Atlas Shrugged

Aaron, I agree with a lot of what you're saying there.. especially about the huge as monologue at the end that could have been its own book. I, too, was ready for that thing to end about 10 pages into it. More or less, it was like the Cliff's Notes for the rest of the book. Interesting how we'd come away with such different takes and "feel" from the book. In all honesty, you're really the first person I've ever heard that has disliked the book for philosophical reasons (unless I'm hearing you wrong?) I would genuinely be interested to hear if you have specific issues with the premise or themes because I value your opinion and hold you as a highly intellectual guy. Moreover, I always love to hear dissenting opinions on any side of an argument because I feel it lends balance and quality to the conversation. If you have the time and inclination, I'd love to hear your ideological/philisophical thoughts.

Yes, I understand the motivations and personal background that gave Rand her fundamental reasons for writing the thing and that there are some seriously polarized characters involved. But, to me, the themes were more universal and reach very far beyond solely the anti-communism angle. It seemed to be that it was more a calling out and damnation of the leech-entitlement crowd that constantly seem to want to benefit and prosper from those that are motivated, inspired and willing/able to work and achieve.. without having done anything or exerted themselves to deserve it.

A reocurring statement from the novel that I took out of it was that we should all work towards our best benefit for our own personal well being and contentment.. not because anyone tells us to or because we feel compelled to... to reach personal enlightenment and joyous exaltation of completion of a difficult task taken-on and to achieve our dreams.

Also, I took the book on the whole as perhaps a bit of a statement of warning against the loss of personal liberty, freedom and power by way of voluntary proxy to others that we feel should or might do a better job of managing them for us. Again, that perhaps sucking the enormous teets of government (or the "corporation") and resigning oursevles to such an existence because it is comfortable, safe and without fear of failure in exchange for never legitimately attempting to reach for our biggest dreams and goals can never lead us to a fufilled life of passionate existence tempered with meaningful contemplation and joyous celebration.

Moreover, a philosophy of life that holds up individual achievement and striving to be the best that we each, individually, can possibly be as the highest possible goal and aspiration in our lives. That living our lives in fear of failure or *expecting* someone else to improve our lives is a fraud. That if giving to your fellow man or providing assistance, charity and benefit IS your highest aspiration, then so be it.. but let us not be MADE to do so "at the point of a gun" nor require that those that would do are made to coddle and support those that will not. Kind of takes all the piss out of it if we are forced to be charitible and supportive, doesn't it? Is that charity or compliance?

In the end, I think it comes down to a question of free will, personal freedom and liberty.

As you suggest, perhaps this was a factor in the birth of the Libertarian party (of which I've discovered recently I share a great deal of common beliefs, actually.) I think it's time that people began taking personal responsibility for their lives instead of waiting.. no.. demanding that someone else take responsibility for their affairs and provide for them. America is the land of oppurtunity and liberty, not the land of a free lunch and a handout "at the point of a gun". The quotational phrase is important because I believe that people are inherently generous and giving. As Einstein once said, (to paraphrase), even the mighty lion, if force-fed a diet of raw meat continuously, excessively and for long enough, would lose an appetite or desire for it.

Anyhow.. without writing a doctoral thesis on the thing.. that's a little bit of what I took from it.

I think my favorite parts in the book were the courtroom rebuttle as well as the "cocktail party" speech.

Regards,

~O.

PS, forgive me if there are horrible errors in this.. it's just too damned huge to proofread this second and I gotta go eat something or I'm going to pass out. Heh..