Comments on: The Bitch is Back (And she’s going rogue…Ayn Rand, not Sarah Palin)

By: Quella bastarda è tornata… Ayn Rand ai tempi del bailout « Io voto Pro Lib3rtarian Iniziative

Fri, 18 Dec 2009 09:31:59 +0000

[...] da True/Slant.com , 17 novembre [...]

By: tangible motion

tangible motion — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 14:56:00 +0000

[...] The Bitch is Back (And shes going rogue… Ayn Rand, not Sarah Palin) [...]

By: beelzebud

beelzebud — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 06:56:59 +0000

Main Entry: rogue
Pronunciation: \ˈrōg\
Function: noun
Etymology: origin unknown
Date: 1561

1 : vagrant, tramp
2 : a dishonest or worthless person : scoundrel
3 : a mischievous person : scamp
4 : a horse inclined to shirk or misbehave
5 : an individual exhibiting a chance and usually inferior biological variation

Sounds about right.

By: outlier

outlier — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 19:53:12 +0000

Objectivism could be described as Libertarianism on steroids. But it was quickly co-opted by capitalists, and became associated with old-fashioned elitism all dressed up in the latest fashion of that day – Social Darwinism. It appealed to wealthy Americans who were looking for a way to justify their mostly exploitation-based profits. And it also had it’s followers among working class patriots, who clung to the romantic illusion of America as an aspiring meritocracy – a juste society in which each individual gets in precise measure to his/her give. Traces of these ideas are coded into the American psyche, explaining in part our tendency to vote against our economic class (see Taibbi’s blog on America’s peasant mentality).

Americans are quick to embrace such intellectual contortions, because failing to do so would force us to come face to face with the fundamental injustice of capitalism, and the implied immorality of capitalism’s most celebrated practitioners. Just lately, it seems we’ve had a head on collision with that injustice, and it’s giving everyone a five-aspirin headache. So it’s no surprise that some are trying to bring a few mummified philosophies back to life. What’s next, a revival of Feudalism?

A more evolved society would recognize that the extremes on both ends of the social spectrum must be curtailed, and not just that of the poor. Extreme wealth leads to socio-pathologies that could/should be prevented – not for the sake of the nation’s poor, but for the sake of that individual. It is not impossible to imagine a future society which will regard Objectivism as barbaric – as primitive to them as feudalism is to us.

By: shawngilbreath

shawngilbreath — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 09:27:38 +0000

While she would probably have never been forgotten, Rand’s adoption by the Tea Party set ensures that her philosophy will not only become more popular, but also that people who may not have been exposed to her ideas will be. I have to admit to having mixed feelings about these ideas though. While I never found her characters all that compelling, there definitely was a certain attraction to her characters. They lack ambiguity and are easily defined. They are, as you say, black and white. Rand’s emphasis on self-reliance also has an appeal. My problem lies in translating Rand’s ideas to reality. That self-reliance in her characters can make for an extremely cold human being in the real world. The question of who gets to decide productive versus non-productive is also raised. I suspect it would not be as clear cut as it would seem.
Anyway, this was much longer than I intended. I enjoyed the article, and I’ll definitely be following. I look forward to reading more of your posts.

By: F. Paul Wilson

F. Paul Wilson — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 02:26:21 +0000

Good to see you here, Michael. We need more skeptics here on T/S. Lots more.

By: Barrett Brown

Barrett Brown — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 01:13:54 +0000

Fancy meeting you here..

By: Tweets that mention Michael Shermer - Skeptic – The Bitch is Back (And she’s going rogue…Ayn Rand, not Sarah Palin) - True/Slant -- Topsy.com

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 17:18:22 +0000

[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by valia lestou and Shawn Christenson, Tweets Tube. Tweets Tube said: The Bitch is Back (And she’s going rogue…Ayn Rand, not Sarah Palin) http://bit.ly/1lJyaz [...]