Time To Listen To Ayn Rand
Ayn Rand’s Atlas Shrugged, a read so turgid it makes Das Kapital seem like a John Grisham novel, is the acknowledged inspiration of some leaders in the House of Representatives such as Paul Ryan. Even House Speaker Boehner the other day made a reference to this Rand ideological pot boiler, suggesting that America’s present economic malaise is related to the rich going on a kind of strike (the theme of Rand’s shrugger) in response to threats of tax increases.
Are Rand acolytes reading their master right when it comes to taxes? Perhaps not.
There has, in fact, been something that while not exactly a strike by millionaires, was a public protest by millionaires about taxes. A group calling itself Patriotic Millionaires for Fiscal Strength came to Washington the other day to urge lawmakers to raise taxes of wealthy Americans like themselves to help reduce deficits, in order that deeper cuts in programs for the poor and seniors need not be made.
Do members of this group really represent the views of most millionaires? One has to assume they do because no other group of millionaires has come forward publicly to protest higher taxes. The only people who are making this case are think tankers, some trade groups, and right wing pols. Surely, millionaires, if they were so opposed to very modest tax hikes on themselves, wouldn’t be too ashamed to say so publicly. Would they?
The reasons most millionaires aren’t against modest tax increases are obvious. They are not only patriotic and don’t want to see the social fabric of their country more fractured than it already is, they are decent people who don’t want to wallow in wealth while so many around them are sinking further into poverty. In purely economic terms, they also know that widespread falling consumption is a threat to everyone’s wealth. Above all, they don’t want their country to resemble more and more third world nations where huge disparities of wealth are the rule.
So to all ye Rand followers I say: Harken! The very rich, the capitalists, the creatives, the job generators you so admire, have spoken. It’s time for the rabbit hole ideologues to step aside.
Randians of the world unite! You have nothing to lose and everything to gain from a little common sense, mixed with a a better understanding of basic economics, and a bit of common decency thrown in!
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16 Responses to “Time To Listen To Ayn Rand”
Well the rich corporations and banks won’t cut loose with all the money they gleaned from us for business expansion loans, effectively holding the nation in a perpetual business cycle retraction. I’d call that a protest and a manipulation of government by big business!
According to academics, Rand is supposed to be the beginning of political liberal individualism. The spawning of both the libertarians and the modern American conservatism. Just another disaffected Russian who’s family supported imperial totalitarianism in my opinion. Liberal Conservatism being the true counter intuitive movement of the millennia in my book. I suppose moderates would be something like Libervatism or Conserveral or not really for or against much at all.
Heck I don’t know. I’m just a 99%’er. We are going to burn Wall Street to the ground. Mark my words.
Just because a group of millionaire Shmoos cry “Eat Me!” doesn’t mean we should all jump on the plate.
Well bob, that’s not what they said. When the economy tanked in 2008, the rich took a larger monetary hit than everyone else. Granted, the recovery has been a lot better for them, but if we don’t get our consumer market going again, which is one of the biggest sources of wealth for them, we’re all hosed. Everyone does better when the middle class is strong and the poor is a small group. Growing numbers of people who can’t afford anything in the largest consumer market in the world doesn’t stay the largest consumer market for long if that trend doesn’t reverse.
“We are going to burn Wall Street to the ground”
and the non-moderate in me thinks… “and hang them from the street lights”
but that is just the crazy stuff you never say out-loud.
Do members of this group really represent the views of most millionaires? One has to assume they do because no other group of millionaires has come forward publicly to protest higher taxes.
That is an illogical assumption.
I have read Atlas Shrugged. Amazingly, the moral philosophy in it is right on. She makes an excellent case that reason is synonymous with good. Since we are the top species due to our ability to think and reason, then not doing so is inherently self-destructive. Then she goes on to talk about productivity, capacity to create, etc. In all of the mix she insists that initiating violence is absolutely wrong.
Now here’s the thing; in her view the ‘best and brightest’ (the productive people, if you will) would be able to defend themselves against the looters (i.e. those who take from producers to give to the poor–taking a huge cut for themselves). But history shows us that the producers have almost never been able, by themselves, to hold off the looters. Thus, creating an entire economic system based on something so impossible is, well, unreasonable.
Her ultimate claim was that capitalism and altruism are at cross purposes. However, considering the likelihood (or inevitability) that people who are completely deprived of resources will ultimately turn to violence, altruism is the only thing that allows capitalism to exist. People who have nothing to lose are a very difficult bunch to try to reason with (or to fight). Al Qaeda should have at least taught the right wing nutters that much.
“Amazingly, the moral philosophy in it is right on.”
Unamazingly, no. No it’s really not. In the fantasy world Rand creates full of ambivalent superhuman titans of industry who would never lie or cheat or steal for a quick buck or take advantage of their workers or build a bunch of unsafe crap and dump their waste into the drinking water — the same world where everyone BUT these superhumans is mindless greedy chattle who only want to steal the wealth of their betters while sitting on their butts — yeah, the morality holds strong. But it’s a fantasy world — a fictional story full of fictional characters. It doesn’t actually resemble the world we live in or the majority of people who live here to any great degree. Certainly not enough to base real-world policy on.
Thing is most of the 1% think they are John Galt, even the ones who made their money by basically being a parasite on the ones who do actually make money by you know, actually creating goods, services, and jobs. Everyone wants to see themselves as rugged individuals who do it solo. That’s why I really like Elizabeth Warren’s take on how we are all reliant on eachother for the success of the “free market”. Its true.
Objectivism has a lot of good points, and I think Rand’s philosophy, while not perfect, is still much more interesting and worthwhile than her literature. Those who read her books and idolize them as opposed to her philosophy really need to take a moment and see how the world really works.
“Thing is most of the 1% think they are John Galt”
Exactly — and the rest of us are Pappy Finn.
I found reading Rand to be fascinating as a teenager and was pretty immersed in the philosophy – for a few months, but as a voracious, young reader I found other points of view that were considerably more worthy. What we see in the republican fascination with Rand is a group of intellectually immature, but self-involved (and often powerful) grownups who have fixated on the Rand philosophy, presumably in order to legitimize their desire to rid themselves of conscience – and by extension, patriotism. Think cult.
Just a few more thoughts about Ayn Rand: Her writing was ultimately about the glorification (and defense) of selfishness and she was unapologetic about singing it’s praises. Of course exploring and realizing the potential of the individual in creative and original ways has always had a place in higher human endeavor, but when it’s done in the absence of conscience and community it loses it’s soul. That wasn’t a problem for Rand, because she didn’t feel constrained by empathy, in fact she was disdainful of the whole “am I my brothers keeper” idea (and religion in general) although I suppose she was ok with “trickle down”. I guess I’m not surprised today’s republicans have become such a fan club for a writer like this, but it is ironic for a number of reasons, not the least of which is the fact that the republican elite actually feeds at the trough she had so much disdain for. They certainly don’t create anything.
Basic results of Rand’s beliefs. Any company is completely free to discriminate against anyone on any basis such as race, religion or sexual orientation. There can be no such thing as the EPA, the FDA or any other form of regulation. She supported not just capitalism but absolute laissez faire capitalism. Sounds like the wet dream of the Tea Party to me.
Sounds a lot like scientology to me.
JSpencer kind of says it for me, “…but it is ironic for a number of reasons, not the least of which is the fact that the republican elite actually feeds at the trough she had so much disdain for.” That sums it up very nicely.
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