Comments on: Activist Approach to Ayn Rand

By: John Steinsvold

John Steinsvold — Sun, 27 Jun 2010 07:10:41 +0000

An Alternative to Capitalism (which we need here in the USA)

The following link takes you to an essay titled: "Home of the Brave?" which was published by the
Athenaeum Library of Philosophy:

http://evans-experientialism.freewebspace.com/s...

John Steinsvold

By: jimbo

jimbo — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 18:35:28 +0000

Personally, I found the parallels between Rand's ideas and L Ron Hubbard's quite startling. Read Hubbard's Sci Fi works and see for yourself.

By: michaelm

michaelm — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 11:18:05 +0000

The delicious irony of articles like this one is the encouragement it unwittingly gives young minds first testing Rand's ideas to delve ever deeper into her writings in their search for answers to the question "why?". In every answer Rand provides, ideas and reasons are standard equipment, as is the caveat that one must not adopt them without first validating those reasons with their own minds and to their own satisfaction.

When they then seek second opinions, they will find, as in Mary Kane's article, only assertions that Rand was totally wrong substantiated by slurs, insinuations, ad hominems and jokes. That a Yale University professor cannot manage a more learned one liner than Bloom did can only be to Rand's advantage.

It is not that her opponents are clueless, it is that they have no ideas at all. Consistently, you will find that they attack only with emotional exclamations devoid of content, and that will never satiate the hunger of honest minds -- the minds of the new intellectuals -- that minority of readers in high schools who will have an inordinate effect on the expansion of Rand's influence. It is a minority that continues to grow, not wane, with the sales of her books that has now surpassed 25 million. Since 2002, her books have been distributed free on request to teachers who want to use them -- 300,000 last year, 400,000 this year.

Onward Ms. Kane et al. May the best minds win!

By: guybarnett

guybarnett — Sun, 13 Apr 2008 17:15:18 +0000

To equate Greenspan's ideas and actions with Ayn Rand's is absurd. Rand advocated a free market

By: squeakrat

squeakrat — Sat, 12 Apr 2008 09:45:54 +0000

I agree, Strangely Enough (12:05). A state university, too.

By: danps

danps — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 12:55:41 +0000

I read Atlas Shrugged in my mid-20's. When my dad asked for my reaction I said I thought she was an excellent writer and a half-baked philosopher. I'm sure my literary standards are lower than Harold Bloom's but I stand by that characterization – it's a fascinating premise and it was absorbing enough to keep me reading at a good pace (except for the Godawful "This is John Galt" speech). On the other hand it seemed pretty obvious to me that her way of thinking only makes sense when you are healthy and well off. Which seems a good description of her support base.

By: strangely_enough

strangely_enough — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 11:05:13 +0000

So, that's all it takes to determine the curriculum at a major university. So much for all the "self determination" and "individualism" nonsense. If you won't do it voluntarily, we'll make it compulsory.

By: skulzfontaine

skulzfontaine — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 09:11:50 +0000

Ayn Rand was misogynist. Alan Greenspan IS misogynist! They're EVERYWHERE! It's a vast misogynist-wing conspiracy to destroy the world and the Amerikan economy. Wow, that would mean Andrea Mitchell is misogynist. Gosh, does NBC know that Mitchell is misogynist? That would after all, explain her bizarre fascination with Tucker Carlson. Carlson is a KNOWN misogynist and warmongering lunatic from way back in his days of appearing on the Chris Matthews program. Why, that would mean that Matthews is misogynist. You see? It's a vast misogynist-wing conspiracy. Thanks Sir 'E' for shedding enlightenment on a darkly kept secret. Pompous bitch!

By: jimbo

jimbo — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

Personally, I found the parallels between Rand’s ideas and L Ron Hubbard’s quite startling. Read Hubbard’s Sci Fi works and see for yourself.

By: michaelm

michaelm — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

The delicious irony of articles like this one is the encouragement it unwittingly gives young minds first testing Rand’s ideas to delve ever deeper into her writings in their search for answers to the question "why?". In every answer Rand provides, ideas and reasons are standard equipment, as is the caveat that one must not adopt them without first validating those reasons with their own minds and to their own satisfaction.

When they then seek second opinions, they will find, as in Mary Kane’s article, only assertions that Rand was totally wrong substantiated by slurs, insinuations, ad hominems and jokes. That a Yale University professor cannot manage a more learned one liner than Bloom did can only be to Rand’s advantage.

It is not that her opponents are clueless, it is that they have no ideas at all. Consistently, you will find that they attack only with emotional exclamations devoid of content, and that will never satiate the hunger of honest minds — the minds of the new intellectuals — that minority of readers in high schools who will have an inordinate effect on the expansion of Rand’s influence. It is a minority that continues to grow, not wane, with the sales of her books that has now surpassed 25 million. Since 2002, her books have been distributed free on request to teachers who want to use them — 300,000 last year, 400,000 this year.

Onward Ms. Kane et al. May the best minds win!