In his ongoing feud with New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, Rand Paul once again revealed his dangerous Libertarian mentality when he accused the Garden State Governor of being greedy for wanting federal relief funds for Hurricane Sandy victims. In Rand Paul’s brain, warped as it is by a slavish devotion to the selfish philosophy of Ayn Rand, homeless families that have been displaced by a devastating storm, are just more greedy moochers seeking unearned handouts. Politicians who seek to provide temporary housing, emergency shelter and food for hurricane victims could just as well be asking for federal funds to build a new sports stadium or an amusement park in the mind of Rand Paul. To him, almost all federal spending, regardless of purpose, is a waste of money.
We should perhaps expect this from the Kentucky Senator who always seems to have his priorities misplaced, and who seems to feel compassion for only certain types of people, while turning a cold shoulder to those most in need. Mr. Paul opposes the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) because requiring a business to provide a wheelchair ramp is such a burdensome attack on a private corporation’s’ right to discriminate against the disabled. Never mind the right of the disabled to have access to the building. Rand Paul says “screw you, I got two good legs, too bad you do not”. Mr. Paul has opposed the Civil Rights Act because it infringes upon the right of a business to discriminate. Rand says “screw you, I am white, too bad you are not”.
Rand Paul also was the lone member of the US Senate to oppose a bill that would make it a federal crime to point a laser pointer at a pilot while he or she was flying. Apparently, he opposed the bill because it discriminates against people whose hobby is blinding commercial pilots and endangering the safety of their passengers. Rand Paul says “screw you, I am not a pilot, what do I care”? In fact most of the time he is opposed to government help no matter how great the need is, but he does make exceptions when it comes to restricting abortion, preventing a path to citizenship and banning gay marriage. Then suddenly Rand Paul is a fan of laws, because sometimes if you want to screw over people who are not like yourself, you have to use the government to get that done. So Rand Paul says, “screw you. I am male, straight and American born, too bad you are not”.
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Rand Paul’s latest barb directed at Chris Christie and New York representative Peter King is just a continuation of his ideologically consistent “screw you, I got mine” philosophy. To the victims of Hurricane Sandy, his message is clear. Rand Paul’s message is “Screw you, I live in Kentucky. We did not get hit by Hurricane Sandy. Too bad you did. Not my problem.” Rand Paul may have his sights on the White House in 2016, but Americans should be careful, because if he is elected president, he will no doubt govern with the philosophy “screw you, I am the President of the United States, too bad you are not.”
Keith Brekhus is a progressive American who currently resides in Red Lodge, Montana. He is co-host for the Liberal Fix radio show. He holds a Master’s Degree in Sociology from the University of Missouri. In 2002, he ran for Congress as a Green Party candidate in the state of Missouri. In 2014, he worked as a field organizer for Democrat Ann Kirkpatrick’s successful re-election bid in Arizona’s 1st Congressional District. He can be followed on Twitter @keithbrekhus or on Facebook.
