I think Ayn is right about a lot of things. Her respect for personal achievement, for one. Her opposition to the welfare state, or much of it, for another. But one mustn't say that. You have to throw welfare programs at people -- like throwing meat to a pack of wolves -- even if the programs don't accomplish their alleged purpose and even if they're morally wrong. Because otherwise they'll kill you. The masses. They hate intelligence. They're envious of ability. They resent wealth. You've got to throw them something so they'll let us live. Bennett Cerf (owner, Random House Publishing, 1957) My Years With Ayn Rand, by Nathaniel Branden
|