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Am I the only one conflicted buy Any Rand?

Any Rand's book Atlas Shrugged really bothers me. I really admire the intellect and the writing that created the book. I love her views on religion. But I am very conflicted by her views on capitalism. I have read Atlas Shrugged 2 times. First time in the 60's and again last year. I am a liberal socialist but I admire her intellect and her writing except for that very stupid book The Fountainhead. Are there any other lefty's out there that feel the way I do. The internet is really buzzing about Atlas Shrugged being made into a movie. I think it comes out in April and I think it is just part one. The book is over 1200 pages long and complex so I can see how it would be very difficult to make into one movie. It would probable have to be 10 hours long. I would love to know what other leftist think of the book and her. I am surprised that in this day and age there are people who are try to stop the movie.

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Permalink Reply by Jedi Wanderer on March 27, 2011 at 5:06pm

What have you got against Nietzsche? Just curious. And while I heartily disagree with Rand and have even gotten angry about it, especially when speaking to Objectivists or Libertarians, Beck is truly monstrous. I don't have any conflicts when it comes to that guy, don't get me started.

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Permalink Reply by Daniel W on March 27, 2011 at 7:04pm

So if we get Rand and Nietsche together we get..... pornosophy? philography?

I don't like the philosphy either. The genius of the US is the system of checks and balances. Humans often tend to excess in most of our endeavors, and it's good to have some philosophical speedbumps around. When people tout "greed is good' all I can think is they are narcissistic and possibly psychopathic. Socialism is just as bad, but somewhere between the two we get creativity and responsibility, incentive and compassion.

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Permalink Reply by John Loq on March 27, 2011 at 8:18pm

I have read both and disagreed with both but I still have too much respect for them to use those words to descrobe them. P.S. I'v been told I cuss like a sailor but I never use it to attack people

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Permalink Reply by John Loq on March 28, 2011 at 11:44am

Read my last post and it will explain why this confirmed socialist defends her

Permalink Reply by Noah Petersen on March 26, 2011 at 1:55pm

I guess I can see why people that had grown up in her era would have turned to ideas like Objectivism.

Between the failures of Communism in Russia and the Nazi takeover in Europe one can definitely see the failures of Socialism. If you combine that with works like Adam Smith's The Invisible Hand, especially when taken out of context, gives the perfect justification for laissez-faire capitalism.

However, as a counter-point to this, I can't help but notice that in the United States, every time an unregulated free-market economy is accepted it leads to an economic collapse, or did anyone really believe that what happened in 2008 was beyond our control?

It's typical Reganomics that causes the cycle of bubbles of economic success followed by disaster. Then a Democrat is left to pick up their mess. If we just stuck to Capitalism with the proper government restrictions we could avoid this mess.

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Permalink Reply by Vince Watkins on March 26, 2011 at 4:52pm

I think Ayn Rand is misrepresented and misunderstood... sometimes even by Ayn Rand.

I quite liked THE FOUNTAINHEAD, right up until the dynamiting of Courtland and the second trial which was fairly redundant.

I would have liked ATLAS SHRUGGED had it been a novel rather than a repetitive treatise on capitalism.

"Laissez Faire capitalism has never been tried," Rand was fond of saying. I think she was right, and I expect she shall remain so as it is beyond the nature of humanity. If you can introduce a system, no matter how fair, we'll figure out a way to use it to fuck each other from top to bottom.

So,no. I'm not conflicted by Ayn Rand. I think she was relatively correct for the most part. You earn a dime, it's your dime. Cool. No, I'm conflicted by humanity. You steal a dime from your brother and you can't see your way clear to throw him a penny so he can eat your scraps so he can make you another dime to steal from him? What are you, an idiot?

Lean the difference between an Ayn Rand capitalist and a Dick Cheney thief... or stay on the porch.

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Permalink Reply by John Loq on March 27, 2011 at 1:15pm

I agree with Wanderer. Reading her introduced me to philosophy. I went on to read a lot of books by great thinkers. I understand why people disagree with her. I did also. But a true intellect requires reading and understanding other points of view. Disagree with her but do not attack her. Even if you don't like her and have ACTUALLY read Atlas Shrugged, State your point of view not a childish post.

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Permalink Reply by John Loq on March 27, 2011 at 4:59pm

Why would you enjoy attacking a thinking, smart intellectual woman just because you didn't agree with her. Why would you call any woman a cunt. Using that word speaks volumes about you.

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Permalink Reply by Prog Rock Girl on March 27, 2011 at 8:44pm

Yes, she actually was misogynistic. All of her prose about the glory of independence and selfishness is completely reversed when it comes to women, whose true purpose is to cling to men, take abuse, and have no identity of their own. This is also why men are the superior sex according to her--because of the difference in how they "should" act, and because she likes one form of prescribed behavior more than the other. This logic is just a step above "You're a sinner and will burn in hell and God knowingly created you this way."

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Permalink Reply by John Loq on March 28, 2011 at 11:50am

I didn't get that at all from her. I saw her as a very strong woman

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Permalink Reply by oldbiker on March 27, 2011 at 3:19pm

I have The Fountainhead in my bookcase, but I start it and then put it down. But did you you see she took S.S. and medicare while complaining about it.

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Permalink Reply by John Loq on March 27, 2011 at 4:38pm

I think the Fountainhead was a silly book. Nothing close to Atlas Shrugged. I have never heard of someone trying to build something that other people stopped because they didn't like the looks of it and wanted more decoration added.