Latest In

News

Atlas Shrugged: The TV Special

Libertarian TV journalist John Stossel gives readers of Reason magazine a preview of his new series on Fox Business Channel. He confesses that he has a special

Jul 31, 2020168.6K Shares2.9M Views
Libertarian TV journalist John Stossel gives readers of Reason magazinea preview of his new series on Fox Business Channel. He confesses that he has a special on Ayn Rand’s novel “Atlas Shrugged” in the can and is thinking about airing it for the premiere.
I’m partial to an Atlasshow because I reread the novel recently and was stunned. It was as if Rand had seen the future. Writing half a century ago, she predicted today’s explosion of big government in shockingly accurate detail.
The “Preservation of Livelihood Law.” The “Equalization of Opportunity Law.” The “Steel Unification Plan.”
Don’t these sound like laws passed by the current Congress?
All were creations of Rand’s villain, Wesley Mouch, the evil bureaucrat who regulates business and eventually drives the productive people outof business. Who is today’s Wesley Mouch? Barney Frank? Chris Dodd? Tim Geithner? I’ll ask my TV audience to vote.
Way back in March I reported on Rand’s comebackas an intellectual force for conservatives and libertarians, especially the comeback of “Atlas Shrugged.” Stossel has always been on this kick, though, treating “nanny state” regulations as blunt and clumsy incipient fascism.
Rhyley Carney

Rhyley Carney

Reviewer
Latest Articles
Popular Articles