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Remembering the Real Ayn Rand
Wall Street Journal ^ | 4/14/11 | DONALD L. LUSKIN

Posted on 04/14/2011 5:46:14 AM PDT by BCrago66

Tomorrow's release of the movie version of "Atlas Shrugged" is focusing attention on Ayn Rand's 1957 opus and the free-market ideas it espouses. Book sales for "Atlas" have always been brisk—and all the more so in the past few years, as actual events have mirrored Rand's nightmare vision of economic collapse amid massive government expansion. Conservatives are now hailing Rand as a tea party Nostradamus, hence the timing of the movie's premiere on tax day.

When Rand created the character of Wesley Mouch, it's as though she was anticipating Barney Frank (D., Mass). Mouch is the economic czar in "Atlas Shrugged" whose every move weakens the economy, which in turn gives him the excuse to demand broader powers. Mr. Frank steered Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to disaster with mandates for more lending to low-income borrowers. After Fannie and Freddie collapsed under the weight of their subprime mortgage books, Mr. Frank proclaimed last year: "The way to cure that is to give us more authority." Mouch couldn't have said it better himself.

(Excerpt) Read more at online.wsj.com ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: atheism; atlasshrugged; aynrand; libertarianism; moralabosolutes; moralabsolutes
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To: Titus Quinctius Cincinnatus
And if you've ever seen a picture of her, you'll understand why.

I have and that is a road I did not want to travel.

41 posted on 04/14/2011 7:06:13 AM PDT by Cletus.D.Yokel (Islam is a violent and tyrannical political ideology and has nothing to do with "religion".)
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To: nmh
So she was an atheist. We have freedom of religion in this country and she was free to be an atheist. So she was less than perfect in her personal like...we all are.

While her moral don't match your own simply calling her immoral is wrong. Calling enlightened self interest selfishness misses the entire point and demonstrates your overly simplistic understanding of Rand.

Calling anyone a "liberaltarian" is the same thing as calling tea party people "teabaggers". Apparently your morals don't require you treat anyone that disagrees with you any common decency or simple respect. Say what you want about Ayn Rand but she would have at least debated a point with you using reason and logic rather than name calling and attacks on your character.

42 posted on 04/14/2011 7:39:32 AM PDT by Durus (You can avoid reality, but you cannot avoid the consequences of avoiding reality. Ayn Rand)
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To: Durus; nmh
Calling anyone a "liberaltarian" is the same thing as calling tea party people "teabaggers".

Now, granted, I don't know much about their intra-community behaviour, but I didn't know that homosexuals engaged in a practice called "liberaltarianing"...

43 posted on 04/14/2011 7:42:06 AM PDT by Titus Quinctius Cincinnatus (What if God doesn't WANT the Gospel rescued from fundamentalism?)
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To: Titus Quinctius Cincinnatus
BTW, I’m just kidding about Missouri - I’m a Missourian expat, born and raised around Kansas City.

I've been there. Was glad to go home.

44 posted on 04/14/2011 7:53:02 AM PDT by tacticalogic
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To: Ditter

Just google

45 posted on 04/14/2011 8:02:52 AM PDT by MadelineZapeezda (MadelineAlbrightZapeezda)
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To: Ditter
Ewww...cougar????


46 posted on 04/14/2011 8:06:03 AM PDT by MadelineZapeezda (MadelineAlbrightZapeezda)
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To: nmh

I’m no fan.


47 posted on 04/14/2011 8:07:52 AM PDT by trisham (Zen is not easy. It takes effort to attain nothingness. And then what do you have? Bupkis.)
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To: MadelineZapeezda

She’s very masculine, imho.


48 posted on 04/14/2011 8:12:14 AM PDT by trisham (Zen is not easy. It takes effort to attain nothingness. And then what do you have? Bupkis.)
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To: BCrago66
Rand was in no way an intellectual. She was the product of a commie diploma mill and was not even conversant enough in the language of philosophy to correctly name her plagiarized version of Nietzsche. A philosophy, such as hers, which claims that truth, especially moral truth, is particular to each individual according to their own wants or needs is necessarily subjective. Rand denounced any belief in an overarching, universal (that is, truly 'objective') truth as "superstition".
49 posted on 04/14/2011 8:17:16 AM PDT by Brass Lamp
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To: MadelineZapeezda

I forget I can do that until after I ask! LOL!


50 posted on 04/14/2011 8:21:43 AM PDT by Ditter
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To: MadelineZapeezda

I guess the standards were different back then.


51 posted on 04/14/2011 8:23:07 AM PDT by Ditter
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To: BCrago66

So many people love to cast stones, as though their personal life is perfect. I have never met such a person as a perfect person. They think they have solid values but then they have all these “exceptions”.


52 posted on 04/14/2011 8:23:47 AM PDT by CodeToad (Islam needs to be banned in the US and treated as a criminal enterprise.)
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To: Titus Quinctius Cincinnatus

It’s intended as a deragatory comment regardless of the inferred sexual component.


53 posted on 04/14/2011 10:34:04 AM PDT by Durus (You can avoid reality, but you cannot avoid the consequences of avoiding reality. Ayn Rand)
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To: tacticalogic

I’ve been to Nixa. I was glad to go home, too.


54 posted on 04/14/2011 10:39:50 AM PDT by Titus Quinctius Cincinnatus (What if God doesn't WANT the Gospel rescued from fundamentalism?)
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To: Durus

Oh c’mon now, you’re just being touchy.


55 posted on 04/14/2011 10:40:52 AM PDT by Titus Quinctius Cincinnatus (What if God doesn't WANT the Gospel rescued from fundamentalism?)
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To: Titus Quinctius Cincinnatus

Nope, not I, just pointing out a name calling screed rather than a principled and logical arguement.


56 posted on 04/14/2011 10:45:36 AM PDT by Durus (You can avoid reality, but you cannot avoid the consequences of avoiding reality. Ayn Rand)
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To: Titus Quinctius Cincinnatus

It’s a nice place to live, but I wouldn’t want to visit there.


57 posted on 04/14/2011 10:46:20 AM PDT by tacticalogic
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To: Durus

Remember that when you point one finger away from you, you have three pointing back at you.


58 posted on 04/14/2011 10:48:51 AM PDT by Titus Quinctius Cincinnatus (What if God doesn't WANT the Gospel rescued from fundamentalism?)
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To: Titus Quinctius Cincinnatus

If I posit an agument made up of ad hominem attacks and name calling feel free to point it out. I would appreciate it.


59 posted on 04/14/2011 10:57:55 AM PDT by Durus (You can avoid reality, but you cannot avoid the consequences of avoiding reality. Ayn Rand)
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To: Durus

Relax Durus, I’m just pulling your chain!


60 posted on 04/14/2011 11:58:44 AM PDT by Titus Quinctius Cincinnatus (What if God doesn't WANT the Gospel rescued from fundamentalism?)
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