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>She died in her Manhattan apartment [1], not some government funded facility. I believe the parent was referring to government institutions such as social sec

by cultus 8y ago

>She died in her Manhattan apartment [1], not some government funded facility. I believe the parent was referring to government institutions such as social security, which Ayn Rand wound up using after being signed up by a social worker. She spoke out against such programs her whole life. However, she needed it, it was different. A common refrain with such people.

paulddraper 8y ago
You insinuate contradiction where none exists. Disliking being "excessively taxed" your whole life doesn't preclude you from trying to get some of it back. In fact, I dare say you'll try even harder to get it back. Just because you didn't want to blow the budget on the Christmas party doesn't mean you can't show up.
skookumchuck 8y ago
If someone opposes collective farms in the Soviet Union, must they starve in order to avoid being moral hypocrites? The thing with Social Security is we're all forced to pay into the system. It's not immoral to accept the paycheck. I'll be accepting those checks, too, despite opposing SS and consistently voting against it.
sbuttgereit 8y ago
Except that you're cherry picking points out of her positions to make your point. These sorts of simple minded reductionist arguments fail to actually convey any sense of the position of those they seek to caricature. Her action was consistent with her thinking as expressed around decade before her "needing it". Her actual position, from 1966: https://campus.aynrand.org/works/1966/01/01/the-question-of-scholarships/page1 https://campus.aynrand.org/works/1966/01/01/the-question-of-...
ufmace 8y ago
I don't think an economic conservative accepting social security while being against it is a contradiction, any more than an economic liberal using schemes to pay the lowest taxes possible while being in favor of higher taxes. It seems a little ridiculous for a economic conservative to refuse to accept social security despite being forced to pay into it their whole life. Just as much for an economic liberal to pay the highest taxes possible and give all of their extra income to the Government too. I think optimizing your current situation given what the rules of your society currently actually are doesn't preclude you from advocating for a different set of rules.

by cultus 8y ago

paulddraper 8y ago

You insinuate contradiction where none exists. Disliking being "excessively taxed" your whole life doesn't preclude you from trying to get some of it back. In fact, I dare say you'll try even harder to get it back. Just because you didn't want to blow the budget on the Christmas party doesn't mean you can't show up.

skookumchuck 8y ago

If someone opposes collective farms in the Soviet Union, must they starve in order to avoid being moral hypocrites? The thing with Social Security is we're all forced to pay into the system. It's not immoral to accept the paycheck. I'll be accepting those checks, too, despite opposing SS and consistently voting against it.

sbuttgereit 8y ago

Except that you're cherry picking points out of her positions to make your point. These sorts of simple minded reductionist arguments fail to actually convey any sense of the position of those they seek to caricature. Her action was consistent with her thinking as expressed around decade before her "needing it". Her actual position, from 1966: https://campus.aynrand.org/works/1966/01/01/the-question-of-scholarships/page1 https://campus.aynrand.org/works/1966/01/01/the-question-of-...

ufmace 8y ago

I don't think an economic conservative accepting social security while being against it is a contradiction, any more than an economic liberal using schemes to pay the lowest taxes possible while being in favor of higher taxes. It seems a little ridiculous for a economic conservative to refuse to accept social security despite being forced to pay into it their whole life. Just as much for an economic liberal to pay the highest taxes possible and give all of their extra income to the Government too. I think optimizing your current situation given what the rules of your society currently actually are doesn't preclude you from advocating for a different set of rules.