Comments on: Death by Objectivism

By: patrick garrett

patrick garrett — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 12:52:30 +0000

There is just so much to sort out here I hardly know where to begin. If you think that the current economic disaster is the result of Capitalism, you are wrong. If you think that Milton Friedman and Alan Greenspan are Objectivists, or were the agents of implementing an Objectivist agenda, you are wrong again. This crisis is the result of what Ayn Rand warned about over sixty years ago, the real fault in this crisis is that government policies and agencies persued a “middle ground” between freedom and controls in the economy. America has had a mix of socialism and capitalism for generations now. You are observing the result of a compromise between good and evil. Or to put it even more simply: a compromise between food and poison. Unfortunately the snake oil being peddled as a “cure” is nothing more than a massive infusion of the poison that has made this economy weak for most of our lives. Ayn Rand wrote that in compromising between good and evil, good always looses and evil always wins. The housing bubble was fed by Alan Greenspan, a curious figure, who once was an acolyte of Ayn Rand’s but for reasons only Mr. Greenspan knows, who decided, while chairman of the Federal Reserve, to turn his back on free market principles, and chose to continue feeding the poison that America had a free market. It had no such thing.
Perhaps it is time to put away the straw men used to misrepresent Ayn Rand and her philosophy, and begin to get an understanding of what Ayn Rand stood for, and debate her ideas openly, and fairly.
What you all are witnessing, in reality, is an age of moral crisis, and your job is not to go back to the way things have always been done, but to discover how things should have been done. America stands for free minds AND free markets, I would submit this to you–America has never really had a free market, ever. If America decided to free its most productive minds from regulation and control, you would see a renaissance bigger, better, and more breathtaking than the first one.

By: paul

paul — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 00:41:42 +0000

I believe you are really off base with your criticism of the objective life style..Ayn Rand aside… her philosophy is sound, even though she was not! and we could sure use a Milton freedman right about now..you blame the mess we are in on capitalism run amok. when the real blame should be on the socialist politicians who gave our countries wealth to those who have not and care not to earn for themselves, i have read your profile and believe you really have no concept of individualism.other then reading fantasies.how could you understand what it means when you are a government employee who is entitled to his job & benefits.Paid for out of the public till..Ayn was a brilliant woman,though she did have problems…most geniuses do! every thing can and will be bad if you take it to the extreme….i have lived an objective lifestyle, self employed for 30 plus years, they have been the best years of my life,and nowhere in the world could it have happend then here in the good old USA!
Who encouraged you and others to live beyond your means? Alan Greenspan ? or was it yourself? have you ever read Ayn’s writing on racism? pure unadulterated genius..i am sure socialism will suit you fine ..as for me ..i would prefer we back up a bit and relish the days when Reagan was in office–it was a great time for this country..i feel sorry for the future because of folks like you –you will never have or understand what it is to be free..free to decide for your self–you seem comfortable with some mommy daddy state making the decisions for you -i am old and not well… but i will remain a free man..and i will shed a tear for the lack of individual freedoms that are being lost.. as a young man i conquered many a mountain and had more then my share of love and lust and the thrill of working for myself and building and doing what i wanted–I may be a foolish old guy but i lived a life most folks would never dream of-i could not even dream that a poor kid from the wrong side of the tracks in brooklynn new york could have lived the life i have –i lived the objective lifestyle and never Knew it as such..but if that was what it was ,,it sure was fun! and i never had to steal, lie or take advantage of some poor soul to do so–i hope you can say the same- i was a free trader who traded fair and square with my clients-and i never would beleive that this country would be put assunder, but when i read such dribble as yours i do understand …may you find peace in your new and socialist society! i hope i pass before it arrives!

By: Brian

Brian — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 18:17:17 +0000

I love your genius logic…

1. We all live on the same planet.
2. ???
3. Therefore, I should get your money!

By: John D Cook

John D Cook — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 12:10:27 +0000

Thank you for your personel insight on; ATLAS SHRUGGED.
For years i felt i had missed something by not finishing that miserable book, i often thought some life changing moment would enable the completion of it, little did i know my sanity was in fact in place.