Capitalismo y sorpresa electoral

En un momento de sinceridad, Paul Ryan reconoce que los resultados de las pasadas elecciones presidenciales los tomaron por sorpresa tanto a él como a su compañero de fórmula Mitt Romney: 

The polling we had. The numbers we were looking at looked like we stood a pretty good chance of winning... So, when the numbers came in, going the other direction. When we saw the turnout that was occurring in urban areas which were really fairly unprecedented, it did come as a bit of a shock. So, those are the toughest losses to have -- the ones that catch you by surprise.

Al respecto, Pete Bilderback considera adecuado hacer el siguiente comentario sarcástico al político republicano, admirador de La rebelión de Atlas:

Here's the beauty of what happened to these guys: They were victims of the pure free-market capitalism they espouse. They got fleeced by people acting out of pure self interest and no regard for the greater good. Ayn Rand would be proud.

9-11, los primeros cinco minutos

Atlas para adolescentes

En entrevista para Rolling Stone, se pide a Barack Obama su opinión respecto a la novelista-filósofa Ayn Rand, objeto de culto, a veces no del todo declarado, de la derecha política más extrema en Estados Unidos y el resto del mundo. La considera una autora refugio de jovenes con crisis existenciales:

Rolling Stone: Have you ever read Ayn Rand?

President Obama: Sure.

Rolling Stone: What do you think Paul Ryan's obsession with her work would mean if he were vice president?

President Obama: Well, you'd have to ask Paul Ryan what that means to him. Ayn Rand is one of those things that a lot of us, when we were 17 or 18 and feeling misunderstood, we'd pick up. Then, as we get older, we realize that a world in which we're only thinking about ourselves and not thinking about anybody else, in which we're considering the entire project of developing ourselves as more important than our relationships to other people and making sure that everybody else has opportunity -– that that's a pretty narrow vision. It's not one that, I think, describes what's best in America. Unfortunately, it does seem as if sometimes that vision of a 'you're on your own' society has consumed a big chunk of the Republican Party.

La opción, según los demócratas

El reposo de los utensilios

Cerveza y política

Historias en 40 caracteres

The Guardian desafió a veintiún escritores conocidos a ensayar relatos que pudieran expresarse en un tweet, es decir, sin pasar de cuarenta caracteres. Transcribimos el resultado de dicho reto:

 

Geoff Dyer

 

I know I said that if I lived to 100 I'd not regret what happened last night. But I woke up this morning and a century had passed. Sorry.

 

James Meek

 

He said he was leaving her. "But I love you," she said. "I know," he said. "Thanks. It's what gave me the strength to love somebody else."

 

Jackie Collins

 

She smiled, he smiled back, it was lust at first sight, but then she discovered he was married, too bad it couldn't go anywhere.

 

Ian Rankin

 

I opened the door to our flat and you were standing there, cleaver raised. Somehow you'd found out about the photos. My jaw hit the floor.

 

Blake Morrison

 

Blonde, GSOH, 28. Great! Ideal mate! Fix date. Tate. Nervous wait. She's late. Doh, just my fate. Wrong candidate. Blond – and I'm straight.

 

David Lodge

 

"Your money or your life!" "I'm sorry, my dear, but you know it would kill me to lose my money," said the partially deaf miser to his wife.

 

AM Homes

 

Sometimes we wonder why sorrow so heavy when happiness is like helium.

 

Sophie Hannah

 

I had land, money. For each rejected novel I built one house. Ben had to drown because he bought Plot 15. My 15th book? The victim drowned.

 

Andrew O'Hagan

 

Clyde stole a lychee and ate it in the shower. Then his brother took a bottle of pills believing character is just a luxury. God. The twins.

 

AL Kennedy

 

It's good that you're busy. Not great. Good, though. But the silence, that's hard. I don't know what it means: whether you're OK, if I'm OK.

 

Jeffrey Archer

 

"It's a miracle he survived," said the doctor. "It was God's will," said Mrs Schicklgruber. "What will you call him?" "Adolf," she replied.

 

Anne Enright

 

The internet ate my novel, but this is much more fun #careerchange #nolookingback oh but #worldsosilentnow Hey!

 

Patrick Neateur

 

profile pic: happy – smiling & smoking. ur last post: "home!" ur hrt gave out @35. ur profile undeleted 6 months on. ur epitaph: "home!"

 

Hari Kunzru

 

I'm here w/ disk. Where ru? Mall too crowded to see. I don't feel safe. What do you mean you didn't send any text? Those aren't your guys?

 

SJ Watson

 

She thanks me for the drink, but says we're not suited. I'm a little "intense". So what? I followed her home. She hasn't seen anything yet.

 

Helen Fielding

 

OK. Should not have logged on to your email but suggest if going on marriedaffair.com don't use our children's names as password.

 

Simon Armitage

 

Blaise Pascal didn't tweet and neither did Mark Twain. When it came to writing something short & sweet neither Blaise nor Mark had the time.

 

Charlie Higson

 

Jack was sad in the orphanage til he befriended a talking rat who showed him a hoard of gold under the floor. Then the rat bit him & he died.

 

India Knight

 

Soften, my arse. I'm a geezer. I'm a rock-hard little bastard. Until I go mushy overnight for you, babe. #pears

 

Jilly Cooper

 

Tom sent his wife's valentine to his mistress and vice versa. Poor Tom's a-cold and double dumped.

 

Rachel Johnson

 

Rose went to Eve's house but she wasn't there. But Eve's father was. Alone. One thing led to another. He got 10 years.