Clearly, this is connected to the political swings, even if the liberalism in Ayn Rand’s philosophy is not identical to what the right (or left) are currently d

Clearly, this is connected to the political swings, even if the liberalism in Ayn Rand’s philosophy is not identical to what the right (or left) are currently doing. The right, and I focus on the right because it is where the powerful pendulum is now, seems more like a populist right than a liberal right. It is clear that politics exist on a spectrum, except at the widening extremes. If Atlas Shrugged is about the role of entrepreneurs (to tie this to the HN main topic) as individuals and their creative power in society, I would say that this idea does not seem to scale in reality. The extent to which individuals embrace some kind of power is more closely correlated with where they were born specifically, the country and family they come from. Exceptions clearly exist, and the U.S. does not compare to any other country in terms of business opportunities. However, this is not the same as saying everyone has the same (or even comparable) opportunities based solely on their individual and creative traits. This is not a comment against the book but a 5 cents warning to not confuse a strong idea (the complexity and freedom of the individual) to the reality posed in real politics.