Atlas Shrugged?

fhl · Jul 14, 2009

Quote from runningman:

How do you conservatives carrying around your copies of Atlas Shrugged feel about the fact that Ayn Rand was an atheist, anti-Christian, and pro-choice?
http://www.aynrand.org/site/PageServer?pagename=faq_index#obj_q5

so much for your "hero"

Oh, we probably feel about the same way that liberals carrying around their copies of the communist manifesto do when they heard Obama say he was a Christian.

:eek:

runningman · Jul 14, 2009

Quote from fhl:

Oh, we probably feel about the same way that liberals carrying around their copies of the communist manifesto do when they heard Obama say he was a Christian.

:eek:

[Citation Needed]

I have never met a liberal carrying a copy of the Communist Manifesto.

fhl · Jul 14, 2009

Quote from runningman:

[Citation Needed]

I have never met a liberal carrying a copy of the Communist Manifesto.

For the simple, I can make things simple.

Have you ever seen a liberal wearing a Che tee shirt?

hoodooman · Jul 14, 2009

running man. Thanks. I just changed my mind.

ogarbitrage · Jul 14, 2009

Quote from Thunderdog:

"Studied?" I don't know about "studied." But I read her magnum opus, Atlas Shrugged, and The Fountainhead. Tripe.

You read her fiction and claim to be knowledgeable of the entire philosophy? This seems to be the case with every cynic of her's that I come across.

Thunderdog · Jul 14, 2009

Quote from ogarbitrage:

You read her fiction and claim to be knowledgeable of the entire philosophy? This seems to be the case with every cynic of her's that I come across.

Her books, notably AS, are said to essentially reflect the depth and breadth of her philosophy by her very proponents and apologists. If you don't know this much, then I'm not convinced that you even read as much of her "work" as I did. What did you do? Visit her web site and read a few book reviews?

ogarbitrage · Jul 14, 2009

Atlas is the practical application of the philosophy. It is not the theory behind it. It goes into broad strokes and in some instances, very fine strokes, but it is no substitute for her (or Peikoff's) ubiquitous and thorough nonfiction (eg., Obj.: The Philosophy of AR, The Romantic Manifesto, The Virtue of Selfishness, etc.).

But you're right. I'm basing all of this on a few Amazon reviews. I'm more concerned w/ appearing educated on it vs. actually being educated on it. Point conceded.

Thunderdog · Jul 14, 2009

Quote from ogarbitrage:

Atlas is the practical application of the philosophy.

Enough said. It was pretentious, self-important, preachy, repetitive, vapid and poorly-written bullshit. If the two books of hers that I read are any indication of her philosophy, then I've had my fill. As it happens, I share some of this fellow's considered views regarding the troubled economics of Ayn Rand:

http://www.mskousen.com/Books/Articles/0101aynrand.html

runningman · Jul 14, 2009

The simple question for any Rand fan is: If her philosophies are so much better than anything else, why have they never been successfully put into practice in any country in the history of the world?

fhl · Jul 14, 2009

Quote from runningman:

The simple question for any Rand fan is: If her philosophies are so much better than anything else, why have they never been successfully put into practice in any country in the history of the world?

Ok, I'll bite.

Envy. When the fruits and rewards of increased productivity flow to the productive who created them, we just can't seem to get liberals to agree that it's "better" or "successful". They seem to prefer a country where everyone has the same, even if that "same" is almost nothing.