I wish Ayn Rand were alive today, if only so we can see how her act and philosophy would fare under the brutal glare of the blogosphere. Would the queen of self-absorption and the "Evil Knievel of leaping to conclusions" have the same-- or more-- appeal? Love her or hate her, this woman knew how to make her presence, and ideas, felt. In this piece in New York magazine, Sam Anderson examines the woman who "never got into an argument she couldn't win, except, perhaps, with herself."
Whenever Ayn Rand met someone new—an acolyte who’d traveled cross-country to study at her feet, an editor hoping to publish her next novel—she would open the conversation with a line that seems destined to go down as one of history’s all-time classic icebreakers: “Tell me your premises.” Once you’d managed to mumble something halfhearted about loving your family, say, or the Golden Rule, Rand would set about systematically exposing all of your logical contradictions, then steer you toward her own inviolable set of premises: that man is a heroic being, achievement is the aim of life, existence exists, A is A, and so forth—the whole Objectivist catechism. And once you conceded any part of that basic platform, the game was pretty much over. She’d start piecing together her rationalist Tinkertoys until the mighty Randian edifice towered over you: a rigidly logical Art Deco skyscraper, 30 or 40 feet tall, with little plastic industrialists peeking out the windows—a shining monument to the glories of individualism, the virtues of selfishness, and the deep morality of laissez-faire capitalism. Grant Ayn Rand a premise and you’d leave with a lifestyle.
3 comments:
I read Sam's piece-fascinating. In the current blogosphere she would probably emerge like a cross between Perez Hilton and Spock from Star Trek,attacking ideas & concepts rather than celebrities.
Sadly (for some) there's no room for G-d in Rand's world.
Hmmm well more importantly we can learn what would happen if Ayn Rand's ideas would have meant if translated into practice. Alan Greenspan his major acolyte was in control for over a decade. After leaving public "service" and returning to testify at congress he told the committe and the world that he found the ideas that had governed his world view and policy decisions for 40 yrs of his life and 20 yrs of public policy were wrong. It cracks me up when guys like you display an affinity for Rand she viewed religious inclinations as a sign of weakness the same he viewed any actions of altruism or charity (you know that tzedakah and tikkun olam stuff). It is not for nothing that the great Rav Lichtenstein rosh yeshiva at yeshiva har etzion confiscated her books from his students (actually he should have decimated her "premises")
hmmm....Ron Paul is a libertarian..Ron Paul is probably the most outspoken critic of US aid to Israel (and to all foreign aid ) good luck to you Mr. Suissa in appealing to libertarians to support israel for the silly altruistic notion that it is the sole democracy in the middle east.
be careful what you wish for
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