This is priceless, perfectly capturing (Ayn) Randian devotee, plutocrat and media darling - the "telegenic" Paul Ryan's worldview and the Villagers' fascination with him. h/t : Corrente
http://lancemannion.typepad.com/...
Delicious samples :
“Work?” he says. “Like you work. If you had a real job you’d own a car that never breaks down. What you need to do now is find a real job and start saving up for a car better suited to your needs, preferably a used one.”
And before you can say anything else, he lifts your wallet and walks off with your credit card to go treat a bunch of his rich friends to a touchless carwash complete with detailing for their Beemers.
The next thing that happens is that some more of your neighbors, all them Very Serious People, pundits and politicians, wander out to survey the wreck that was once your car and when you tell them what just happened instead of giving you any sympathy they start praising Ryan.
“At least he’s tried to do something,” one of them says.
“What a brave and bold plan,” another says.
“And he was honest about what he was up to,” says a third.
“But he destroyed the car!” you wail.
“Good for him for starting a conversation about car repair,” they say.
“Instead of getting upset,” they add, “You should offer your own plan”
“Where,” they want to know, “would you have started banging away with the wrench?”
Only in the Village worldview is someone like Ryan who swings a wrecking ball considered as very serious, bold, intelligent and what not. Those who want to save something by destroying it - Ryan, Peter Peterson, Michelle Rhee etc are glorified. And the villagers slather lipstick on the pigs - "oh, atleast they got us talking about the problem", "someone is talking like an adult finally" , blah blah blah. Even liberal pundits like E.J.Dionne feel the need to use the obligatory flattering adjectives before ripping Ryan's regressive, "kicking the seniors to the curb", "f&%^ the peasants" kleptocratic budget. Get a grip people, and call a pig as a pig.
It is a shame on the Democrats that they let this Medicare/SS hating ,Randian extremist & radical run almost unopposed in his district (which I understand leans Democratic). His regressive budget busting plan is nothing new and had been around for a while - in the name of "Roadmap". Even Republicans tried to distance from it in the past. But hand it to the Dems for letting him run as a defender of Medicare in November ! If the Dems can't take him out in 2012 in ..... Wisconsin , of all the places, I don't know what they are fit for.
As for the media, let me end with this classic quote from Noam Chomsky :
"Any dictator would admire the uniformity and obedience of the U.S. media."
Welcome to the Plutocracy of USA - of , by and for the 1%.