www.abc.net.au/local/stories/2012/08/16/3569170.htm
All this for questioning why the guy didn’t use a condom when having sex?
I just saw that Dak…
Especially amazing if you go back some years. There was a demonstration outside some Middle Eastern embassy and a bunch of mega-hotheads outside. A police cordon was protecting the embassy. Two Middle Easterners (forget the nationality) killed a policewoman in the cordon, and then took refuge in an embassy. The two of them and the murder weapon received safe passage out because the Brits decided to respect diplomatic immunity.
Wikileaks, on the other hand, is a serious crime, I guess.
It happened just recently in Iran and the UK was extremely put off by it.
Glenn Greenwald @ggreenwald
Here are the threats UK made to Iran in 2011 when Iran “failed to protect” embassy: http://is.gd/15GxAK (via @suigenerisjen)
The event I’m talking about happened in London. I was living there, and my memory of it is hazy, obviously. But what I remember, crystal clear, is that they let two murderers of a policewoman get away for the sake of diplomatic immunity.
ahh …wow …hmmm don’t remember that
Michael Moore @MMFlint
There are also some folks sending live camera views from there from different groups like Occupy and Anonymous.
I’m sorry, but Ayn Rand’s basic philosophy IS selfishness…
I know…and it bothers me that it has become such an important part of the “conversation” this year. I have friends who are Randians and it is very upsetting to see them take her book so freaking seriously.
Oh this is horrible…Paul Ryan Sponsored a Bill that Would Allow Rapists to Stop their Victims from Aborting
We probably talked about it here on the blog and I just blocked it out!
It’s the first I’ve heard of it. How horrible!
Why not translate Repubs words into something that fits their actions? There’s no evidence they care either about the deficit or receiving government money. So what are they really saying?
“More money for me!”
…and suddenly, everything they do is perfectly consistent.
Yup…
Mother Jones @MotherJones
Tiny mutant butterflies are flying around Japan, thanks to radiation from 2011’s nuclear disaster in Fukushima. http://mojo.ly/NCEXyo
Yeah, is it Midget Mothra?
Well, Mothra always did have a thing for the fairies …
LOL
Damning evidence from CBPP lays responsibility for budget deficit on Republicans
http://egbertowillies.com/2012/08/05/damning-evidence-from-cbpp-lays-responsibility-for-budget-deficit-on-republicans/
Oh, and I would just like to announce “obamacare” just made a big change in me for my insurance policy. It reduced my share of premiums to 50% this month.
That is wonderful Dak!
Fantastic! That must be a relief.
I love this post, JJ. Thank you.
😉