Ayn Rand’s 1957 novel “Atlas Shrugged” has got be one of the worst books I’ve ever tried to read.
That she did most of her writing under the effects of amphetamine explains much of the reason why.
And that so many people consider her work a philosophical road map for free markets shows how shallow some of us have been in thinking about capitalism.
Click here to read more in my column in The Sunday Wall Street Journal.
Kenneth M. KoffMr. Lewis’ smear on the works and persona of author/philosopher, Ayn Rand, is not worthy of wrapping last night’s garbage. Nowhere in the article does he indicate any semblance of understanding of her work, let alone the breakthrough she achieved, for example, in identifying the ugly and destructive nature of altruism.
David WebbAl – I read you piece on Ayn Rand and I have a few comments.
First, I haven’t read her books which makes me an expert!
It has occurred to me that so called conservatives have made laissez
faire capitalism into a religion rather than seeing it as an economic concept. I have a theory for how this might have occurred that I sent to the editor of the Spokesman Review. It wasn’t published but I will attach it below.
The notion that the market will solve all problems is surely based on faith rather than facts. Alan Greenspan ignored several salient
aspects of human nature that made his “model” imperfect. Humans are dishonest and greedy, especially when enormous amounts of booty are at stake. How did he not see these? Apparently, he told Brooksley Born to be unconcerned about fraud because the market would take care of it.
Did he actually believe that?
The notion that Tax Cuts solve all economic problems is another dogma that doesn’t seem to work in all cases.
The great thing about dogma is that it relieves you of the need to think! Thinking is painful after all! I am a retired scientist. Scientists are constantly challenging every idea in the scientific lexicon. Facts matter. Even great thinkers like Einstein are wrong about some things. Being wrong is not bad in science if it is an honest postulate, and if it prompts other scientists to do experiments which confirm or refute your hypothesis. Einstein was right about gravity bending light when it passed near a large body like the sun. It took decades to test this hypothesis plus a solar eclipse, but he was right. He thought that the universe was static. Recent evidence has shown that it is not only expanding but is still accelerating!
Thanks for your piece on Rand. Your column helped me understand where “Conservatives” think they are coming from.
My unpublished letter to the Spokesman Review
A religion called Laissez Faire Capitalism (LFC) has captured America.It became a religion in response to Communism which is actually a
religion. Like most religions, Communism can’t tolerate other gods,and persecutes other religions. Our response was to make Capitalism
sacred. Its dogmas became inviolate. Anyone who disagrees is a heretic. If it’s not free market Capitalism, it’s evil! “Less government in business and more business in government” was a slogan from the Harding campaign. He, Coolidge and Hoover had absolute faith in LFC which led to the Great Depression. Rand Paul, the new Jeremiah of LFC, invokes the mantra “government is not the solution to our problems, it is the problem”. Reagan and the Bushes preached LFC,
which led to the Great Recession. The High Priests of Wall Street are feasting on our tax dollars, and the loot they stole from
faithful investors. Trickle down economics has served them well, while the average person needs several jobs to survive. Tax cuts are the new manna which falls only inside gated communities. If you’re pious and very lucky, a crumb may fall near you. Hosanna!
David T Webb (Veteran)
Spokane, WA
© 2013 Dow Jones Newswires. All Rights Reserved.
July 17, 2011
great analysis!Thanks for being concise, you hit the nail on the head.I can argue evolution with the most fanatic creationist but trying to reason with a “randian” is more painful than hitting your head repeatedly with a 4 by 4.