I have recently started re-reading the great book Atlas Shrugged. Almost from the first pages I began to see parallels between the story, written as a fiction book in the 1950's by the author and philosopher Ayn Rand, and what is going on today here in the United States. The first time I read the book, a few years ago, I thought that the laws passed, and the way people acted in the book were exaggerated to illustrate the principles Ayn understood and tried to teach through her writings. To my surprise as I began reading the book this time, what I had thought were exaggerations I have witnessed occurring, and I have seen the characters come to life over the last several months in the form of politicians, bureaucrats, and media. In this article I am going to post some quotes from the book that I have found particularly applicable in our current situation. I invite all who read this to offer their thoughts.
This first one is the "Anti-dog-eat-dog Rule". If you replace the words railroad systems with banking or finance systems, or even auto company, it is like hearing an echo of what is currently going on in those industries, and our governments plan to subsidize failing companies with the money they loot from successful companies.
-"Then it was said that large, established railroad systems were essential to the public welfare; and that the collapse of one of them would be a national catastrophe; and that if one such system had happened to sustain a crushing loss in a public-spirited attempt to contribute to international good will, it was entitled to public support to help it survive the blow"
This next quote addresses all of these "victims" of bad investments. The people who lost their life savings in "investments" they didn't understand, and claim no personal responsibility in. This is part of the story when Dagny confronts Francisco about the "failed" copper mine that was just nationalized by the Mexican government that her brother(James) and others had lost a bunch of money in.(see in place of copper-mining, investment.
-"I don't find it amusing. Your brother James and his friends knew nothing about the copper-mining industry. They knew nothing about making money. They did not think it necessary to learn. They considered knowledge superfluous and judgment inessential."
This last one is a continuation of the argument mentioned above. See here in place of the conversation of the copper mine, the Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae debacle and in place of roast of pork, a house for everybody that wants one. "The government of the People's State of Mexico has issued a proclamation," he said, "asking the people to be patient and put up with hardships just a little longer. It seems that the copper fortune of the San Sebastian Mines was part of the plans of the central planning council. It was to raise everybody's standard of living and provide a roast of pork every Sunday for every man, woman, child in the People's State of Mexico. Now the planners are asking their people not to blame the government, but to blame the depravity of the rich, because I turned out to be an irresponsible playboy, instead of the greedy capitalist I was expected to be.
I am only on page 122 so I am sure that I will find many more, and I will continue to update this list as I come to them. Please add your thoughts so we can have an exchange of ideas. All points of view are welcome.
This first one is the "Anti-dog-eat-dog Rule". If you replace the words railroad systems with banking or finance systems, or even auto company, it is like hearing an echo of what is currently going on in those industries, and our governments plan to subsidize failing companies with the money they loot from successful companies.
-"Then it was said that large, established railroad systems were essential to the public welfare; and that the collapse of one of them would be a national catastrophe; and that if one such system had happened to sustain a crushing loss in a public-spirited attempt to contribute to international good will, it was entitled to public support to help it survive the blow"
This next quote addresses all of these "victims" of bad investments. The people who lost their life savings in "investments" they didn't understand, and claim no personal responsibility in. This is part of the story when Dagny confronts Francisco about the "failed" copper mine that was just nationalized by the Mexican government that her brother(James) and others had lost a bunch of money in.(see in place of copper-mining, investment.
-"I don't find it amusing. Your brother James and his friends knew nothing about the copper-mining industry. They knew nothing about making money. They did not think it necessary to learn. They considered knowledge superfluous and judgment inessential."
This last one is a continuation of the argument mentioned above. See here in place of the conversation of the copper mine, the Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae debacle and in place of roast of pork, a house for everybody that wants one. "The government of the People's State of Mexico has issued a proclamation," he said, "asking the people to be patient and put up with hardships just a little longer. It seems that the copper fortune of the San Sebastian Mines was part of the plans of the central planning council. It was to raise everybody's standard of living and provide a roast of pork every Sunday for every man, woman, child in the People's State of Mexico. Now the planners are asking their people not to blame the government, but to blame the depravity of the rich, because I turned out to be an irresponsible playboy, instead of the greedy capitalist I was expected to be.
I am only on page 122 so I am sure that I will find many more, and I will continue to update this list as I come to them. Please add your thoughts so we can have an exchange of ideas. All points of view are welcome.
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We have been living with the Equalization of Opportunity bill for years It gets a boost with minimum wage and other laws that are not in the business's best wishes. This is a form of violence and would not be tolerated if enforced with animals.This is what I get from a conversation on page 135. also on this page the book introduces my mind to the violence of need. Claude Slagenhop "They need it. Need is the only consideration.If people are in need,we've got to seize things first and talk about it afterwards"refrying to property and the lie of lack and the "need' to redistribute according to some ones judgment without asking the party's involved. This is what Cap and Trade is trying to do and its what the government is doing This is clearly what the war in heaven was over and is the war we must engage in today I wonder if Ayn new she was writing about war?
ReplyDeleteThanks for the comments. I agree, and just read the conversation you are talking about. I am going to post the need quote you posted here when I get a moment to do so. I love that you see the continuation of the war in heaven, I have been telling people this for months. The struggle between freedom/agency and tyranny/force is the great eternal struggle, and many even within the Kingdom find themselves on the wrong side of the struggle.
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