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Thursday, April 14, 2011 - 8:25amSanction this postReply
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Review of AS in LA Times

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Thursday, April 14, 2011 - 9:03amSanction this postReply
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Today, Rand is celebrated among conservatives: Rep. Paul Ryan (R., Wis.) insists that all his staffers read "Atlas Shrugged." It wasn't always this way. During Rand's lifetime—she died in 1982—she was loathed by the mainstream conservative movement.
Peter, thanks for posting that.  I had a heck of a time with that article for some reason - lots of "facebook" pop-ups and other extraneous matter attached to that WSJ page. 

The article was an excellent description of Rand's social philosophy.  The author identified essentials by example, as for instance, Bill Gates' being persecuted under Anti-Trust then himself (or his firm) calling on the same guns to pursue Google. 

Much has been written recently about Ayn Rand, and this article in particular is worth some hassle to print out and place in your folder of Objectivist ephemera. 


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Thursday, April 14, 2011 - 11:42amSanction this postReply
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That WSJ article was good.

By contrast, an April 18th issue of Newsweek, an awful rag, printed a piece entitled "War on the Weak: How the GOP came to view the poor as parasites - and the rich as our rightful rulers."

One of the pull-outs, in extra-large, bold font, says, "Paul Ryan is an Ayn Rand nut. He views her as a lodestar, requiring his staffers to digest her creepy tracts."

The article which is supposed to be about Ryan's budget, actually spends most of its time attacking Ryan, former Senator Santelli, and the Tea Party. The attacks are written to "out" them as motivated by Rand whose philosophy the piece claims, was a cult-based Marxism "flipped upside down." Where "Rand viewed the capitalists as the producers of all wealth, and the workers, not the capitalists, as useless parasites." Wow!

Leading publications and key politicians are more openly Marxist in today's world than we have ever seen before - openly advocating redistribution of wealth and central economic planning. At the same time Ayn Rand's photo appears on posters at rally's of average American voters, the man crafting the next budget for our country is a strong believer in Rand's vision, and one of the founders of the Tea Party, former United States Senator Rick Santorum declared last night that he will most likely run for the Presidency. The same Santorum who the Newsweek article quoted as saying, "...at the end of the day, I'm an Ayn Rander."

This tells me we are approaching the final rounds in the fight. The fundamentals are surfacing, the opponents are stepping out into the open less afraid to show their true colors, the issues are coming closer to being addressed in moral terms. At the top of the fight ticket, the main event, the contenders are not the usual mixed-principle opponents and much closer to representing Capitalism v. Totalitarianism and a little bit more Self-Interest v. Altruism.
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(Disclaimer: I like both Santorum and Ryan, but they both come from a conservative/religious/libertarian base and Santelli makes the Pro-Life position one of his most important issues, while Ryan, although religious has repeatedly said that politicians must separate religious views from politics.)

(Edited by Steve Wolfer on 4/14, 1:45pm)


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Thursday, April 14, 2011 - 12:04pmSanction this postReply
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"The attacks were written to 'out' them as motivated by Ayn Rand..."

That's because, as I was reminded while buying the recent graphic novel version of Anthem, that "it is still a sin to write this... "


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Friday, April 15, 2011 - 6:35amSanction this postReply
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This tells me we are approaching the final rounds in the fight. The fundamentals are surfacing, the opponents are stepping out into the open less afraid to show their true colors, the issues are coming closer to being addressed in moral terms. At the top of the fight ticket, the main event, the contenders are not the usual mixed-principle opponents and much closer to representing Capitalism v. Totalitarianism and a little bit more Self-Interest v. Altruism.
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(Disclaimer: I like both Santorum and Ryan, but they both come from a conservative/religious/libertarian base and Santelli makes the Pro-Life position one of his most important issues, while Ryan, although religious has repeatedly said that politicians must separate religious views from politics.)
If you think that Atlas Shrugged was about politics, you never worked in a General Motors plant.  Some people kept it going... others sold it out with conformity and mediocrity  ... and here we are today in Starnesville.

Conservative politicians are not Objectivists any more than an automotive company manager is an entrepreneur.  The good ones share some qualities in common with the objective standard, but they are gilded, not gold.

(I was going to make fun your religious millennarianism, Steve, but I will not.)

(Edited by Michael E. Marotta on 4/15, 6:45am)


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Friday, April 15, 2011 - 2:26pmSanction this postReply
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Michael,

You wrote,"If you think that Atlas Shrugged was about politics, you never worked in a General Motors plant. Some people kept it going... others sold it out with conformity and mediocrity ... and here we are today in Starnesville."

I remember a John Bircher calling Eisenhower a communist, and W. F. Buckley replied, "No, he is a golfer." I'm reminded of that perfect non-sequitur rejoinder because I don't understand how anyone could get to your statement from what I was saying.

It is so weird that I'm discussing where we are in the intellectual battle today, and you imply that I don't understand what Atlas Shrugged was about.

You wrote, "Conservative politicians are not Objectivists any more than an automotive company manager is an entrepreneur."

My goodness, what a valuable piece of information - how do I ever thank you for that distinction which I was totally ignorant of. [sarcasm]

You wrote, "I was going to make fun your religious millennarianism, Steve, but I will not."

Given that you know I'm an atheist, and don't subscribe to religious rituals, beliefs, or use faith or revelation, I have to see that comment as equivalent to a kind of intended defamation - a cheap shot.



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Wednesday, April 20, 2011 - 8:19amSanction this postReply
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Steve.

Still enjoy your posts. Haven't been here in a while and the board seems quieter.

Done any boating lately?

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Wednesday, April 20, 2011 - 6:46pmSanction this postReply
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Hey, how are you doing Jay. Always a joy to see your boat-avatar. Too small to see any detail of the fellow in door (that you?)

I'm getting ready for an extended cruise of the South Pacific, but getting ready is a long process and I'm at the beginning of it (looking at boats) and bringing my knowledge base up to date. I'm probably at least 6 month out, more likely a full year.

Have you been getting any serous boating time in?

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Wednesday, April 20, 2011 - 7:14pmSanction this postReply
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Steve:

Wow! That seems terrific. Are you going to get another Tayana 37? Will you go solo?

Sam


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Wednesday, April 20, 2011 - 7:34pmSanction this postReply
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Hi Sam,

The Tayana was too big for me (a really fine boat, but just too much to handle alone). I'm looking into making some modifications to a Catalina 30 which isn't nearly the quality but it is real cheap and I can make a bunch of improvements to get what I want.

I might look for crew for the longer legs or for those sections that are a problem to cross single-handed.

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Wednesday, April 20, 2011 - 9:04pmSanction this postReply
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Steve,

Even if six plus months out, sounds like a wonderful trip. I'll have to content myself with the ICW, when I can break away. Any chance you'll keep an on-line log for your journeys? I've read some others. Spectacular.

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