"At first I was happy to be learning how to read. It seemed exciting and magical, but then I read this: Atlas Shrugged, by Ayn Rand. I read every last word of this garbage, and because of this piece of ...., I am never reading again!"
Posted on 02/28/2009 9:42:38 AM PST by AJMCQ
Washington, D.C., February 23, 2009--Sales of Ayn Rand’s “Atlas Shrugged” have almost tripled over the first seven weeks of this year compared with sales for the same period in 2008. This continues a strong trend after bookstore sales reached an all-time annual high in 2008 of about 200,000 copies sold.
“Americans are flocking to buy and read ‘Atlas Shrugged’ because there are uncanny similarities between the plot-line of the book and the events of our day” said Yaron Brook, Executive Director at the Ayn Rand Center for Individual Rights. “Americans are rightfully concerned about the economic crisis and government’s increasing intervention and attempts to control the economy. Ayn Rand understood and identified the deeper causes of the crisis we’re facing, and she offered, in ‘Atlas Shrugged,’ a principled and practical solution consistent with American values."
Matt Lauer was the spokemouth for the administration when he harassed and castigated Santelli on his show the other day. These national news personalities are simply biased towards the federal government because the feds wisely wine and dine these fools. It’s sickening what has happened. And now the illegals are pouring in with the knowledge the democrats are giving them a reward for their illegality very soon. Gotta hurry.
"At first I was happy to be learning how to read. It seemed exciting and magical, but then I read this: Atlas Shrugged, by Ayn Rand. I read every last word of this garbage, and because of this piece of ...., I am never reading again!"
I don’t mind paying a sensible amount of taxes for paying for public usage and needs with a logical amount for help to those who honestly need it and aren’t just generational welfare cheats. Thing is, we are taxed to death with just the forthright taxes we can see, not to mention the back door taxes we are conditioned to not see.
One truly republican (small R) idea on what taxes should be was once explained to me this way: that we should be taxed on what we SPEND, not on our ability to earn. (Of course, this would never fly with the politicians of big government we have today. I think they’ve long since given up on the idea of a republic in favor of a “democracy”.
I need to go borrow my dad’s copy, although I am reading about 4 different books on the rise right now (for a class), and the similarities are shocking. The only remark I would make was that Hitler was actually a better leader and a better speaker.
- belief in the value, the dignity and the freedom of Man.
- the American way of life has always been based upon the Rights of Man, upon individual freedom, and on upon respect for each individual human personality.
- each man has inalienable rights which cannot be taken from him for any cause whatsoever. These rights are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
- the right of life means that man cannot be deprived of his life for the convenience of any number of other men.
- the right of liberty means freedom of individual decision, individual choice, individual judgment and individual initiative; it means also the right to disagree with others.
- the right to the pursuit of happiness means man's freedom to choose what constitutes his own private, personal happiness and to work for its achievement; that such a pursuit is neither evil nor reprehensible, but honorable and good; and that a man's happiness is not to be prescribed to him by any other man nor by any number of other men.
- these rights have no meaning unless they are the unconditional, personal, private possession of each man, granted to him by the fact of his birth, held by him independently of all other men, and limited only by the exercise of the same rights by other men.
- the only just, moral and beneficent form of society is a society based upon the recognition of these inalienable individual rights.
- the State exists for Man, and not Man for the State.
- the greatest good for all men can be achieved only through the voluntary cooperation of free individuals for mutual benefit, and not through a compulsory sacrifice of all for all.
- "voluntary" presupposes an alternative and a choice of opportunities, and thus even a universal agreement of all men on one course of action is neither free nor voluntary if no other course of action is open to them.
- each man's independence of spirit and other men's respect for it have created all civilization, all culture, all human progress and have benefited all mankind.
- the greatest threat to civilization is the spread of Collectivism, which demands the sacrifice of all individual rights to collective rights and the supremacy of the State over the individual.
-the general good which such Collectivism professes as its objective can never be achieved at at the sacrifice of man's freedom, and such sacrifice can lead only to general suffering, stagnation and degeneration.
- such conception of Collectivism is the greatest possible evil-under any name, in any form, for any professed purpose whatsoever.
(1)Harriman, David. ed. Journals of Ayn Rand. Plume. 1999.p354,355.
Completely agree!
Obama's not half the dynamo Hitler was, but there may be someone pulling the strings behind Obama who has yet to emerge.
One forgets that Hitler won the Iron Cross 2nd and 1st Class in WWI...Obama has never earned so much as a merit badge.
I agree. I just went and ordered a new copy to really look at how that evolved. Time for a refresher.
A mere oversight as Obama was not proud of his country until recently. He will award himself those Iron Crescents and Badges as he deems himself worthy.
I understand...there are some things best handled that way...but there is a point beyond.
And I think you’re right about the republican system vs. democracy. Democracies don’t protect, and turn into tyrannies of those who can swing the most votes, and then usually collapse. The Roman republic didn’t last cause the systems in play really didn’t act as checks and balances, but instead, as competing systems of power and the various factions gamed it to the point that it was inevitable that someone would do what Julius Caesar did (and he wasn’t the first to take authority...he was just the first where his heir took over).
Republics with a good system of checks and balances are the only system I know of that really guarantee freedom. We have to do what we have to do to keep those who want to change it permanently from being allowed to.
I’m afraid its going to be a hard row to hoe.
Hitler's was hardened for better or worse in WWI.
Best I can tell, Obama has not yet endured such unless a tough game of pick-up basketball counts (and it doesn't).
Barry can give himself all the medals he wants but until he has his "test"...he is still a boy.
He may be President, but this ain't "Sparta".;-)
And was not born in Germany.
At first I thought this story came from ABC News. Whoa! Alas, it did not. It should have.
Well, the socialists have already won the name game. They have been calling it a “democracy” for a very long time, and now the tail is really wagging the dog.
Oh, yes. Very good point.
For centuries, Democracy had a bad name because of what happened to classical Athens....Maybe people need to review their history....
Her solution ultimately is one that cannot work any more.
We were the last bastion of individual freedom.
There is no place left to go.
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