For the past year you may have been wandering aimlessly through the labyrinth that is politics, hearing people on TV and at school talking about things like caucuses (whatever those are), but lucky for you it’s about to get more understandable. As Obama spends most of his time and energy on the truly important issues in the country, like getting re-elected, Mitt Romney has made a decision on who will be his running mate. Wisconsin congressman Paul Ryan has joined Romney’s team as the possible vice president.
Being the grandson of a United States district attorney, and fulfilling the role of class president in high school, Paul Ryan was interested in politics since his early years. Under tragic conditions, he became very familiar with the Social Security program after his father died of a heart attack when Ryan was just 16. Inspired by his family’s history of early death, Ryan decided to keep himself in shape. He’s often spotted running up the stairs of the Capitol building as part of his cardio-workout. He works hard for his health, but aside from his personal life, the view on Ryan’s political career is a little foggy to some people.
By now you might have heard about Paul Ryan on a number of horrifically swayed news channels. All the general media seems to know is that he grew up in a big house, which has nothing to do with his political viewpoint, and that he would like to lower the taxes on the rich. Few seem to have the time or initiative to look up his plans, instead they’re spoon-fed an opinionated view instead of coming up with their own.
Paul Ryan’s main objective is to put through his plan that he calls “A Roadmap for America.” The plan deals specifically with cutting the government’s wasteful spending and expansion, and most notably to stabilize the current Medicare, Medicade, and Social Security programs. The plan is centered around decreasing the country’s debt, as opposed to Obama’s costly proposals such as Obamacare and the Stimulus Package.
The roadmap claims the problem with Medicare, Medicade, and Social Security today is that a lot has changed since they were created. The number of Social Security beneficiaries has more than doubled since the year 1970. Without Ryan’s suggested reform, Medicare will surely go bankrupt in the next eight years. The plan ensures that people would be able to invest in Social Security, without the government stealing from it. Social Security would be managed by the government, but not owned by them. It’s ironic that we say the rich folks are the ones stealing.
Paul Ryan believes in the ideals of a free America, where neither the market, nor healthcare is controlled by the government. He wants the next generation to have a better life than the last. We could head down the path of socialism, or head down the path our forefathers intended us too.
As for Romney’s choice as a running mate, I don’t believe it wasn’t a choice made for a specific reason. Some say he chose Ryan to gain favor in Wisconsin. However, If Mitt wanted to play that game it would have been a much smarter move to choose Florida Senator Marco Rubio. I think the decision was made purely on Ryan’s charisma, and his solid, no-gray-area, plan. Paul Ryan has the guts to back up his ideas, and the problems that he reveals to us are terribly real.
So what does this mean for America? Check out Ryan’s website “A Roadmap For America” and decide for yourself.
