The problem with Rand is that she is or was an extreme ant-statist who would not recognize any sense of the "common good". Her philosophy of objectivism is more rightly called the philosopy of selfishness. If you were starving in the gutter Rand would probably step over you and move on. Her views were not Christian IMHO.
Rand recognized no contradiction between the "common good" and the good of individuals in a society of individuals pursuing their rational, responsible, principled self-interest. When individuals guide their lives by such principles and seek their own happiness in accordance with the best within them, they only wish to deal with others based on mutual consent rather than the initiation of force. They measure their virtue not by how such they give away or sacrifice but, rather, their achievements, whether they nurture a child to maturity or a business to profitability, write a song, a poem or a business plan, lay the bricks to a building, design the building or arrange its financing.
In a society of such individuals there will be few laying in the gutter; that morality of true self-esteem based on achievement, discipline, responsibility holds out a vision of the joy life has to offer.
Rand considered this a very un-Christian view and she was right. The symbol of virtue is not suffering on a cross but living and flourishing in this world.
You are not correct. Her position was that the state can not be in the business of the "common good". She is not against unselfish acts. She was against an individual being forced into doing so called unselfish acts because then they are simply not. You can't be forced to be unselfish. The individual is the only entity that can know how their own efforts should be channeled.
Is it proper for you to be forced, coerced or influenced by a bureaucrat or politician into doing something that aggrandizes the bureaucrat or politician but in reality does harm to the common good?
Exactly.
People, you are in error worshipping this woman.
She was not a conservative.
A conservative is a classic liberal.
Ayn Rand was not even close to believing what Jefferson and our founding fathers believed.
She had ZERO concept of the importance of society.
To Rand, it is everybody for themselves. Me, me, me.
Selfishness is not a conservative virtue.
It is the liberals who always go on about what they want, not conservatives.
Whose fault is it that one is starving in the gutter?
She wouldn't have disagreed with you on that.