> From: Self <UABID/CHARDIN>
> To: natehall@worldnet.att.net
> Subject: Re: virus: Logic
> Date sent: Wed, 8 Oct 1997 08:53:16 CST+6CDT
While I enjoyed Any Rand's books, I really think that as a personal
> philosophy, most of her ideas are rather---oh shucks, why don't I
> just say it: they suck. I thought it was very interesting that she
> used the railroad as the symbol of independence when (what was her
> character's name Dagney Taggart?--Lord, it's been years since I read
> those books!) anyway, Dagney and her lover, those independent ones,
> keep the whole economy going while the rest of world mooches. Funny,
> but the history of the railroad in this country has been one long
> line of government subsidies from the time the railroads were laid
> (i.e. given a mile on each side of the railroad for every mile laid)
> to the present. Why is it that big business and everyone else always
> wants big government off of our backs---except when it comes to
> subsidies, tax breaks, etc. etc.
If you remember the book the villains were often businessmen who wanted special favors from the government.
The good guys did the work themselves.
> The philosophy of Ayn Rand and her
> ilk, if I understand it correctly, would applaud Hitler for gassing
> all those useless mentally retarded children--aren't they just taking
> up resources that our brighter kids could use?
No she would condemn it strongly! She often used the Nazi's and the Soviets as symbols of evil in her works.
She would not stop anybody who wanted to contribute to charity. She just didn't think that we should be
compelled to pay for other people's problems. (Unless we caused them through force or fraud)
> I saw her on the Phil
> Donahue show years ago and, frankly, she ought to stick to novel
> writing--the noveles are pretty darned good. Just call me Jane
> Galt!
.She died over ten years ago, I only started reading her works after she was dead.
The Nateman