[Billthedrill]

In my view, this could only exist in AS, not in the real world.

In my view you're absolutely right. Rand has to set up a contrast between her "immovable movers" and the rest of society - that would be us poor fumblers - in her dramatic narrative. To do this she must necessarily dispense with a whole lot of complexity that is the real world - it has been pointed out already that there are no children (yet) in AS, for example. And still the thing is 1100 pages long.

I think Rand might hold that a lot of the people you mentioned are, in fact, holding to her ideals in a sort of primitive but entirely virtuous barter-economy way. I hope I'm not giving a lot away in stating that it's the sort of straightforward economic relationships that exist in the fictional Galt's Gulch. This value for that. A jar of 'shine for a tire patch. That isn't in the least fictional. It will, in fact, survive Atlas shrugging very nicely both in fiction and in the real world.

Publius, what say ye?

[Publius]

In my view you're absolutely right. Rand has to set up a contrast between her "immovable movers" and the rest of society - that would be us poor fumblers - in her dramatic narrative.

You're a Navy man, so I'll use Navy terms. As I pointed out in an earlier thread, for every great skipper there's an equally great exec. I've always thought that Eddie got a raw deal at the end, which I suppose is a half-spoiler. There are those who are not moochers and looters, who are not Creators, who are not faceless, anonymous people living lives of quiet desperation, but who are critical to the Creators not getting bogged down in minutiae. They deserve a shot at Valhalla, or least a suburb of Valhalla.

It will, in fact, survive Atlas shrugging very nicely both in fiction and in the real world.

I call it the quadri-metallic standard. Gold and silver for commerce, and lead and brass to protect them.

[whodathunkit]

Rand has to set up a contrast

Ahhh..... I now see why she portrayed the poor as helpless in the face of adversity.

The either-or nature of AS didn't sit well with me due to my own expectations. I can see that contrasting the extremes helps the reader to make judgments that otherwise might be difficult if the focus is too narrow.

It reminds me of the 'exaggeration game' that I play with my kids. It's a whole lot of fun and the kids find out what ignoring reality can lead to :)

[TASMANIANRED]

Re: no kids in the book.

Kids would detract from the story...She is very deliberately addressing adult issues ..

Kids are an affirmation of life and a symbol of the future.

She is making the point even if in deliberately that the falling system has no future.