It is difficult not to become sympathetic to some of Ayn Rand’s views when you live in South Africa. But here is an opposite view:
Fair criticism or mere character assassination? Let the acrimonious debate begin…
I never liked her books. Always sounded a bit too far out there for my liking.
IMHO it’s people who fail to understand the totality of her morality that go on tangents like this.
I didn’t even read the whole article, to realise this guy make the same mistake many do:
so as to influence them not to care about anyone besides themselves
This is a subtle re-interpretation of what I myself interpret in her writings. In my mind, she wanted people not to care for others because they are forced to, or to feel they have a duty to care for others. She wanted people to care for others only if they truly felt that care. If it came from themselves instead of being an obligation you just go along with because you have to. I’ve watched interviews where she clearly states that there is absolutely nothing wrong with “true altruism”, in the guise of giving to others because you want to. What she objected to was state-enforced/policy altruism or altruism forced on people by creating a sense of shame or “duty” to do so. Basically saying that you only have worth in serving others, who should themselves view themselves as unworthy and in turn subjugate their interests to those of others. It’s basically saying Jesus was wrong, and I suspect this is where much of this animosity comes from.
Basically it all comes back to the principle of individual liberty. If you acquire something through your own works, it is not for others to say what you should do with it. It is yours, and it is your decision alone. If you want to give it away, that is your choice, and she never frowned upon that.
With this interpretation it is difficult to find fault. However since her death many a straw-man has been beaten to death in the guise of “She wanted us to care for no-one but ourselves”. I would sum her up as saying: “Charity starts at home”.
I read in one of her works (forget which one) her analysis of “Thou must love thy neighbour like thyself”: Taken to the extreme this means in essence that you should step aside for a fellow man/woman in a line seeking employment; allowing a competitor to win in a race; saving your neighbour’s belongings while your house is burning etc. Clearly one of the stupid commandments that is pushed by altruists and religionists.
We would all be far off worse if that was the case. All the industrial capitalist in the world like to think
they created there empires by them selves and bemoan having to pay taxes, but the truth is they have built it on the back of public infrastructure that was paid out of taxes.
They rely on work force that is educated by public schools, are healthy because of public hospitals and able to get to work because of
public roads and transport.
I say tax the rich more.
Why just the rich? Tax everyone more! Yay!
But hey, don’t be sad, next year we’ll get a stunning demonstration by the ANC of how well THAT works.
Every body richer than me should be taxed more, cause screw them.
True Rand fans will probably not like this bit of satire…
LOL “He would have been better off with a cat. There are no cats in this movie.”
“Also, there are no trains in this movie” is where I lol’d.