Comments on: Paul Ryan: Denial of Same-Sex Marriage Is Part of “Agenda of Prosperity”

By: Reed

Reed — Wed, 26 Sep 2012 17:23:36 +0000

FINALLY – an admission that opposite-sex marriage’s privileges are designed to leverage economic superiority for its participants.

By: Timothy Kincaid

Timothy Kincaid — Wed, 26 Sep 2012 14:44:48 +0000

Oddly, Ryan’s point is so close to right that it’s wrongness is glaring and comical. Marriage, family and entrepreneurship are all tools towards a better, more stable, more prosperous life.

As MattNYC pointed out, marriage is a very valuable economic safeguard. Not only does it provide the legal protections he mentioned, it is a symbol, an indicator of “I’m settled down now, I have responsibilities, you can rely on me not to drop everything to move to Bali to see if I can become a professional surfer”.

And that’s where Ryan’s statement becomes ludicrous. Because “traditional marriage” is an entirely different animal from marriage. While marriage is a tool for increasing stability, “traditional marriage” is language used for limiting marriage, for reducing stability. There is nothing about the political campaign to restrict marriage and bar certain citizens from its value that is an economic benefit to anyone (other than Maggie and Brian).

Had he said that “marriage, family and entrepreneurship” are universal human values, he would merely be guilty of being blind to the existence that there are gay people in the universe of humans. But by adding “traditional”, he said something ludicrous.

By: MattNYC

MattNYC — Wed, 26 Sep 2012 03:28:30 +0000

@Jonathan Oz

“sMarmier”???

By: Ryan

Ryan — Wed, 26 Sep 2012 01:23:58 +0000

This is being forwarded to my friends who call themselves social liberals and economic conservatives. By and large, those in charge of the GOP don’t see a difference.

By: Jonathan Oz

Jonathan Oz — Tue, 25 Sep 2012 23:44:25 +0000

Paul Ryan’s lines keep getting swarmier and swarmier. Just be sure to pay no attention to the man behind the curtain…

By: Lynnette C.

Lynnette C. — Tue, 25 Sep 2012 19:31:30 +0000

Prosperity…a teaching in the charasmatic churches. A list of spiritual “must do’s” in order to be prosperous.
Hugh Hefner is prosperous, did he follow these presumed laws?
Approximately one billion dollars is taken out of the United States pockets by the refusal of allowing same sex couples to marry. [Congressional Budget Study, 2004 http://www.cbo.com Government is cutting health care and education and yet missing the boat on gay cash. Look at New York and the financial increase they have experienced in allowing same sex marriage.
Must we be subjected to further propaganda that has NOTHING to do with increasing the United States economics,health care or education?
Prosperity? I say Hugh Hefner for President.

By: David Roberts

David Roberts — Tue, 25 Sep 2012 19:23:11 +0000

I’ve been listening to that “hand up not a hand out” crap since Reagan. Part of that time I even defended it. GOP rhetoric is like ex-gay rhetoric, keeping people constantly reaching for the virtually unattainable to avoid genuinely helping them.

I don’t fault Romney for his millions, but I truly think the man does not realize how much different his life would have been if his family had not been who they were.

The rags to riches American Dream is not a common tale, and those who are just making it (or worse) are not moochers. They are average Americans at this point. But if you can keep people thinking that their own pot of free market gold is just over the next hill, you can get them to vote against their own self interests.

It’s “win the presidency through multi-level marketing.” And its only flaw is that it is a lie.

By: MattNYC

MattNYC — Tue, 25 Sep 2012 18:05:19 +0000

You know what has the potential to lift Americans out of poverty–especially if they repeal the Affordable Care Act??? MARRIAGE. Since the only way to get insurance for many people (both employed and unemployed) is to get on ones spouse’s employer-based medical insurance. And to insure children who may not be biologically related to the person who is employed.

Because medical costs are the greatest threat to a person’s or family’s financial security.