In his recent interview with Rolling Stone, President Obama explained that Paul Ryan's obsession with Ayn Rand is actually kind of adorable in a misguided-teenager sort of way:
Q: What do you think Paul Ryan's obsession with her work would mean if he were vice president?
Obama: Well, you'd have to ask Paul Ryan what that means to him. Ayn Rand is one of those things that a lot of us, when we were 17 or 18 and feeling misunderstood, we'd pick up. Then, as we get older, we realize that a world in which we're only thinking about ourselves and not thinking about anybody else... that's a pretty narrow vision. It's not one that, I think, describes what's best in America. Unfortunately, it does seem as if sometimes that vision of a "you're on your own" society has consumed a big chunk of the Republican Party
I like Ayn Rand. I like Obama a little less now. He wouldn't dare saying something similar about Jesus or Muhammad. But Objectivists are a small minority, so he can get away with bashing them.
Sensible Reddit:
People don't realize that Atlas Shrugged does not blindly advocate selfishness. It tells you to be selfish if and only if you want to be selfish, and to work for others if and only if you want to work for others.
Atlas shrugged is a reaction to the idea of altruism as the highest morality. Rand says the highest morality is living your life the way you want to live it, and allowing others to live their lives the same way.
I can't disagree with that.
The reason selfishness features so prominently in her books is because she saw society trying to stamp out selfishness, and she tried to illustrate the harm that could cause.
http://www.reddit.com/r/politics/comments/126dua/obama_on_paul_ryans_hero_ayn_rand_is_something_we/
So, what do you think about what Obama said?