Ayn Rand Funagain

You know I do agree with a lot of your points. I guess some of the points you made are from different angles that I didn’t see. I most truly agree with the points on the apathetic and often litigious attitude people have now. This attitude of 'I don’t want to take the blame for anything' has become truly out of hand in this country. I think that is why we see so many lawsuits from people that don’t want to own up to their own short comings. Then there are the individuals who believe the world owes them something, and it doesn't. You get served a plate, and you have to make the best of it. As JP says, "Tough, but fair" hehehe. A certain level of balancing is a good idea but the expectation of it as 'the only means of support' is not a good idea. It should be icing on the cake, not the cake itself.

What drove me nuts about some of their points is what sort of bugs me about libertarianism. Libertarians believe in little or no government involvement in the business world and sparse social programs. The problem is that sort of lack of governmental regulation leads to what developed in the late 1800s and early 1900s. The hugely corrupt and powerful industrialists during that period did not have the environment or the workers in mind and would do anything to hide the truth. Unfortunately this is just the nature of a lot of people. Greed and power corrupt. Even worse is that corporations are even less compassionate. Not out of power or greed, but because they have no emotion, they are a machine with one goal, profit. Don't get me wrong, I am for open business and I strongly believe in the capitalist model with some social leanings. It’s just a certain level of direction and control is needed by the government. If it wasn't for the government we wouldn’t have the FDIC, FDA, EPA, SEC or other public minded protectionism, born out of necessity from the abuses by industrialists, that often seemed to be negatively targeted by Ayn Rand. I think her writing is a matter of perspective. From the perspective of her talking to the individual, a lot of points are pertinent and I strongly agree with. Meaning that telling each person how they should act for themselves and not rely on others and not become apathetic. From the social or community perspective is where I get disillusioned. She points to the removal of social safe guards and programs designed to protect the less fortunate, the environment, and corporations from themselves. I know some individuals or corporations abuse these safeguards, but better a few leaching then a lot starving or polluted upon while genuinely working their asses off. I also do see the tell tale signs of her dislike of the unions and I definitely agree. I won't universally say that all unions have brought about the demise of the American job market, but certainly a few have been know to destroy the very industry workers they were assigned to protect. Manufacturing is a good example. I know people back in Ohio that make $40K a year for taping wires together. The whole organization gets greedy and destroys itself. Socialism gone bad. A lot of this is the shock of globalization ruining the previously more isolated American market. Cheap oversees products and labor.

I guess what I am trying to say is that a lot of perspectives can be looked at. Some I like and some I don’t. I'll admit I did get a certain level of gratification from the protagonists sticking the antagonists here and their. The protracted battles and senseless actions by the antagonist just drove me nuts through the whole book that I could not wish hard enough for them to get what was coming their way. But they almost seemed too inhuman to be a real creature you could understand or empathize with. Too irrational I guess.

D>M> <--- Eric hates me! It’s cool though. Just kidding.

PS Sorry Art I didn’t mean to come off as critical of the book as I did. I guess I have been ornery and feisty lately.