5 ms·

Yep. We've had something like that in Eastern Europe during the communist era.

by rumcajz 13y ago

spiritplumber 13y ago
"There's no way to rule innocent men. The only power government has is the power to crack down on criminals. Well, when there aren't enough criminals, one makes them. One declares so many things to be a crime that it becomes impossible for men to live without breaking laws." (From Atlas Shrugged -- Damn, it's bad when I of all people am quoting Ayn Rand).
- MrZongle2 13y ago
  If quoting Rand makes you uncomfortable, just remind yourself that even a broken clock is right twice a day. The quote itself is apt.
  - talmand 13y ago
    In military time it's only right once a day.
- jotm 13y ago
  What's wrong with Ayn Rand?
  - mathgladiator 13y ago
    Generally, people don't like her for lacking 'heart'. However, most people don't actually understand her message, nor do they appreciate her definition of selfishness. It's very unfortunate because her writings were on the spot on about human behavior.
    - mentalpiracy 13y ago
      Rand is difficult for many people because her philosophy is essentially standalone; take it all or take none of it. You cannot really take one small lesson of Rand on its own - it always comes tightly bound to the premises it is derived from.
  - bosma 13y ago
    People don't like her because they disagree with her conclusions and what they assume are her methods. In order to understand her methods you must understand her epistemology. This requires reading her nonfiction systematically (and Peikoff's). Here's a Reddit reaction to Rand's response to a letter: http://www.reddit.com/r/todayilearned/comments/1reias/til_that_in_1963_a_16yearold_mailed_a_survey_to/cdmik1y http://www.reddit.com/r/todayilearned/comments/1reias/til_th... especially see this response: http://www.reddit.com/r/todayilearned/comments/1reias/til_that_in_1963_a_16yearold_mailed_a_survey_to/cdmn5r2 http://www.reddit.com/r/todayilearned/comments/1reias/til_th... She's completely misunderstood and misrepresented. There are countless examples of this. In politics, she's seen as the epitome of all that is "right wing", whatever the Hell that means. Her ethics are disregarded as simple ignorant selfishness. It's easy to see why many would disagree with her. Academia simply dismisses her. However, her ideas are becoming harder to ignore - they are important! Highly recommend reading at least Atlas Shrugged, The Fountainhead, and Objectivism: The Philosophy of Ayn Rand. Then pick up Introduction to Objectivist Epistemology, Virtue of Selfishness, Capitalism: The Unknown Ideal, and the recently released Understanding Objectivism . UO is very good (it's useful/personal, down to earth), but requires familiarity with Objectivism.

Yep. We've had something like that in Eastern Europe during the communist era.

by rumcajz 13y ago

Yep. We've had something like that in Eastern Europe during the communist era.

"There's no way to rule innocent men. The only power government has is the power to crack down on criminals. Well, when there aren't enough criminals, one makes them. One declares so many things to be a crime that it becomes impossible for men to live without breaking laws." (From Atlas Shrugged -- Damn, it's bad when I of all people am quoting Ayn Rand).

MrZongle2 13y ago
If quoting Rand makes you uncomfortable, just remind yourself that even a broken clock is right twice a day. The quote itself is apt.
- talmand 13y ago
  In military time it's only right once a day.
jotm 13y ago
What's wrong with Ayn Rand?
- mathgladiator 13y ago
  Generally, people don't like her for lacking 'heart'. However, most people don't actually understand her message, nor do they appreciate her definition of selfishness. It's very unfortunate because her writings were on the spot on about human behavior.
  - mentalpiracy 13y ago
    Rand is difficult for many people because her philosophy is essentially standalone; take it all or take none of it. You cannot really take one small lesson of Rand on its own - it always comes tightly bound to the premises it is derived from.
- bosma 13y ago
  People don't like her because they disagree with her conclusions and what they assume are her methods. In order to understand her methods you must understand her epistemology. This requires reading her nonfiction systematically (and Peikoff's). Here's a Reddit reaction to Rand's response to a letter: http://www.reddit.com/r/todayilearned/comments/1reias/til_that_in_1963_a_16yearold_mailed_a_survey_to/cdmik1y http://www.reddit.com/r/todayilearned/comments/1reias/til_th... especially see this response: http://www.reddit.com/r/todayilearned/comments/1reias/til_that_in_1963_a_16yearold_mailed_a_survey_to/cdmn5r2 http://www.reddit.com/r/todayilearned/comments/1reias/til_th... She's completely misunderstood and misrepresented. There are countless examples of this. In politics, she's seen as the epitome of all that is "right wing", whatever the Hell that means. Her ethics are disregarded as simple ignorant selfishness. It's easy to see why many would disagree with her. Academia simply dismisses her. However, her ideas are becoming harder to ignore - they are important! Highly recommend reading at least Atlas Shrugged, The Fountainhead, and Objectivism: The Philosophy of Ayn Rand. Then pick up Introduction to Objectivist Epistemology, Virtue of Selfishness, Capitalism: The Unknown Ideal, and the recently released Understanding Objectivism . UO is very good (it's useful/personal, down to earth), but requires familiarity with Objectivism.