Randex

Randex http://randex.org/ The latest news and commentary on Ayn Rand and Objectivism en admin@randex.org Copyright 2010 2010-03-13T18:48:36-05:00 http://feeds.feedburner.com/Randex?format=skinRandexhttp://feedburner.google.com ✔ •• Capitalism advocate will deliver message at Wheeling Jesuit http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Randex/~3/iinD3dI4svA/story.cfm http://randex.org/index.php/weblog/comments/capitalism_advocate_will_deliver_message_at_wheeling_jesuit/ [Eric] Daniels will be on the Wheeling Jesuit University campus to discuss the “Morality of Capitalism” at 7 p.m. March… Medium, Books, Atlas Shrugged, Capitalism, Egoism, Positive, News, Allows Comments [Eric] Daniels will be on the Wheeling Jesuit University campus to discuss the “Morality of Capitalism” at 7 p.m. March 17 and explore the most common arguments in favor of capitalism. Sponsored by the BB&T Charitable Foundation, it’s part of the college’s annual Institute for the Study of Capitalism and Morality (ISCM) speaker series and is offered to provide a series of forums for discussing issues regarding capitalism and morality, business ethics, and related issues. Wheeling Jesuit Business Professor Ed Younkins, executive director of ISCM, said Daniels finds that those arguments “all break down in the face of the popular argument that capitalism is immoral and destructive because it is selfish.” “Dr. Daniels explains that only Ayn Rand's crucial insight — that capitalism is the only moral social system because it is based on "the virtue of selfishness" — can truly defend capitalism. He illustrates the need for a moral, and not just an economic, defense of capitalism,” Younkins said. Rand was a 20th century author who wrote “Atlas Shrugged” and other books that extolled the virtues of capitalism. — Linda Harris, State Journal (Charleston, WV) #

Categories: Atlas Shrugged, Capitalism, Egoism

]]> 2010-03-13T18:48:36-05:00 Linda Harris, State Journal (Charleston, WV) http://www.statejournal.com/story.cfm?func=viewstory&storyid=76568 •• Paul Ryan’s redistributionism http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Randex/~3/CBBDhbB8FFU/ http://randex.org/index.php/weblog/comments/paul_ryans_redistributionism/ Jonathan Chait has a long post about how [Paul] Ryan’s roadmap “clarifies the essence of the Republican Party’s approach to… Medium, Neutral, Opinion, Allows Comments Jonathan Chait has a long post about how [Paul] Ryan’s roadmap “clarifies the essence of the Republican Party’s approach to domestic policy issues,” which involves “opposition to the downward redistribution of income.” Noting that Ryan has said kind words about Ayn Rand, he writes that “the core of the Randian worldview, as absorbed by the modern GOP, is a belief that the natural market distribution of income is inherently moral, and the central struggle of politics is to free the successful from having the fruits of their superiority redistributed by looters and moochers.” And he argues: “Every major element of Ryan’s plan reflects this commitment … Ryan would retain some bare-bones subsidies for the poorest, but the overwhelming thrust in every way is to liberate the lucky and successful to enjoy their good fortune without burdening them with any responsibility for the welfare of their fellow citizens.” This strikes me as an overstatement, to put it mildly. Ryan’s proposed changes to the tax code — his reduction in the highest rates, and his addition of a consumption tax — would shift the tax burden down the income ladder, just as Chait says. But nearly every other major element of the roadmap would make the American welfare state more redistributionist, rather than less so. — New York Times - Evaluations #

]]> 2010-03-13T18:43:28-05:00 New York Times - Evaluations http://douthat.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/03/12/paul-ryans-redistributionist-vision/ ✖ •• For the love of business http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Randex/~3/FMwFhRiv49E/For-the-Love-of-Business-by-Monika-Mitchell-100312-849.html http://randex.org/index.php/weblog/comments/for_the_love_of_business/ A senior manager in finance explained to me that he functions equally on "Christian principles" and devotion to the theories… Medium, Books, Atlas Shrugged, Capitalism, Egoism, Negative, Opinion, Allows Comments A senior manager in finance explained to me that he functions equally on "Christian principles" and devotion to the theories of Ayn Rand. The author of the 1957 novel,Atlas Shrugged, Rand influenced a generation of market making economists including the two decade Federal Reserve Chairman, Alan Greenspan. Rand's belief of self-interest over self-sacrifice defined the deregulation doctrine of the last thirty years of government. Yet "Christian principles" revolve around the antithesis of self-interest and focus on community and common good. I asked my friend how he reconciled both conflicting interests, he replied, "self-interest is self-love." Self-interest is indeed self-love, yet the doctrine leaves out an essential part of the contract, love for one's neighbor. — Monika Mitchell, OpEdNews #

Categories: Atlas Shrugged, Capitalism, Egoism

]]> 2010-03-13T18:38:43-05:00 Monika Mitchell, OpEdNews http://www.opednews.com/articles/For-the-Love-of-Business-by-Monika-Mitchell-100312-849.html?show=votes ✔ •• The wrath of independence http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Randex/~3/e_3bntoTX_I/news.php http://randex.org/index.php/weblog/comments/the_wrath_of_independence/ Going it alone certainly has its advantages. Standing apart from the crowd gives one a unique perspective provided one has… Medium, Books, The Fountainhead, Positive, Opinion, Allows Comments Going it alone certainly has its advantages. Standing apart from the crowd gives one a unique perspective provided one has the courage. Being able to assert one’s opinion can be very gratifying indeed. Famed and controversial author Ayn Rand has written extensively about this topic. To paraphrase her words - Most people can accept anything except a person who stands alone. They can forgive criminals and violence. These harsh critics are consumed by fear of the loner. They relish the mutual dependence of the relationship and independence destroys that relationship. However, for the independent spirit there is no dependence. There is no sense of social community. If one were to take notice, there is resentment against any idea that espouses independence. — William J. Derosa, Jr., Guru Focus #

Categories: The Fountainhead

]]> 2010-03-13T18:32:32-05:00 William J. Derosa, Jr., Guru Focus http://www.gurufocus.com/news.php?id=87480 • Google CEO says company doesn’t care about profits http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Randex/~3/zWqAM1RoDZw/Google-CEO-Says-Company-Doesnt-Care-About-Profits-jw-87510777.html http://randex.org/index.php/weblog/comments/google_ceo_says_company_doesnt_care_about_profits/ Jackson West wonders how a company full of libertarian engineers who love Ayn Rand could be interested in anything but… Brief, Capitalism, Neutral, Opinion, Allows Comments Jackson West wonders how a company full of libertarian engineers who love Ayn Rand could be interested in anything but money. — Jackson West, NBC #

Categories: Capitalism

]]> 2010-03-13T18:27:45-05:00 Jackson West, NBC http://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/tech/Google-CEO-Says-Company-Doesnt-Care-About-Profits-jw-87510777.html • Winding rhymes http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Randex/~3/WUyxdDEzx0w/winding-rhymes-87444747.html http://randex.org/index.php/weblog/comments/winding_rhymes/ On his latest mixtape, "Nuclear Winter Vol. 1," stalwart MC Sole (Tim Holland), a fixture of the indie hip-hop underground… Brief, Neutral, Opinion, Allows Comments On his latest mixtape, "Nuclear Winter Vol. 1," stalwart MC Sole (Tim Holland), a fixture of the indie hip-hop underground for a decade and a half now, sounds like a street preacher warning of the apocalypse on one track, a wily scene veteran confident of his lofty perch in the progressive-rap pecking order on the next. He turns sacred cows into T-bone steaks, name checking Timothy Geithner and the works of Ayn Rand before the disc's intro is over and critiquing the current administration in particularly bayonet-sharp terms. — Jason Bracelin, Review-Journal (Las Vegas) #

]]> 2010-03-13T02:18:34-05:00 Jason Bracelin, Review-Journal (Las Vegas) http://www.lvrj.com/neon/winding-rhymes-87444747.html • NBC’s Castro-driven journalism http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Randex/~3/xc7mSUmJAzU/nbcs_castrodriven_journalism.html http://randex.org/index.php/weblog/comments/nbcs_castro-driven_journalism/ It was also fascinating to hear Andrea [Mitchell], wife of former U.S. Federal Reserve Chairman (and early Ayn Rand disciple)… Brief, Neutral, Opinion, Allows Comments It was also fascinating to hear Andrea [Mitchell], wife of former U.S. Federal Reserve Chairman (and early Ayn Rand disciple) Alan Greenspan, explain that Communist economics has nothing to do with Cuba's crumbling buildings. — Humberto Fontova, American Thinker #

]]> 2010-03-13T02:09:49-05:00 Humberto Fontova, American Thinker http://www.americanthinker.com/2010/03/nbcs_castrodriven_journalism.html • ‘BioShock’ sequel shockingly good http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Randex/~3/FzSsz4WUTQM/bioshock-sequel-shockingly-good-1.1265900 http://randex.org/index.php/weblog/comments/bioshock_sequel_shockingly_good/ We have traded villains from Andrew Ryan, the runaway objectivist from the first game, to Sofia Lamb, a runaway socialist… Brief, Neutral, Opinion, Allows Comments We have traded villains from Andrew Ryan, the runaway objectivist from the first game, to Sofia Lamb, a runaway socialist hell-bent on making Rapture a utopia. — Mark Riechers, The Daily Cardinal (U Wisconsin - Madison) #

]]> 2010-03-13T02:08:39-05:00 Mark Riechers, The Daily Cardinal (U Wisconsin - Madison) http://www.dailycardinal.com/arts/bioshock-sequel-shockingly-good-1.1265900 ✔ •• Hollywood honors American values http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Randex/~3/EJdFOFJRlkE/20100312frilets124.html http://randex.org/index.php/weblog/comments/hollywood_honors_american_values/ James Cameron would be wise to consider picking up the rights to make his next epic picture "Atlas Shrugged" by… Medium, Books, Atlas Shrugged, Positive, Letter to the editor, Allows Comments James Cameron would be wise to consider picking up the rights to make his next epic picture "Atlas Shrugged" by Ayn Rand. He may even consider asking his ex-wife, [Kathryn] Bigelow, to collaborate in directing. Now, that would be an Oscar sweep. — Wayne Murray, Arizona Republic (Phoenix) #

Categories: Atlas Shrugged

]]> 2010-03-12T15:11:19-05:00 Wayne Murray, Arizona Republic (Phoenix) http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/opinions/articles/2010/03/12/20100312frilets124.html ✖ •• Paul Ryan and the Republican vision http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Randex/~3/9dRyTWl40HY/73669 http://randex.org/index.php/weblog/comments/paul_ryan_and_the_republican_vision/ The core of the Randian worldview, as absorbed by the modern GOP, is a belief that the natural market distribution… Medium, Capitalism, Negative, Opinion, Allows Comments The core of the Randian worldview, as absorbed by the modern GOP, is a belief that the natural market distribution of income is inherently moral, and the central struggle of politics is to free the successful from having the fruits of their superiority redistributed by looters and moochers. What's telling about Ryan's program is not so much that a hard-core ideologue like him would advocate it. It's that virtually the whole of the conservative movement has embraced him. [....] The rise of Ryan is a sign that the possibilities for bipartisan cooperation on domestic issues are, at the moment, essentially nil. This point is obscured by the figure of Ryan, a cheerful and courteous man who gives every sense of wanting to deal in good faith. But his goals, which are now fully the goals of the conservative movement and the Republican Party, are diametrically opposed to the liberal vision of capitalism shorn of its cruelest edges. His basic moral premises are foreign, even abhorrent, to liberals. He seems like a person you'd like to negotiate with, but there's nothing to negotiate over. Ryan is waging a zero sum fight over resources on behalf of the most fortunate members of society and against everybody else. — Jonathan Chait, The New Republic #

Categories: Capitalism

]]> 2010-03-12T15:02:27-05:00 Jonathan Chait, The New Republic http://www.tnr.com/node/73669 •• Mike Daisey reveals secrets of the world order http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Randex/~3/LXCh33jcbso/mike-daisey-reveals-secrets-of-the-world-order http://randex.org/index.php/weblog/comments/mike_daisey_reveals_secrets_of_the_world_order/ [Q:] Who are some of the guests we can expect on [your] show? [A:] [....] I believe we’re going to… Medium, Books, The Fountainhead, Neutral, Allows Comments [Q:] Who are some of the guests we can expect on [your] show? [A:] [....] I believe we’re going to have someone who’s starring in a film adaptation — this is fascinating — a musical film adaptation of Ayn Rand’sThe Fountainhead. They’re going to be singing some really fantastic songs about libertarianism and female submission. The actress is just charming. A little freaky but charming. I think that’s going to be tremendous. It’s really a wide range of things that I feel capture where we are as a country and a people. — Chris Kompanek, Flavorwire #

Categories: The Fountainhead

]]> 2010-03-12T14:54:31-05:00 Chris Kompanek, Flavorwire http://flavorwire.com/76690/mike-daisey-reveals-secrets-of-the-world-order ✖ • Ignore socialist label http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Randex/~3/GEY3eGVwtXA/ignore-socialist-label.html http://randex.org/index.php/weblog/comments/ignore_socialist_label/ On banks and the financial markets, Obama’s economic advisers and Treasury Secretary are staunch free-market advocates. Unless you’re comparing them… Brief, Capitalism, Negative, Letter to the editor, Allows Comments On banks and the financial markets, Obama’s economic advisers and Treasury Secretary are staunch free-market advocates. Unless you’re comparing them to Ayn Rand, Larry Summers and Timothy Geithner cannot be accused of being market obstructionists. Regulating Wall Street’s ruinous greed is balancing "too big to fail" and "too small to care about." It is not socialism. For the sake of our country, tune out the fear mongers and turn on the brain. — Jeff Gadt, Kansas City Star (MO) #

Categories: Capitalism

]]> 2010-03-12T04:19:47-05:00 Jeff Gadt, Kansas City Star (MO) http://blogs.kansascity.com/unfettered_letters/2010/03/ignore-socialist-label.html#ixzz0hvtjzcsB ✖ • ‘What’s the Matter With Kansas’ liberal filmmakers get a dose of Wichita http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Randex/~3/o6NskNQXzEA/whats-the-matter-with-kansas-liberal.html http://randex.org/index.php/weblog/comments/whats_the_matter_with_kansas_liberal_filmmakers_get_a_dose_of_wichita/ “I’m a natural-born pessimist,” [documentary author Thomas Frank] said. “People shouldn’t be waving pictures of Ayn Rand and cursing liberals… Brief, Capitalism, Negative, News, Allows Comments “I’m a natural-born pessimist,” [documentary author Thomas Frank] said. “People shouldn’t be waving pictures of Ayn Rand and cursing liberals when we’re sinking into a worldwide recession. But the Democrats can’t seem to get a handle on it. — Robert W. Butler, Kansas City Star (MO) #

Categories: Capitalism

]]> 2010-03-12T04:11:57-05:00 Robert W. Butler, Kansas City Star (MO) http://www.kansascity.com/2010/03/10/1801138_p2/whats-the-matter-with-kansas-liberal.html#ixzz0hvs6ATSY ✖ •• The good work of government http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Randex/~3/E1mEy6jrCW8/100209768 http://randex.org/index.php/weblog/comments/the_good_work_of_government/ The lessons learned from the 19th century robber barons are sufficient to reject [the] naive Ayn Randian notion that the… Medium, Capitalism, Negative, Letter to the editor, Allows Comments The lessons learned from the 19th century robber barons are sufficient to reject [the] naive Ayn Randian notion that the “businessman would never willfully harm his customers and thereby hurt his own future business prospects.” Tell that to the tainted peanut butter “businessman.” — William J. Linn, Star-News (Wilmington, NC) #

Categories: Capitalism

]]> 2010-03-11T13:26:49-05:00 William J. Linn, Star-News (Wilmington, NC) http://www.starnewsonline.com/article/20100206/ARTICLES/100209768?p=all&tc=pgall ✖ ••• The Virtue of Selfishness: A New Concept of Egoism (1964) http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Randex/~3/49ltkmAJOXc/ http://randex.org/index.php/weblog/comments/the_virtue_of_selfishness_a_new_concept_of_egoism_1964/ Nowhere in Rand's ascendant nicety-free canon is her take on politics expressed with more verve and venom than the essay… Substantial, Books, The Virtue of Selfishness, Egoism, Personal life, Negative, Opinion (Requires subscription.) Nowhere in Rand's ascendant nicety-free canon is her take on politics expressed with more verve and venom than the essay collection The Virtue of Selfishness. The Neocon bible expounds Rand's philosophy, which she called "objectivist" in a foretaste of the equally dubious Fox News slogan: "The Spin stops here". About as objective as The Narnia Chronicles, Rand's gut-instinct tract exalts egotism as a rational code of ethics and slams socialism as a vice. A selfish, non-sacrificial way of life is possible and the only way to be, according to Rand, whose individualist take on how to live could be seen as an affront to Christianity, Confucianism and several other belief systems that place hope in community. Rand's Darwinian outlook, which makes Britain's Iron Lady Margaret Thatcher appear warm and fuzzy, must stem from her upbringing in Soviet Russia. [....] Rand can be so short on rigour that she resembles a crazed cult leader. Her claim that extremity equates with consistency is just one example of her borderline lunacy, which can be toxic. Elsewhere in the book, she is even more virulent. Despite Rand's fanaticism, The Virtue of Selfishness remains a compelling reflection of her spectacularly dysfunctional mind and a masterclass in the waspish art of polemic. Stinging. — David Wilson, South China Morning Post #

Categories: The Virtue of Selfishness, Egoism, Personal life

]]> 2010-03-11T13:18:51-05:00 David Wilson, South China Morning Post http://randex.org/index.php/weblog/the_virtue_of_selfishness_a_new_concept_of_egoism_1964/ •• Editors’ picks http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Randex/~3/dLRgs2OpheE/default.aspx http://randex.org/index.php/weblog/comments/editors_picks/ Although not stinting a concern with Rand's ideas, Heller is mesmerized by Rand the novelist and the person. The biographer… Medium, Books, Atlas Shrugged, The Fountainhead, The Virtue of Selfishness, We The Living, Capitalism, Egoism, Personal life, Neutral, Opinion Review of Ayn Rand and the World She Made, by Anne C. Heller. Although not stinting a concern with Rand's ideas, Heller is mesmerized by Rand the novelist and the person. The biographer pores over Rand's early years in Russia with brilliant results, showing how much Rand (born Alissa Zinovievna Rosenbaum) drew on her experience in the 1920s Leninist state for her impressive novel We the Living. — C. Rollyson, Choice #

Categories: Atlas Shrugged, The Fountainhead, The Virtue of Selfishness, We The Living, Capitalism, Egoism, Personal life

]]> 2010-03-11T12:59:03-05:00 C. Rollyson, Choice http://www.cro2.org/default.aspx?page=reviewdisplay&pids=3524562 ✖ ••• The Ayn Rand follies http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Randex/~3/PDFxeumx49Q/The-Ayn-Rand-follies-5175 http://randex.org/index.php/weblog/comments/the_ayn_rand_follies/ It was always, we suspect, Rand’s effort to make a “virtue of selfishness” (as she puts it in the title… Substantial, Altruism, Books, Atlas Shrugged, The Virtue of Selfishness, Capitalism, Egoism, Negative, Opinion, Allows Comments, Inaccurate It was always, we suspect, Rand’s effort to make a “virtue of selfishness” (as she puts it in the title of a collection of essays) that accounted for a large part of her appeal. The shocking quality of advocating something so widely deprecated guaranteed an eager audience. Most human beings do not need special encouragement to be selfish. They come by it naturally enough. How welcome, then, to stumble upon a writer of long books who, far from criticizing selfishness, as everyone from your mother on down has done, tells you that you should be as selfish as possible. — The New Criterion #

Categories: Altruism, Atlas Shrugged, The Virtue of Selfishness, Capitalism, Egoism, Inaccurate

]]> 2010-03-11T12:52:19-05:00 The New Criterion http://www.newcriterion.com/articles.cfm/The-Ayn-Rand-follies-5175 • Charlottesville gears up for Va. Festival of the Book http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Randex/~3/v43lDTSgWIA/Charlottesville+gears+up+for+Va.+Festival+of+the+Book http://randex.org/index.php/weblog/comments/charlottesville_gears_up_for_va._festival_of_the_book/ Hundreds of writers and millions of words will flow through Charlottesville during the 16th annual Virginia Festival of the Book,… Brief, Neutral, News, Allows Comments Hundreds of writers and millions of words will flow through Charlottesville during the 16th annual Virginia Festival of the Book, which runs from March 17 to 21. This year's schedule includes more than 40 University of Virginia faculty members and alumni, speaking on topics as diverse as Ayn Rand, living through war and examining historical times. — News Leader (Staunton, VA) #

]]> 2010-03-11T12:45:05-05:00 News Leader (Staunton, VA) http://www.newsleader.com/article/20100311/NEWS01/100311002/1002/news01/Charlottesville+gears+up+for+Va.+Festival+of+the+Book •• Bioshock 2 http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Randex/~3/ZGsU1-0fGjQ/story.asp http://randex.org/index.php/weblog/comments/bioshock_26/ The opening of Bioshock 2 feels like coming home. You awaken in ruins in the old part of Rapture, an… Medium, Neutral, Opinion, Allows Comments The opening of Bioshock 2 feels like coming home. You awaken in ruins in the old part of Rapture, an underwater city and objectivist paradise created by John Galt archetype Andrew Ryan. [....] Rapture feels alive. Every environment you visit is the ruined remnant of some part of Rapture prior to its collapse, the highlight of which is an amusement park full of objectivist propaganda (seemingly exaggerated unless you’ve read Ayn Rand). — Jacob Muncy, San Antonio Current #

]]> 2010-03-11T12:41:08-05:00 Jacob Muncy, San Antonio Current http://sacurrent.com/film/story.asp?id=70967 •• Tequila sunrise & into the sunset http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Randex/~3/SzsnpIj3vkw/110310-Mumbai-skyline-sunrise-sunset-locations.htm http://randex.org/index.php/weblog/comments/tequila_sunrise_into_the_sunset/ "I would give the greatest sunset in the world for one sight of New York's skyline," author Ayn Rand wrote… Medium, Books, The Fountainhead, Neutral, Allows Comments "I would give the greatest sunset in the world for one sight of New York's skyline," author Ayn Rand wrote in The Fountainhead, "The sky over New York and the will of man made visible. What other religion do we need?" she asked. "Come to Mumbai," we say. — Kasmin Fernandes, Mid-Day #

Categories: The Fountainhead

]]> 2010-03-11T12:30:22-05:00 Kasmin Fernandes, Mid-Day http://www.mid-day.com/lifestyle/2010/mar/110310-Mumbai-skyline-sunrise-sunset-locations.htm ✖ • The GOP’s bait-and-switch game http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Randex/~3/A8TqTOwpGQE/index.html http://randex.org/index.php/weblog/comments/the_gops_bait-and-switch_game/ Wealthy donors, as the world knows, need their posteriors kissed and their egos stroked. Hence GOP fundraisers ply them with… Brief, Negative, Opinion, Allows Comments Wealthy donors, as the world knows, need their posteriors kissed and their egos stroked. Hence GOP fundraisers ply them with access to party bigshots and tchotchkes ranging from "luxury retreats in California wine country to tickets to a professional fight in Las Vegas." And who could resist rubbing elbows with Newt Gingrich or Weekly Standard editor Bill Kristol at a Napa Valley wine tasting? Kind of an Ayn Rand meets "Sideways" thing. — Gene Lyons, Salon #

]]> 2010-03-11T12:19:19-05:00 Gene Lyons, Salon http://www.salon.com/news/politics/republican_party/index.html?story=/opinion/feature/2010/03/10/gop_bait_and_switch ✔ ••• Exploring “The Moral Foundations of Capitalism” … at Stanford? http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Randex/~3/qLwJkFJN8eU/ http://randex.org/index.php/weblog/comments/exploring_the_moral_foundations_of_capitalism_at_stanford/ This quarter, I took one of the best classes I’ve taken in my 8 quarters here at Stanford. “The Moral… Substantial, Capitalism, Positive, Opinion, Image, Allows Comments This quarter, I took one of the best classes I’ve taken in my 8 quarters here at Stanford. “The Moral Foundations of Capitalism,” an Ethics in Society course, was featured in campus news, mired in a bit of controversy, and filled beyond capacity within days of its enrollment opening. [....] I learned so much history, so much philosophy, and so much about myself. The course’s cornerstone was Ayn Rand’s Atlas Shrugged. Rand, an Objectivist, championed Capitalism as a social system that leaves man free to use his mind to reason and determine what is best for his own life. — Autumn Carter, Stanford Review - Fiat Lux (Stanford U, CA) #

Categories: Capitalism, Image

]]> 2010-03-11T12:10:44-05:00 Autumn Carter, Stanford Review - Fiat Lux (Stanford U, CA) http://blog.stanfordreview.org/2010/03/10/exploring-the-moral-foundations-of-capitalism-at-stanford/ ✖ • Dean ‘the invisible economist’ Baker kidnaps Alan Greenspan http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Randex/~3/LMzLvdXR3xw/ http://randex.org/index.php/weblog/comments/dean_the_invisible_economist_baker_kidnaps_alan_greenspan/ I forgot to mention that I kidnapped [Alan Greenspan]. He was an easy catch. He was trying to have sex… Brief, Negative, Allows Comments Humor. I forgot to mention that I kidnapped [Alan Greenspan]. He was an easy catch. He was trying to have sex with his wife on their cold marble floor at the time. They such freaks for Ayn Rand, you know? — Dean Baker, True/Slant #

]]> 2010-03-11T12:06:01-05:00 Dean Baker, True/Slant http://trueslant.com/nathandiebenow/2010/03/10/dean-%E2%80%98the-invisible-economist%E2%80%99-baker-kidnaps-alan-greenspan/ ✔✖ •• Fallen role models - keeping the value http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Randex/~3/kSXTNlG4R18/163027.php http://randex.org/index.php/weblog/comments/fallen_role_models_-_keeping_the_value/ Me: I find it very hard to follow Ayn Rand's philosophy, after learning that she died insane. I was very… Medium, Personal life, Mixed, Opinion, Inaccurate Me: I find it very hard to follow Ayn Rand's philosophy, after learning that she died insane. I was very influenced by her writing, but decided to throw it all out after knowing about her personal life. Prof: I used to know a Buddhist teacher many years back, who was very high up in this country. He used to give wonderful enlightening sermons. Then one day, he was found to be a pedophile. I found myself questioning whether the knowledge I'd received from him should be thrown away. It was clear to me that whatever he had said about truth, compassion and love was invaluable, and had helped me in my own life. Nothing he did changed the value of his message for me, so it made no sense to throw out what he said because he could not live up to it. — Somik Raha, Desicritics.org (India) #

Categories: Personal life, Inaccurate

]]> 2010-03-11T12:00:32-05:00 Somik Raha, Desicritics.org (India) http://desicritics.org/2010/03/10/163027.php ✖ • Inside Alan Greenspan’s nightmare http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Randex/~3/0PWzZJ1Pdl8/alan-greenspan-inflation-china http://randex.org/index.php/weblog/comments/inside_alan_greenspans_nightmare/ Some may dismiss Greenspan's values as unrepresentative – he was, after all, a devotee of the extreme libertarian writer Ayn… Brief, Negative, Opinion, Allows Comments Some may dismiss Greenspan's values as unrepresentative – he was, after all, a devotee of the extreme libertarian writer Ayn Rand. — Mark Weisbrot, The Guardian (London) #

]]> 2010-03-11T11:52:00-05:00 Mark Weisbrot, The Guardian (London) http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/cifamerica/2010/mar/10/alan-greenspan-inflation-china ✖ •• High Society http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Randex/~3/qcfaZ6_EGVA/ http://randex.org/index.php/weblog/comments/high_society/ If nothing else, High Society should be the final nail in the coffin of Randian objectivism. I have no problem… Medium, Negative, Opinion, Allows Comments TV series review. If nothing else, High Society should be the final nail in the coffin of Randian objectivism. I have no problem with the idea that people who rise from rags to riches are smart, hard-working, capable individuals. I'd say, in my experience, that that's often the case. I just am not so sure that's the case with their children, who often seem like some of the worst people to ever have lived, if the presentation of them on television is any indication. The CW's High Society is just the latest series to attempt to turn the lives of young, lithe, hot women in the big city into something approaching compelling television. — Todd Vanderwerff, The Onion A.V. Club #

]]> 2010-03-11T02:15:47-05:00 Todd Vanderwerff, The Onion A.V. Club http://www.avclub.com/articles/high-society,39002/ ✔ • Introducing Wall Street’s hottest offspring, Part II http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Randex/~3/Y41TURNX7RE/introducing-more-of-wall-streets-hottest-offspring-2010-2 http://randex.org/index.php/weblog/comments/introducing_wall_streets_hottest_offspring_part_ii/ Victor Niederhoffer has six daughters and one son. [....] Rand, 26, started a fashion company in Brooklyn. She is clearly… Brief, Positive, Opinion, Allows Comments Victor Niederhoffer has six daughters and one son. [....] Rand, 26, started a fashion company in Brooklyn. She is clearly named after her father's favorite author, Ayn Rand. — Gus Lubin And Courtney Comstock, The Business Insider #

]]> 2010-03-11T02:11:57-05:00 Gus Lubin And Courtney Comstock, The Business Insider http://www.businessinsider.com/introducing-more-of-wall-streets-hottest-offspring-2010-2 ✖ ••• Ayn Rand, Chapman University and serial killer love http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Randex/~3/PeRv9bEscXk/ http://randex.org/index.php/weblog/comments/ayn_rand_chapman_university_and_serial_killer_love_oc_weekly/ The Mother of Objectivism and author of The Fountainhead and Atlas Shrugged "is the 28th notable figure to have a… Substantial, Books, The Fountainhead, Negative, Opinion, Image, Allows Comments, Inaccurate The Mother of Objectivism and author of The Fountainhead and Atlas Shrugged "is the 28th notable figure to have a bust dedicated on the campus of Chapman University," reports Chapman Now. [....] [I]t's a good bet Rand is the only Chapman bustee whose first love dismembered little girls. — Matt Coker, Orange County Weekly - Navel Gazing (CA) #

Categories: The Fountainhead, Image, Inaccurate

]]> 2010-03-11T02:05:21-05:00 Matt Coker, Orange County Weekly - Navel Gazing (CA) http://blogs.ocweekly.com/navelgazing/a-clockwork-orange/ayn-rand-bust-chapman-universi/ ✖ ••• Internal affairs: How Ayn Rand followers rationalize “welcomed” rape http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Randex/~3/Zy6Khoe67MY/ http://randex.org/index.php/weblog/comments/internal_affairs_how_ayn_rand_followers_rationalize_welcomed_rape/ Rand reportedly had this to say about the [rape] scene [in The Fountainhead]: “If it was rape, it was rape… Substantial, Books, Atlas Shrugged, The Fountainhead, Capitalism, Egoism, Negative, Opinion, Allows Comments Rand reportedly had this to say about the [rape] scene [in The Fountainhead]: “If it was rape, it was rape by engraved invitation.” But for young people with no practical experience with sex, Rand doesn’t provide any instruction on how exactly to seal the note. If your sex partner is biting you and beating you in the face, how can you be sure they’ve consented “internally”? Between Rand’s idealized heroes and heroines, why is the ideal sexual scenario a violent rape that the woman only privately desires? And for Rand, who was fond of invoking the tautological principle that “A is A,” when is rape not rape? — Amanda Hess, Washington City Paper - The Sexist (DC) #

Categories: Atlas Shrugged, The Fountainhead, Capitalism, Egoism

]]> 2010-03-11T02:00:21-05:00 Amanda Hess, Washington City Paper - The Sexist (DC) http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/blogs/sexist/2010/03/10/internal-affairs-how-ayn-rand-followers-rationalize-welcomed-rape/ ✔ ••• Yevgeny Zamyatin: Libertarian novelist http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Randex/~3/SfTMGbBvOhY/4161 http://randex.org/index.php/weblog/comments/yevgeny_zamyatin_libertarian_novelist/ Whatever we decide about whether Rand read We in the '20s or '30s, there's simply no getting around the obvious… Substantial, Books, Anthem, Atlas Shrugged, We The Living, Personal life, Positive, Opinion, Allows Comments Whatever we decide about whether Rand read We in the '20s or '30s, there's simply no getting around the obvious similarities between Zamyatin's novel and Rand's Anthem. Both are set in the far future in a completely collectivized totalitarian society. Both are told in the first person by their main characters, in We by the mathematician and engineer D-503, in Anthem by the engineer Equality 7-2521. Anthem is the only work of fiction written by Rand to be written in the first person. In We, D-503 meets a woman, I-330, and is led inexorably down a path to rebellion against the government of the society in which he lives. In Anthem, Equality 7-2521 meets a woman, Liberty 5-3000, and is led inexorably down a path to rebellion against the government of the society in which he lives. — Jeff Riggenbach, Mises.org Daily Article #

Categories: Anthem, Atlas Shrugged, We The Living, Personal life

]]> 2010-03-11T01:53:23-05:00 Jeff Riggenbach, Mises.org Daily Article http://mises.org/daily/4161 ✔ • Tyler Felton http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Randex/~3/6RKeGxDBook/index2.php http://randex.org/index.php/weblog/comments/tyler_felton/ The words of Ernest Hemingway and Ayn Rand struck deep cords within him and he named many of his dogs… Brief, Positive Obituary. The words of Ernest Hemingway and Ayn Rand struck deep cords within him and he named many of his dogs after characters in Hemingway's books (usually "Jake"). — Idaho Mountain Express (Ketchum) #

]]> 2010-03-11T01:51:32-05:00 Idaho Mountain Express (Ketchum) http://www.mtexpress.com/index2.php?ID=2005130376 • Fix him a manly meal tonight http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Randex/~3/HkSEcRx-7UY/local_story_068203913.html http://randex.org/index.php/weblog/comments/fix_him_a_manly_meal_tonight/ Interestingly, three women authors did make the Man’s Essential Library 100 list. Harper Lee’s “To Kill a Mockingbird,” “The Book… Brief, Books, Atlas Shrugged, Neutral, Opinion, Allows Comments Interestingly, three women authors did make the Man’s Essential Library 100 list. Harper Lee’s “To Kill a Mockingbird,” “The Book of Deeds of Arms and of Chivalry,” a medieval mother’s guide for her son by early anti-misogynist Christine de Pizan, and Ayn Rand’s “Atlas Shrugged” evidently represent the women in touch with their more masculine side. — Melony Carey, Muskogee Phoenix (OK) #

Categories: Atlas Shrugged

]]> 2010-03-11T01:39:28-05:00 Melony Carey, Muskogee Phoenix (OK) http://www.muskogeephoenix.com/features/local_story_068203913.html • Can the Smoker in Chief really lead America in health care reform? http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Randex/~3/av8u49c_xbI/2010-03-10_can_the_smoker_in_chief_really_lead_america_in_health_care_reform.html http://randex.org/index.php/weblog/comments/can_the_smoker_in_chief_really_lead_america_in_health_care_reform/ As I approach my 10-year college reunion, it's clear that I missed a few classes that would have proved helpful.… Brief, Neutral, Opinion, Allows Comments As I approach my 10-year college reunion, it's clear that I missed a few classes that would have proved helpful. Those classes include "Leadership and Ethics" and "Ethical Theory," offered by the Program on Ethics and Public Life at my alma mater, Cornell University. See, I'm certain that at some point those classes would have covered the issue I've been grappling with recently, in which case I'd be able to tell you what Plato and Aristotle said about it. Maimonides and Thomas Aquinas, too. I bet you Hobbes and Locke have really super advice on this one. And you just know Ayn Rand would be all over it. [....] With President Obama making his final push for health care reform, I ask you to consider the following "If, Then" theorem: If our health is the President's business, then the President's health should be our business. — S.E. Cupp, New York Daily News #

]]> 2010-03-10T15:00:58-05:00 S.E. Cupp, New York Daily News http://www.nydailynews.com/opinions/2010/03/10/2010-03-10_can_the_smoker_in_chief_really_lead_america_in_health_care_reform.html#ixzz0hmnucad4 ✖ •• Economist: Financial crisis result of idea failure http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Randex/~3/xAYcDTGbpBA/articles.aspx http://randex.org/index.php/weblog/comments/economist_financial_crisis_result_of_idea_failure/ In a sober discussion of the origins and consequences of the global financial crisis, Roger Bootle, managing director of Capital… Medium, Books, Atlas Shrugged, Capitalism, Egoism, Negative, News, Allows Comments In a sober discussion of the origins and consequences of the global financial crisis, Roger Bootle, managing director of Capital Economics Limited, explained Monday during the International Hotel Investment Forum why regulators were to blame and how capitalism will change as a result. [....] Why it happened: [....] Alan Greenspan’s “Atlas Shrugged” influence. “We can’t leave self-interested bankers and markets to their own devices,” Bootle said. — Stacey Mieyal Higgins, Hotel News Now #

Categories: Atlas Shrugged, Capitalism, Egoism

]]> 2010-03-10T14:48:18-05:00 Stacey Mieyal Higgins, Hotel News Now http://www.hotelnewsnow.com/articles.aspx?ArticleId=2873&PageType=News&ArticleType=35 ✔ • Spitzer madam Kristin Davis busts into New York governor’s race http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Randex/~3/H-44Mxnby9o/ http://randex.org/index.php/weblog/comments/spitzer_madam_kristin_davis_busts_into_new_york_governors_race/ After she met fellow [Eliot] Spitzer critic Roger Stone on a radio show [Davis] started reading and writing about women’s… Brief, Positive, Allows Comments After she met fellow [Eliot] Spitzer critic Roger Stone on a radio show [Davis] started reading and writing about women’s rights, feminism, prostitution, drug policy and prison reform on her blog Manhattan Madam. Stone gave her Von Mises, Ayn Rand, Hayek and Friedman, and she decided she was a Libertarian. — Mike Colapietro, Daily Caller #

]]> 2010-03-10T14:17:27-05:00 Mike Colapietro, Daily Caller http://dailycaller.com/2010/03/09/spitzer-madam-kristin-davis-busts-into-new-york-governors-race/#ixzz0hmdsjHJ1 ✔✖ •• SXSW 2010: The Low Anthem http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Randex/~3/NyKdS9SQGl0/ http://randex.org/index.php/weblog/comments/sxsw_2010_the_low_anthem/ [Q:] Where did the name come from? [A:] The name comes from an Ayn Rand book by the same title.… Medium, Books, Anthem, Mixed, Allows Comments Interview with Ben Knox Miller of the folk rock band The Low Anthem. [Q:] Where did the name come from? [A:] The name comes from an Ayn Rand book by the same title. We didn't realize this until we had been together for quite a while because it was thought up by one of the original members, an old childhood friend, who no longer plays with us. I have actually read the book and I don't like it much at all, so it is a bit strange to have that name, but at least the name is abstract enough to be interpreted in different ways. — Jesse Ship, Spinner #

Categories: Anthem

]]> 2010-03-10T14:04:15-05:00 Jesse Ship, Spinner http://www.spinner.com/2010/03/08/sxsw-2010-the-low-anthem/ ✖ ••• Individuality, freedom, and superiority: Returning to Ayn Rand’s problems http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Randex/~3/s_0_NMS6EGc/individuality-freedom-and-superiority-returning-to-ayn-rands-problems.html http://randex.org/index.php/weblog/comments/individuality_freedom_and_superiority_returning_to_ayn_rands_problems/ Rand's model of the individual is lacking in depth because it does not address how each of us as individuals… Substantial, Negative, Opinion, Allows Comments Rand's model of the individual is lacking in depth because it does not address how each of us as individuals came to be who we are. She simply takes them for granted as elemental forces of nature. As the African proverb puts it: "I am because we are." — Gus diZerega, Beliefnet.com - A Pagan’s Blog #

]]> 2010-03-10T01:51:48-05:00 Gus diZerega, Beliefnet.com - A Pagan’s Blog http://blog.beliefnet.com/apagansblog/2010/03/individuality-freedom-and-superiority-returning-to-ayn-rands-problems.html ✖ • Keynes for today http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Randex/~3/ksBbBSQdHMo/hari0410.html http://randex.org/index.php/weblog/comments/keynes_for_today/ The notion that deregulated markets will reach an “equilibrium”—which provides the best of all outcomes—turns out to be a quasi-religious… Brief, Capitalism, Negative, Opinion, Allows Comments Book review: Keynes: The Return of the Master, by Robert Skidelsky. The notion that deregulated markets will reach an “equilibrium”—which provides the best of all outcomes—turns out to be a quasi-religious fantasy. The economic models “proving” it is so are lies and act, as Professor Paul Davidson puts it, as Weapons of Math Destruction, shoving us towards the abyss. Unregulated markets will seesaw wildly between booms and busts. Only tough regulation can stop the market from devouring its own internal organs, and only big government spending can prevent a bad recession souring into a depression. This was all willfully forgotten by the Chicago School economists and Ayn Rand devotees who conquered America. They didn’t prevail because they had the best arguments; their predictions were about as accurate as Sybil the Soothsayer’s. No, they prevailed because their arguments served the interests of the super-rich, who lavishly funded the campaigns of politicians who picked them up. — Johann Hari, The Progressive #

Categories: Capitalism

]]> 2010-03-10T01:46:12-05:00 Johann Hari, The Progressive http://www.progressive.org/hari0410.html ✔ •• Letting the left claim the cerebral high ground http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Randex/~3/S11iFddWAoY/tasha-kheiriddin-letting-the-left-claim-the-cerebral-high-ground.aspx http://randex.org/index.php/weblog/comments/letting_the_left_claim_the_cerebral_high_ground/ From bank bailouts to government health care, not in recent memory has socialism garnered such a toehold in American political… Medium, Books, Atlas Shrugged, Positive, Opinion, Allows Comments From bank bailouts to government health care, not in recent memory has socialism garnered such a toehold in American political discourse. Ayn Rand would recognize much of the statist nightmare of her famous Atlas Shrugged in Mr. Obama’s America: government ownership of lending institutions and car companies, increasing demonization of the rich, and an unelected “czar” in Washington for every policy area under the sun. — Tasha Kheiriddin, National Post (Toronto) #

Categories: Atlas Shrugged

]]> 2010-03-10T01:41:59-05:00 Tasha Kheiriddin, National Post (Toronto) http://network.nationalpost.com/NP/blogs/fullcomment/archive/2010/03/09/tasha-kheiriddin-letting-the-left-claim-the-cerebral-high-ground.aspx#ixzz0hjZABniq ✖ •• What Washington state does about its budget deficit is a taxing mess http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Randex/~3/5KaYogpE6I4/2011292208_biztaltoncol09.html http://randex.org/index.php/weblog/comments/what_washington_state_does_about_its_budget_deficit_is_a_taxing_mess/ Americans face a future where even the basic government services they long took for granted are in doubt. This may… Medium, Negative, Opinion, Allows Comments Americans face a future where even the basic government services they long took for granted are in doubt. This may be heaven for some acolytes of Ayn Rand. But she wrote fiction. — Jon Talton, Seattle Times #

]]> 2010-03-10T01:37:44-05:00 Jon Talton, Seattle Times http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/jontalton/2011292208_biztaltoncol09.html?syndication=rss ✔ • Make way for local elections http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Randex/~3/B4NKqICCAzE/55684-make-way-for-local-elections http://randex.org/index.php/weblog/comments/make_way_for_local_elections/ The 2008 Malaysian general election demonstrated that individual citizens do have the power to change the course of the country.… Brief, Books, Atlas Shrugged, Positive, Opinion, Allows Comments The 2008 Malaysian general election demonstrated that individual citizens do have the power to change the course of the country. It is a reminder that the kind of confidence in individuals that seemed to exist only in Ayn Rand’s Atlas Shrugged does exist in the real world. It blew away the feeling of helplessness that nothing can be done. It proves that in the face of a titan, individuals can be as fearsome as the titan can. — Hafiz Noor Shams, The Malaysian Insider #

Categories: Atlas Shrugged

]]> 2010-03-10T01:28:42-05:00 Hafiz Noor Shams, The Malaysian Insider http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/index.php/opinion/hafiznoorshams/55684-make-way-for-local-elections ✔ •• Bob Barr visits Cartersville http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Randex/~3/kMw806fqOVs/Bob-Barr.Visits.Cartersville-3886689.shtml http://randex.org/index.php/weblog/comments/bob_barr_visits_cartersville/ Libertarian Bob Barr arrived eight minutes late with smiles and waves for his Feb. 16 appearance sponsored by [Georgia Highlands… Medium, Positive, News, Allows Comments, Inaccurate Libertarian Bob Barr arrived eight minutes late with smiles and waves for his Feb. 16 appearance sponsored by [Georgia Highlands College]'s Libertarian Club. [....] [He] spoke about the new RFID chips that are placed in passports so travelling will be, as he said with sarcasm, "easier for you." However, he explains this convenience often comes at a price, the ultimate price in his eyes: an individual's privacy. These trends and examples all lead to his main point, for which he quoted Ayn Rand, "The right to privacy is the basis of our freedom and liberty." — Kursten Hedgis, Six Mile Post (GA Highlands College, Rome) #

Categories: Inaccurate

]]> 2010-03-10T01:15:47-05:00 Kursten Hedgis, Six Mile Post (GA Highlands College, Rome) http://www.sixmilepost.com/news/2010/03/09/News/Bob-Barr.Visits.Cartersville-3886689.shtml • Keynesian creationism: Part II of ‘A curious resurrection of libertarianism’ http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Randex/~3/BDq7U2xFtn4/Keynesian-Creationism-Part-II-of-A-curious-resurrection-of-libertarianism-86890637.html http://randex.org/index.php/weblog/comments/keynesian_creationism_part_ii_of_a_curious_resurrection_of_libertarianism/ Libertarianism was never really dead. [Jacob] Weisberg was drumming on the casket of a straw men made vaguely in the… Brief, Neutral, Opinion, Allows Comments Libertarianism was never really dead. [Jacob] Weisberg was drumming on the casket of a straw men made vaguely in the form of Ayn Rand and Fed pooh-bahs. He wove together a number of disparate narratives from prominent leftish intellectuals and passed it off as something epic. — Max Borders, The Examiner (Washington, DC) #

]]> 2010-03-10T01:09:49-05:00 Max Borders, The Examiner (Washington, DC) http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/blogs/Examiner-Opinion-Zone/Keynesian-Creationism-Part-II-of-A-curious-resurrection-of-libertarianism-86890637.html#ixzz0hjRUyGLZ ✖ • Look to grassroots to reinvent Toronto http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Randex/~3/DM5lRCFJyqE/776366--look-to-grassroots-to-reinvent-toronto http://randex.org/index.php/weblog/comments/look_to_grassroots_to_reinvent_toronto/ Toronto is a bottom up, democratic city. No, we're not France, and we shouldn't try to be like New York.… Brief, Negative, Letter to the editor Toronto is a bottom up, democratic city. No, we're not France, and we shouldn't try to be like New York. We should try to just be who we are. We don't need mega-projects imposed on us by "great men" whose greatest ideas came from an Ayn Rand novel. We need more democratic participation. — Stephen Kerr, Toronto Star #

]]> 2010-03-10T01:05:14-05:00 Stephen Kerr, Toronto Star http://www.thestar.com/opinion/article/776366--look-to-grassroots-to-reinvent-toronto ✖ ••• Ayn Rand’s books are deliciously anti-statist, but her philosophy is borderline Nazi http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Randex/~3/pl3OFn6XNtY/ayn-rands-books-are-deliciously-antistatist-but-her-philosophy-is-borderline-nazi.thtml http://randex.org/index.php/weblog/comments/ayn_rands_books_are_deliciously_anti-statist_but_her_philosophy_is_borderli/ What I find most off-putting about Rand is her hardness of heart. She has a Nietzschean (indeed, borderline Nazi) contempt… Substantial, Books, Atlas Shrugged, The Fountainhead, Negative, Opinion, Allows Comments, Inaccurate What I find most off-putting about Rand is her hardness of heart. She has a Nietzschean (indeed, borderline Nazi) contempt for human frailty and a total lack of sympathy for the underdog. In her weltanschauung, you’re either a hero (rare) or — much more likely — a mere filler of latrines. Any form of charity, she suggests, is a kind of grotesque liberal indulgence towards people who really aren’t worth saving. — James Delingpole, The Spectator #

Categories: Atlas Shrugged, The Fountainhead, Inaccurate

]]> 2010-03-10T00:50:25-05:00 James Delingpole, The Spectator http://www.spectator.co.uk/columnists/all/5813463/ayn-rands-books-are-deliciously-antistatist-but-her-philosophy-is-borderline-nazi.thtml ✖ ••• Ayn Rand, the philosophy of freedom, and a serial killer http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Randex/~3/YlYFJ0ux2cI/ayn-rand-the-philosophy-of-freedom-and-a-serial-killer.html http://randex.org/index.php/weblog/comments/ayn_rand_the_philosophy_of_freedom_and_a_serial_killer/ Rand's admiration for a sociopathic murderer is an eye-opener as to the moral sensibility that appeals to all too many… Substantial, Atheism, Books, Atlas Shrugged, The Fountainhead, We The Living, Egoism, Negative, Opinion, Allows Comments Rand's admiration for a sociopathic murderer is an eye-opener as to the moral sensibility that appeals to all too many 'conservative' and 'libertarian' Americans. She was one very disturbed and deeply wounded person, as her biographies show. — Gus diZerega, Beliefnet.com - A Pagan’s Blog #

Categories: Atheism, Atlas Shrugged, The Fountainhead, We The Living, Egoism

]]> 2010-03-09T13:55:16-05:00 Gus diZerega, Beliefnet.com - A Pagan’s Blog http://blog.beliefnet.com/apagansblog/2010/03/ayn-rand-the-philosophy-of-freedom-and-a-serial-killer.html ✔ • Progressives undermine their cause by attributing free-market principles to their opponents http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Randex/~3/Q8q7o0FftvA/baker.php http://randex.org/index.php/weblog/comments/progressives_undermine_their_cause_by_attributing_free-market_principles_to/ Banks such as J.P. Morgan and Citigroup were arguably too big to fail even three decades ago, before growth and… Brief, Capitalism, Positive, Opinion, Allows Comments Banks such as J.P. Morgan and Citigroup were arguably too big to fail even three decades ago, before growth and mergers expanded their size several-fold. In the last decade they grew so big that their collapse would undoubtedly have jeopardized the health of the financial system. Everyone knew that, so creditors could lend them money without concern for the banks’ soundness: the government, ultimately, would stand behind their debts. This has nothing to do with Ayn Rand’s libertarianism. Huge financial institutions simply took advantage of taxpayers by getting insurance without having to pay for it. — Dean Baker, Boston Review #

Categories: Capitalism

]]> 2010-03-09T13:49:59-05:00 Dean Baker, Boston Review http://bostonreview.net/BR35.2/baker.php ✖ • The right’s big lie http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Randex/~3/-UIyyQe3130/article http://randex.org/index.php/weblog/comments/the_rights_big_lie/ By demagoguery, the right wing has sold more than a few on the policies and politics of Ayn Rand and… Brief, Negative, Opinion, Allows Comments By demagoguery, the right wing has sold more than a few on the policies and politics of Ayn Rand and Herbert Hoover. A government of and by the people was not the answer but the problem. As one of their acolytes, Grover Norquist, said, "I don't want to abolish government. I simply want to reduce it to the size where I can drag it into the bathroom and drown it in the bathtub." — Henry Ferreira, Standard-Times (New Bedford, MA) #

]]> 2010-03-09T13:40:58-05:00 Henry Ferreira, Standard-Times (New Bedford, MA) http://www.southcoasttoday.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20100308/OPINION/3080323/-1/news ✖ • An educator’s change of heart http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Randex/~3/14Sjq5Z5BtI/l08ravitch.html http://randex.org/index.php/weblog/comments/an_educators_change_of_heart/ Diane Ravitch’s self-described intellectual U-turn is a case study in how some ideas, however bad, are created and perpetrated in… Brief, Negative, Letter to the editor Diane Ravitch’s self-described intellectual U-turn is a case study in how some ideas, however bad, are created and perpetrated in the service of power, while other ideas, however truthful, rarely see the light of day. Dr. Ravitch fashioned herself into the Ayn Rand of educational policy and rose to fame as a result of a free-market ideology that came into fashion in George W. Bush’s administration. — Peter Sacks, New York Times #

]]> 2010-03-09T13:37:14-05:00 Peter Sacks, New York Times http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/08/opinion/l08ravitch.html ✔ •• Undermining 1st Amendment from the top http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Randex/~3/Tj7thOMoKOo/doc4b91d449bfda5724043808.txt http://randex.org/index.php/weblog/comments/undermining_1st_amendment_from_the_top/ Don Watkins, an analyst with the Ayn Rand Center for Individual Rights, writes: “You might think this radical call for… Medium, Ayn Rand Center, Positive, Opinion, Allows Comments Don Watkins, an analyst with the Ayn Rand Center for Individual Rights, writes: “You might think this radical call for government control of the media is at odds with the First Amendment and the ideals of its authors. Not according to [Federal Communications Commission Chief Diversity Officer Mark] Lloyd and his fellow travelers, who portray their vision of a government-funded press as a continuation of the American tradition. The founders, they say, weren’t committed to protecting a profit-seeking press from government control. Instead, their primary concern was making sure the press could effectively educate and inform Americans, and they obsessively sought to subsidize the press in order to achieve that goal.” Lloyd’s approach is dangerous in a country founded on the ideal of free speech, with the founders even writing into the Bill of Rights the guarantee of a free press. — The Times and Democrat (Orangeburg ,SC) #

Categories: Ayn Rand Center

]]> 2010-03-09T13:35:19-05:00 The Times and Democrat (Orangeburg ,SC) http://www.timesanddemocrat.com/articles/2010/03/07/opinion/edit/doc4b91d449bfda5724043808.txt