PING!
Some of my favorite quotes from AYN RAND!
"Economic power is exercised by means of a positive, by offering men a reward, an incentive, a payment, a value; political power is exercised by means of a negative, by the threat of punishment, injury, imprisonment, destruction.
The businessman's tool is values; the bureaucrat's tool is fear."
Source: Capitalism: The Unknown Ideal, "America's Persecuted Minority: Big Business"
"Businessmen are the one group that distinguishes capitalism and the American way of life from the totalitarian statism that is swallowing the rest of the world.
All the other social groups- workers, farmers, professional men, scientists, soldiers- exist under dictatorships, even though they exist in chains, in terror, in misery, and in progressive self-destruction.
But there is no such group as businessmen under a dictatorship.
Their place is taken by armed thugs: by bureaucrats and commissars. Businessmen are the symbol of a free society- the symbol of America."
Source: Capitalism – The Unknown Ideal Chapter 3
"Every government interference in the economy consists of giving an unearned benefit, extorted by force, to some men at the expense of others."
Source: Capitalism – The Unknown Ideal Chapter 20
"Every movement that seeks to enslave a country, every dictatorship or potential dictatorship, needs some minority group as a scapegoat which it can blame for the nation's troubles and use as a justification of its own demands for dictatorial powers.
In Soviet Russia, the scapegoat was the bourgeoisie;
in Nazi Germany, it was the Jewish people;
in America, it is the businessmen."
Source: Capitalism – the Unknown Ideal Chapter 3
She was for rational principles of individualism, independence, and egoism. Also capitalism and limited government. Things that are disappearing way to fast.
I remember well the day I first encountered her ideas. I was wandering through a used bookstore in South Lake Tahoe back in 1990. I happened upon a book with a curious title, "The Virtue of Selfishness". I added it to my stack with little thought, paid the cashier and went on "home".
Home at the time was a sleeping bag on a cement floor of a friends garage, in between the garden rakes and the garbage cans. I didn't start reading it immediately, having much more excitement over one of the other books I purchased that day, a 1966 copy of "The Psychedelic Experience" by Leary, Alpert and Metzner. How is that for contrast? Leary was all "kill your ego" and Rand was obviously saying just the opposite. My excitement over the Leary book should give you some insight into the path I was on.
Thankfully, I eventually got to her book and read it intently. From that moment on, my life got better as I could no longer evade the many contradictions within myself. It was like I had encountered a truth that I could not hide from. Like the proverbial bell that cannot be un-rung, once exposed to these ideas I could not help but integrate them. Four years later I got my college diploma.
My son's eighth birthday is tomorrow. His name is Roark, so yeah, the lady inspired me :)
-PJ
Who is John Galt? (Sorry, I just had to say it.)
I read several Rand books in the 1960's when a relative was running the local Objectivist lecture series. It was one of the 5 or 6 most influential books in my lengthening life.
Her defense of the rational and enlightened self interest was of great value to me. I now see that the major problem is getting enough enlightenment to be reasonably certain of what constitutes self interest. Witness the current climate change controversy.
As I developed and discovered the concept of Right brain rationalism and Left brain intuitiveness, I realized Rand made a great case for the Right brain. Then I discovered Arthur Janov and Primal Therapy, and Daniel Casriel and his New Identity Process. These are basically Left brain therapies. Dr Casriel once said "We spend tens of thousands of dollars educating our Right brains, doesn't it make sense to spend a few thousand on the Left brain. After spending a few thousand I fully agree, and feel that what I have learned complements Randian knowledge.
At one point I had serious health problems and discovered Adelle Davis and other writers about the importance of nutrition in health. Her books Let's Get Well, and Let's Have Healthy Children enabled me to restore health and vigor and raise two healthy children. One is now in Special Forces and just came back from 8 months in Afghanistan. He is in his 30's and has never had a cavity in his teeth.
I'll stop with those books before I start boring people.
Ayn Rand sure went as far as she could to keep religion out of politics in "Atlas Shrugged". That book was the only book to change my mindset as much as the Bible did. They still conflict, unfortunately.
RIP Ayn.
My Mother gave me Rand's books in paperback when I was 17. I suspect she wanted to counter some of the crap I was picking up in school. To this day, I consider it one of the best things she ever did for me. 25 years later, my Husband replaced my tattered and worn copies with a set bound in leather.
Mr. Hudgins, I didn't know you were a Freeper :-) Been following your efforts since I met David Kelley in college. Keep up the great work.
Happy birthday to this godless psycho?
No thanks.
And she was not a true conservative, but frankly more of an anarchist.