I imagine we've all heard the aphorism many times: give a man a fish, he eats for a day; teach a man to fish, he eats for a lifetime. As the Rev. Al Sharpton noted on Politics Nation yesterday, Paul Ryan had an interesting take on the saying yesterday.
For those who can't watch clips online, Ryan was confronted by a voter at an event yesterday who's struggling, and can't afford to give up on public assistance. The Republican vice presidential nominee responded, "The only thing that limits you is your God given talent and your own effort. We need to have that dynamic economy return. You do that by drawing the economy and giving people a hand up, not a hand out. Teach a man how to fish, he can feed himself for a life. Don't simply feed fish."
As Sharpton asked, "Don't feed fish? What does that even mean?" I don't know, but that strikes me as a good question.
But I have a related concern: since when does Paul Ryan believe in teaching people to fish? Ryan's budget plan includes some pretty brutal cuts to education and public-assistance programs. In fact, though much of his agenda is vague when it comes to reductions, if Ryan's cuts were applied evenly, his budget could cut nearly $5 billion from elementary and secondary education, and take college aid away from nearly 10 million students.
The idea of stressing education as a mechanism for growth and social mobility sounds pretty appealing, but the Republican vision is one in which struggling folks wouldn't get a fish, wouldn't be taught to fish, the lake gets drained, and those affected would be told to "take personal responsibility and care for their lives."
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hmmm, so God himself can and does hold people back. Interesting opinion, Mr. Ryan.
Obviously , Do Not The Fish People , cannot be emphasized ludicrously enough , though we try and try and ...
Fish? Fish?!! All this worm wants to do is cut bait (and everything else in sight)!
It's starting to sound like Ayn Lyin' Ryan has been hanging around too long with Willard and the Bushies.
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Thank you confirming what I thought-that Ryan said this person was only being held back by God given talent and their own effort.
Ryan: "God gave you no talent. Do you expect people to take care of somebody God didn't think enough of to give talent to. I'm sorry, moocher, you're a taker and now you're going to be on your own. No fish for you!"
Doesn't sound at all like the Catholic teaching I received as a child...
Thats exactly what i thought. God given talent limits you?
Republicans don't like clean water, so where does he want this fella to fish? Ryan himself is supposed to be a bow hunter, but he votes for polluters literally every time...
The polluter's personal lands are always off-limits, you just don't see a lot of fracking, oil derricks, or mountain top mining near the mansions in those high priced gated communities, now pristine golf courses are another story...
With any luck the GOP party as a force will be "swimming with the fishes" after this election.
From my memory, I don't think "Elephants" swim very well....I want to ship them OFF to the "Circus"... they will fit right in and "proform" well.... Wa-cha-think ? P.S. "Tea baggers" will "swim" better with the "fishes".
Shorter Ryan: "Don't feed a man a fish, and don't teach a man to fish."
It's the Ayn Rand Paul Ryan way. (Rand ended up using Social Security and Medicare, but Ryan is determined to make it so that she couldn't have if she were alive in 2025.)
Ayn Rand/Paul Ryan. Ayn/ Rand Paul /Ryan.
One athiest/Jewish Russian immigrant. One Catholic and one Presbyterian. Except Ryan and Paul hold Ayn Rand up as their inspiration, not Jesus Christ or God. Which shows what their true priorities are.
Two legislators and three writers of fiction. Only one who is honest about their beliefs--and she's dead.
Give a man a fish, and he eats for a day.
Teach a man to fish, and he eats for a lifetime.
Sell a man a fish, and he'll work all his life to buy fish from you.
Yes, Mike, that's what I was getting at.
Shorter: (Ayn (Rand) (Paul) Ryan). Match opposite/matching parentheses that are closest to get the three people involved.
As for Paul Ryan being a Catholic, there might be an argument from the Catholic clergy. (Rand (Paul) Ryan) only worship one god: Ayn Rand, the godless. She must have been the First Cause.
And I suppose we're supposed to teach Grandma how to fish, too? C'mon man!
No, Grammy goes out on an ice floe - and you better hurry, while we still have some of those. /sarc
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Mooch the Vote 2012!
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I live a block away from Lake Superior. At my age I'm hoping my kids don't come over in the spring, when the lake starts to thaw, and say "Come on, Dad, . We're going for a little walk'.
"The only thing that limits you is your God given talent..."
So...he told this woman she has limited talent...given to her by God.
Brilliant.
Yep. When he said:
That is another way of him to tell the person: "I'm sorry God had created you as stupid/talentless and ohw...not only that, you are lazy, too."
a
Also note in that interview, Ryan wasn't offering to teach the desperate woman how to fish. He wasn't offering to teach her jack squat.
And what if you're willing to expend effort but have no talent?
These are the sorts of questions Republicans don't want you to ask. Because they have no answers.
And sometimes, no matter how much talent you have, and effort you give, you don't catch any fish. I guess you're just outta luck, lady!
At least he didn't tell her to call 311!
Republicans are Taking America Back!
Caveman days of bambo fishing poles tossed onto oil-polluted oceans for us.
Catered trays of bambo steamed fish and escargot taken on the veranda for them.
Who's that sound like...oh, yeah. North Korea.
I think the goal of cuts to education are to keep people ignorant and fearful so they don't question the logic of what the Paul Ryan's of the world are saying. An educated populace is what makes our democracy great. Take away knowledge, and you take away hope of a better future.
Take away knowledge and you eventually expand the Tealiban base - a win-win for them.
Exactly, but LyinRyan isn't alone, many of the sheeple base don't believe in education - at least publicly funded education. They prefer "home-schooling", you know the blind leading the blind.....Speaks volumes about what their "religuluon" has done for them....SMH!
I have yet to meet a home-schooled child with even minimal social skills. Some of those had no social skills because they were home schooled, and others ended up being home schooled because they had no social skills.
With Ryan's plan he wants to cut 5 billion from education and lower the level of education by changing from public to charter schools. He does not want to teach anyone anything.
Ryan should have pointed out that there are prisons and workhouses which this woman could go to. If she doesn't like that idea, she had better die, and reduce the surplus population.
A sort of Dickens Malthus beat with a belt soup "it's whats for dinner" theme . A tasty reminder of the deep deep thoughts of Paul "Jack Handy" Ryan .
There is one tiny flaw in your otherwise astute post, daughter of Molly. Republicans don't give a fig for surplus population. They actually advocate for surplus population (see anti-abortion, religious freedom from contraception, absinence program (Bristol's baby), promise contracts, virginity pledges, and oh yes, Purity Balls).
Iv'e heard Ryan say that people who get goverment assistance should'nt turn it into a hammock.He's been in government since he was 22 yrs.old.I would say he has turned his "government assistance" into a hammock,would'nt you?
I saw a statistic the other day that, based on his salary and the two bills he authored and got passed in all his time in Congress, those two bills cost the American taxpayer $1.1 million each! That buys an awful lot of hammocks!
One of my favorite business axioms is 'hope is not a strategy'. Ryan doesn't seem to subscribe to this. Without the mechanisms (and access to them) to pull yourself up the socioeconomic ladder, 'try harder' is a poor strategy.
Both Romney and Ryan are an enigma. Teach a man to fish, and he can feed himself for life? Hell ya... cut education and he couldn't feed a fish.
RE:education cuts - Remember in Romney's education interview he said the only federal program he would keep in special needs. Everything else is out. I guess then it would be easy to just 'shut that whole thing down.' He is a Reagan republican once again selling the idea that we'll just give all the programs back to the states - unfunded. Reagan started that in California by giving state programs like mental health care back to the counties, unfunded, and then claiming he cut the state budget.
Do not feed fish what?
Boy howdy the right sure is falling off the pier? Tough love meet those tough to love.
Deep Horizon oil for a start...
Privatized schools are an effort to take taxpayer funds out of public education and give it to business. The lowering of educational standards are an added benefit. Ryan is living up to his billing as 'number 2' on the ticket. He is gaining in stench with ShMitt. Charmin is the best TP for this campaign.
In NJ only 30% of charter schools have as good or better test scores than public schools, but Governor Christie is set on privitizing more schools because it's worked SO WELL for our prison industry. Wait...no it didn't!
Cara , the charter schools in iowa here have also tanked
I smell Romney/Christie 2016!
Patango, do a quick google search on "NJ halfway house Christie" and you will see what our education system, 3rd in the country, is on its way to becoming.
I have read about that also thanx Cara , unfortunatly Christy has a bad reputation for your wonderful state , his gop want to turn america into a banana republic , that they garner as many votes as they do is shocking , maybe people are waking up tho , nice 2 meet you , sent a face book friend your way , no biggy if your not up for it
So basically he's arguing the way you "teach someone to fish" is to starve them, point to the water, and tell them to figure it out for themselves.
I wonder if he did that with his kids.
A good business man knows how important it is to provide his employees the best tools, equipment, and training to encourage a continuous improvement process in his company.
A good politician should know ways to create good paying jobs and promote and support an education system that will prepare people for these jobs.
Mr. Ryan bungled an opportunity. He should have handled the question easily.
Wow. Lots of attention to this one.
He'll release a statement later saying 'It was satire'
If he does release a statement today, it will be an acknowledgement of screwing the whole thing up. I doubt if he will though, they want to cut education and that fact doesn't fit well with the lady's question.
His slant on Christianity is deeply skewed as he seems to pick and choose scripture to suit his own needs. He seems to have forgotten (?) to add "In so much as ye have done it unto the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me." (Matthew 25:40)
The fish thing, also, is taken out of context to suit his needs and that of the far Republican right Tea Party devotees. Hatefulness in the name of religion? Sounds familiar from the so called "Christians" in the political sphere.
I agree but the fish thing was not taken out of context.
"give a man a fish, he eats for a day, teach a man to fish and he can feed himself."
...then comes Mr. Ryan's, "don't feed the fish?"
His brain was thinking, DON'T FEED THE HUNGRY IF GOVERNMENT IS PAYING!!!
However, he could not let his mouth say that now could he????
Instead, his brain over rode his mouth...and out came, "don't feed the friggin fish!"
Funny, I don't think the Bible meant for you to let the man starve until he learned to fish though.
As a Diet Catholic I have a strong grasp and understanding of hypocrisy. Ryan's religious bonafides to prove his conservatism is nothing less than complete B.S.. If this guy actually knew or believed anything of his religion he would realize that Jesus felt strongly enough about the hungry to violate the freaking first law of thermodynamics. Maybe he needs to be spammed with Mark 6:33-44.
ROTFLMAO: ahhhhhh
"don't feed the fish?"
"don't feed them hungry people!"
Seriously, I'd love to drag his butt down to a local Food Bank, any food bank, where families and the elderly come in to pick up staples. Can you make these wingnuts see reality, would that even be possible?
Ryan can ALMOST taste Romney's silver spoon...
not only can Ryan taste Romeny's "silver spoon" but don't forget the "SILVER FOOT"... ! THAT "ELEPHANT" KEEPS HIS "TRUNK" IN HIS MOUTH..... poor pennyless fellow... !
Whether at the state or federal level Republicans have thwarted progress and cared little of the American People -individuals that they represent.
We have in office
the most criminally political MAJORITY representation and candidates in my lifetime.
We must invest in community’s as well as business. We must work to benefit our Farmers who feed us. OUr children who must be fairly educated and cared for.
Our future is not just
dependent on small business. What are they to manufacture if we are not
building anything, restoring our infrastructure, land, educating our people and
keeping all healthy at an affordable price.
How without jobs are we to pay for product?
Our legislature falls very short of the mark.
Republican candidates beleive it is the private sector that will do this but history clearly states what government should be doing and it has nothing to do with total corporate welfare while hammering at generational issues as inequality overall!
Our legislature thinks
it is beyond the law. Beyond the Vote !
The Majority said they would do nothing to work with THIS president and they have not. No matter to the consequences that faced the United States.
Ideological view overrided logic.
Ryans view are the same views scant unclear and messy. One sided politics do not work....TeaParty views are not that of our nation. They are a small sector same as the extreme on the left.
A moderate President is needed.... one that is not the leader of a party (GW) but one that leads ALL. This is the difference.
VOTE REPUBLICANS OUT OF OFFICE AND TAKE OUR NATION BACK!
Is this his way of saying the fish don't get the crumbs that they promise will trickle down? If you don't feed the fish, the fish die. Then what will the republicans...I mean the fishermen... eat?