That's fine... influence is one thing. But Ron Paul is not an Objectivist.
1. Objectivism demands 100% rational-selfishness. This means no objectivist can be religious. Ron Paul is very religious.
2. Objectivism demands 100% egoism, and defines altruism as 100% evil. Ron Paul served as a volunteer physician for a religious organization for many years.
3. The only tenant of Objectivism that is in line with Ron Paul's (and all Libertarians') philosophies is its doctrine of
individual rights and capitalism. However, as per the link provided, the Objectivist reasoning for individual rights and capitalism varies greatly from most libertarian (small L) and almost all Republican methods of thinking. Most people here (in addition to Ron Paul) protect individual rights and capitalism for reasons of practicality - that the greater good would be better suited by utilizing this system - or reasons of religious value. Ayn Rand and the Objectivist movement believe this is the only political system that will uphold the virtues and values of the other four tenants of Objectivism, so it is approached from an egoist perspective, instead of a populist/religious perspective.
4. The Libertarian (big 'L') Party, in a way, completely distorts the Objectivist tenant of non-aggression by approaching it from a merely political perspective instead of viewing it as a linked parallel required for the other aspects of an Objectively free society to prosper.
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