Posted on 08/17/2010 6:20:30 PM PDT by Kaslin
'Atlas Shrugged" — Ayn Rand's fourth and last novel, published in 1957 — may be second to the Bible as the most influential book read in America, according to a Library of Congress survey. It is required reading in management training at BB&T, the 12th-largest bank in the U.S. and one that resisted taking TARP bailout funds.
Since the Obama administration took office, "Atlas Shrugged" has been enjoying a renaissance with rising sales and library waiting lists, partly because it explains our current economic woes more straightforwardly than most of what we hear from today's experts.
What happened in Rand's narrative is coming to pass today, with an anti-business administration reviling private industry and capitalizing on crisis to expand and redirect investment within and between sectors of the economy — setting quotas, prices and compensation.
Businesses responded by retrenching — ceasing to invest, innovate and expand. Whole industries contracted, closed down or moved offshore, much like the U.S. gas and oil drilling industry is doing today. Then, just as now, management became frustrated, discouraged and reluctant to create jobs in an environment of excessive government meddling.
A record $2 trillion now sits on corporate balance sheets waiting to be invested amid reasonably cheap asset prices. What holds back investment is uncertainty and fear stemming from an overbearing and free-spending government. Businessmen and investors would never attempt spending and borrowing their way back to prosperity.
The debt-financed Obama stimulus plan is not only failing to create jobs. It ratchets up systemic risk, inviting a currency crisis and bond-market collapse — from which recovery might be impossible.
(Excerpt) Read more at investors.com ...
Ann Rand is a retread
Ayn Rand wasn’t.
?
Finding a century old guitar in cave and begging the high priests for permission to play it....magic.
RUSH - 2112.
It answers the questions of the difference between what people SHOULD do (socialism) vs what people WILL do (capitalism).
Liberals and Socialists always ignore human nature when developing policy. Ayn Rand knew, and so did Reagan.
Some of the typical negative responses to Rand...a pigeon could refute a statue more intelligently.
It took me a couple weeks to get through it, but I finished it last week (just so I could say it). Then it went out with the trash. What a waste of time.
Her concept of looters versus producers is good, but why does it have to go on for 1169 pages? And Louis LaMour tells a better story.
Do you think Rush will still be around in 2112, or are you still going to be around 102 years from now?
My lifeblood will have spilled over by then. Rush will live on forever.
“Do you think Rush will still be around in 2112,”
I think he’d like to keep going until 98% of the American people agree with him;)
I didn’t know 2112 was inspired by Rand but it is one of my all time favorites, possibly top favorite.
>>Then it went out with the trash. What a waste of time.<<
Seriously? I just finished my library copy about the same time. Understanding that I skimmed, all the sex, all the relationship/love story and Galt’s 60 page rant at the end, I thought it was pretty good. In fact, I have the Cliff notes on order right now to use it in my history curriculum this year.
I thought it was WAY too long but pretty good.
Sure better than Twilight. I couldn’t get past page 68 of that one. Tried to read it for my daughters. Yuck.
Absolutely shameless! Stink of the ovens placemarker.
I’m about 520 pages into Atlas Shrugged and love how the consequences of socialism is playing out. Certainly reflects much of what libs wish to do in the name of being ‘socially responsible’ (with other people’s money).
Can’t judge the entire book on 50% read, but love it so far.
Sure. The people who, too dull to comprehend her philosophy, rail against her writing as being shrill and repulsive.
Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand
Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #167 in Books (See Top 100 in Books
#25 in Books > Literature & Fiction > Literary
#4 in Books > Literature & Fiction > Classics
#4 in Books > Literature & Fiction > Genre Fiction > Political
Dreams from My Father by Barry Soetoro
Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #11,775 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
The Audacity of Hope by Barry Soetoro
Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #3,047 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
#85 in Books > Nonfiction > Politics
#14 in Books > Biographies & Memoirs > Ethnic & National > African-American & Black
#1 in Books > Nonfiction > Social Sciences > Political Science > United States > Civil Rights
‘Nuff said.
Yes.
A monarchist.
(But we still love you).
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