Friday, August 31, 2012

US ELECTIONS – ROMNEY AND RYAN SHED TEARS FOR AMERICANS


US Presidential Elections are round the corner. This time the contest is between Republican Candidate Mitt Romney and incumbent President Barack Obama. Obama is seeking a second term for the prestigious post and Mitt Romney of Republican party has entered the campaign arena for the first time. Barack Obama’s running mate is Joe Biden and Romney has chosen the former Wisconscin Governor, Paul Ryan as his running mate. Both are on whirlwind campaign tour across the States of America seeking the valuable votes of the electorate and a fierce contest is expected in November which is only two months away from now.
While incumbent President Barack Obama has adopted a middle-path, his rival Mitt Romney who incidentally is millionaire businessman has chosen the extreme right path. And in the race for occupying the Oval office Mitt Romney’s running mate Paul Ryan, a self-proclaimed pro-rich candidate whose role-model since a long time is the late philosopher- novelist Ayn Rand. Ayn Rand, the author of ‘Atlas Shrugged’ and ‘Fountainhead’ which were written for the growing intellectuals of America are based upon Laissez Faire Capitalism – the undiluted economic ‘Laisse-us-Noire, means ‘Leave us alone’ or ‘Hands Off’ - is the basic tenet of Ayn Rand’s philosophy. Based upon the aforementioned theme or motto Ayn Rand developed two novels – ‘Atlas Shrugged’ and ‘Fountain Head’. Other than ‘Atlas Shrugged’ and ‘Fountain Head’ she wrote a drama, ‘The Night of 16th January’, two or three books based upon her philosophy of Objectivity – she was an ardent follower of Greek philosopher Aristotle, it is worthwhile to recall here, ‘For the New Intellectual’ and ‘Capitalism – An Unknown Ideal’ and collection essays ‘Ayn Rand Letter’ all could create a great impact on American youth during her life time. Still even while disagreeing with her propounding of her philosophy of Objectivism and Laissez Faire Capitalism there are a number of readers across the world especially America.
While penning the two illustrious novels and other books, what was her ultimate aim was to propagate her philosophy through her novels and essays. For a serious reader especially an educated youth her novels and essays could create explosive impact but for one who reads her work with an independent outlook on life even while enjoying the works of this articulate lady simply cannot agree with her philosophy and outlook on life.
Even Rand admitted in one of her essays on Laissez Faire Capitalism such a system existed only in the second half of nineteenth century- America and that after a short span failed and after or before that the theory and scenario she envisaged and visualized neither existed nor is existing on the face of this earth which means even she nursed doubts about the longevity of her philosophy in the minds of even her generation or the gen-next. On leafing through her works I felt it like she had created an Utopian world or in the words of nobel laureate Paul Krugman she created a world of fantasy.
In the history of mankind, I mean the future, her philosophy is unlikely to bloom since what all she envisaged will not be able to get implemented. To understand this truth what one needs is only common-sense. In a world consisting of diverse types of people her philosophy is impossible to exist when it comes to reality. But in a fiction a writer can very well create such a world.
Paul Krugman could ably deconstruct Paul Ryan’s ‘Randism’ through his column in ‘NewYork Times’ which was reproduced in ‘The Hindu’ a national daily of repute in India.
Even while Alan Greenspan served as Chairman, Federal Reserve for 18 successive years, please note, he was for a long time a part of Ayn Rand’s think-tank could not bring about a Laissez Faire system in its true form in the US economy. It is true that Greenspan was excluded from her forum but for minor differences of opinion their thoughts are more or less on the same lines. Even Ayn Rand during her life time opined that what actually existed and (still existing) was only Mixed Economy which she detested due to the unbridled control exerted by the government. Therefore she shouted ‘Hands Off’ against the govt on behalf of the so-called rich who according to her are the producers. Paul Ryan has mistaken the world of fiction for real world.
Mitt Romney and his running mate Paul Ryan aim at the prosperity, yes, further prosperity of American Rich by reducing taxes imposed on them by Barack Obama who nurtures more or less a clear idea of the situation prevailing in USA. Both Republicans aim at reducing the taxes imposed on the rich community especially the business tycoons and industrial barons and along with that increasing the taxes of the middle-class as also restricting the Medicare facility which Barack Obama brought on a wider plane so as to benefit a huge chunk of American population resisting the ‘obstructionist’ tactics of the Republicans in the Congress where the latter constitute the majority and I wonder in case the Republicans are elected as President and Vice President respectively, ultimately who would suffer most? No doubt the middle-class and those at the lower strata of the society – they are the neglected sector in each country, even India is not an exception – since Indian rulers are happy to hold onto the coat-tails of US leaders.
Barack Obama took charge as President of America in 2008 and upon taking charge what he had inherited was a devastated economy, the legacy left behind by his predecessor George W Bush, a stubborn and hawkish Republican. And from the very beginning, Obama as promised during his whirlwind election tours wanted to ‘lift the economy which was pushed into a ditch’ by the previous regime, the Republicans were bent upon employing all kinds of obstructionist tactics in Obama’s way and  forced him to reach a compromise - by which he was compelled to dilute his intended reforms – by holding talks with the Republicans. If the Republicans had co-operated with him in implementing reforms that Obama wanted to implement in its true spirit the picture would have been entirely different. But they did the just opposite to suffocate the Democratic party leader at every juncture.
Now that Mitt Romney sheds tears on behalf of US citizens that Obama has disappointed them deeply and here he is to atone for Obama’s ‘sins’ or ‘lapses’.
Only when a time arises when the US political parties do away with the policy of neo-liberalism which always caters to the needs and aspirations of US rich, it could come out of the abyss that to which the country has been pushed into.
Giving the reins to the Republicans is tantamount to devastating the achievements so far Obama govt could do for the US citizens.



No comments: