Ron Paul isn't the only Paul in the House of Representatives on the lookout for liberty. Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI) has made a good name for himself fighting for liberty over the past year. In July, Reason.com asked "Why Can't Paul Ryan Be the 'Future of the Republican Party'?" Last month, Rep. Ryan wrote a scathing piece on "crony capitalism" in Forbes about the collusion between big government and big business.
For what it's worth, Rep. Ryan was a keynote speaker at CPAC 2009 and called for "sound money." In a June 2009 speech at the Hudson Institute, he called for the replacement of the corporate income tax with a globally competitive consumption tax and a reform of our monetary policy in order to restore sound money. He continued, "It is imperative that we get off of the Fed-induced boom-and bust, inflationary-deflationary roller coaster, such as the one we are living through now, and restore sound money."
The Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel had a piece on Ryan titled the "Ryan Shines as GOP seeks Vision" with the subhead "Ayn Rand Economics."
To that task, Ryan brings an admittedly geeky head for numbers and detail. He also brings a deep philosophical attachment to market capitalism and "supply-side" economics - a world view shaped by such icons of individualism and free enterprise as Ayn Rand, Milton Friedman and Friedrich Hayek.
"The reason I got involved in public service, by and large, if I had to credit one thinker, one person, it would be Ayn Rand," Ryan said at a D.C. gathering four years ago honoring the author of "Atlas Shrugged" and "The Fountainhead." [emphasis mine]
The Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel article continues:
At the Rand celebration he spoke at in 2005, Ryan invoked the central theme of Rand's writings when he told his audience that, "Almost every fight we are involved in here on Capitol Hill . . . is a fight that usually comes down to one conflict -- individualism versus collectivism."
In that struggle, Ryan argued that shifting Social Security (which he called a "collectivist system") toward personal investment accounts was not only good policy, but would change the political landscape, according to a recording of the event made by its host, The Atlas Society.
"If we actually accomplish this goal of personalizing Social Security, think of what we will accomplish. Every worker, every laborer in America will not only be a laborer but a capitalist. They will be an owner of society. . . . That's that many more people in America who are not going to listen to the likes of Dick Gephardt and Nancy Pelosi, Ted Kennedy, the collectivist, class-warfare-breathing demagogues," said Ryan. [emphasis mine]
From his speech to the Hudson Institute on June 3, 2009:
A “libertarian” who wants limited government should embrace the means to his freedom: thriving mediating institutions that create the moral preconditions for economic markets and choice. A “social issues” conservative with a zeal for righteousness should insist on a free market economy to supply the material needs for families, schools, and churches that inspire moral and spiritual life. In a nutshell, the notion of separating the social from the economic issues is a false choice. They stem from the same root.
...
Our tax code is a job-killer. Reforming it is an obvious place to improve our global competitiveness by leveling the international playing field for American-made goods and services. I have proposed to replace the corporate income tax – which is now the second highest in the industrialized world – with a globally competitive consumption tax. It removes taxes from American-made exports and puts an equal tax on foreign imports, and firms write off 100% of their investments immediately.
A final issue about which there is near total silence from both parties today is monetary policy. It’s a root cause of our current financial crisis, and a key to recovery and sustained growth is to restore the value and stability of our money.
...
It is imperative that we get off of the Fed-induced boom-and bust, inflationary-deflationary roller coaster, such as the one we are living through now, and restore sound money. When it comes to managing the national currency, virtue has a central role. At the end of the day, the central bank cannot cheat or paper over problems. There is no free lunch. Sooner or later, such decisions will catch up with us, and the people will be the victims. Long-term economic growth and rising living standards are major purposes of government, and they require a currency that holds predictable value. [emphasis mine]
He may sound good on the economy and fiscal respnsibility but he's no leader for liberty in most other areas. According to the website ontheissuesdotorg he is strongly for the Patriot Act and wants to make it permanent, supports continuation of the War on Drugs, and strongly opposed withdrawal of troops from Iraq. Sounds like he's all-in-all a net neocon…
I hear what the commenter, Zack, is saying. What I hear is that he can be turned away from the dark side if one foot is already in the light. Don't be so quick to dismiss those who would be our friends on important issues/legislation.
As a Wisconsinite, I hear about Paul Ryan all the time. The problem is he voted for the Bush bailout!!!!! Therefore, he is dead to me. He has no real principles.
On an unrelated note, if you combine Representatives Ron Kind (D-WI) and Paul Ryan (R-WI), you get Ron Paul and Ryan Kind! The imaginary Ryan Kind creation would be the most abominable socialist ever. : ]
well, I guess for me this is going to be so good and I loved it. I also agree with you with this "As a Wisconsinite, I hear about Paul Ryan all the time. The problem is he voted for the Bush bailout!!!!! Therefore, he is dead to me. He has no real principles." industrial cleaning
Didn't Paul Ryan vote for the bailout as well? I would be hard pressed to call him a lover of liberty. An opportunist maybe but no patriot.
I would be wary of taking Ayn Rand as a model seeing as the concepts found in her writings were but the exoteric part of the Randian cult. As Murray Rothbard explained:
We conclude our analysis of the Rand cult with the observation that here was an extreme example of contradiction between the exoteric and the esoteric creed. That in the name of individuality, reason, and liberty, the Rand cult in effect preached something totally different. The Rand cult was concerned not with every man’s individuality, but only with Rand’s individuality, not with everyone’s right reason but only with Rand’s reason. The only individuality that flowered to the extent of blotting out all others, was Ayn Rand’s herself; everyone else was to become a cipher subject to Rand’s mind and will.
I also agree that Paul Ryan is no defender of liberty. It's hard to be considered the new hope when you pretty much yield to the neocon agenda (pro-war, social conservative)
He's been in Congress since 1998. He voted for TARP in 2008. I said he's done well in the last year. He's not Ron Paul; I don't think he is. But show me someone else in GOP leadership even close to talking and working like Paul Ryan. He doesn't pretend to be a down-the-line libertarian, but he is a good ally in the current Congress.
Read the links in the post and then reconsider burning bridges to potential allies. He isn't perfect but I dare you to find someone better (other than Ron Paul). Who else in Congressional leadership is talking about sound money, crony capitalism, and the Federal Reserve?
Thanks for the comments.
Sounds like a friend on economics, but not personal liberty. Sounds like he is all-in-all a Statist Conservative and a Neocon. But he is closer to libertarian than most in Congress...we should mail him some information and books...
In all seriousness, this is a good idea. He believes in economic liberty. Economic liberty is usually the first step to understanding personal liberty and liberty-minded foreign policy.
Recall, even Tom Woods was once a Neocon.
You can't find a better ally in Congress b/c we haven't elected them in yet. I refuse to settle for candidates that are clearly not pro-liberty just b/c they may have good views in one aspect. Hopefully during this election cycle more liberty candidates will be in so there will be true allies for RP. In the meantime, I refuse to support those that pay lip service to our causes while striping us of our freedom.
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He's not Ron Paul; I don't think he is. But show me someone else in GOP leadership even close to talking and working like Paul Ryan. He doesn't pretend to be a down-the-line libertarian, but he is a good ally in the current Congress.
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