Posted on 10/11/2007 9:13:55 AM PDT by Ed Hudgins
Two important events occurred in October 1957. First, the Soviet Union launched the first artificial satellite, named Sputnik, into orbit, causing many to speculate the West was losing to the superior technology and, possibly, inevitable ideology of communism. Second, the novel "Atlas Shrugged" was published. Its author, Ayn Rand, had fled the tyranny of Soviet communism in 1926 for freedom in the West.
Today communism in Russia and its satellite countries is dead. "Atlas" and Miss Rand's other works continue to sell millions of copies. A 1992 Library of Congress survey found it to be the most influential book in the country after the Bible. It helped launch the modern free market and libertarian movement.
Miss Rand's ideas, which provided an effective counter to Marxist collectivism, are needed even more today to provide the philosophical basis for a much-needed culture of principled individualism.
Miss Rand's life was as heroic as her characters. She came to America not speaking English but mastered the language to achieve her goal of becoming a writer. In the following decades she wrote plays, scripts for Hollywood movies and her first two great novels.
In "We the Living," published in 1936, Miss Rand offered a damning indictment of communism. The book stood in stark contrast to the self-blinded romance that the political left and Tinsel Town had with the 1930s evil-of-the-day: Josef Stalin's concentration-camp-of-a-country. Nothing much has changed.
In her 1943 best-seller "The Fountainhead," which was made into a major Hollywood movie, Miss Rand showed the soul of a true individualist, architect Howard Roark, who held to his own ideas and ideals, in stark contrast to those who surrender their dreams simply for the empty approval of others. When one acquaintance asserted it was Miss Rand's duty to expound upon the ideas in that book…
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtontimes.com ...
We, The Living was her best book, IMO.
“Who is John Galt”... is one of the best remembered opening lines in literature.
BTW, good article!
JUST started it this morning. I went on a Rand shopping spree last week. I got the Fountainhead, Anthem and We the living. All have anniversary forwards by Rand. I LOVED Atlas Shrugged so I look forward to the rest.
It was also made into a very good movie.
October? 1957? I’m gonna be how old on Sunday?! Why didn’t anybody tell me I have gray hair? I would have taken better care of myself! Do over!
Of all the hard cover books in my bookcase, my daughter noticed the little paperback in the middle. ANTHEM by Ayn Rand. All you’ll ever need to know about those who would crush the human spirit in the guise of government. The most important book I ever read. I named my first rock band after it. RUSH turning it to music on 2112 was just the icing on the cake.
"Fly by Night" ;-)
Agreed. Remarkably well done. Got most of her ideas across to the reader and a great story to boot. Great movie, too!
Ironically, IMO, Robert Heinlein's "The Moon Is A Harsh Mistress" should be made into a movie, rather than "Atlas'". I think that movie has the all the punch of Atlas and has the advantage of being a page-turner, too.
Poor Geddy Leee, he looks just like Ruth Bader Guinsberg.
An Italian producer made an excellent film version of We the Living during WWII on the assumption that is would make for great anti-Soviet propaganda. The Germans realized that it would make for equally effective anti-Nazi propaganda and summarily banned it.
She was also against income taxes - theft.
Without the IRS, the Gestapo arm of Washington, we would once again have the freedoms that made this country great.
Is that why the 66 some Congressional/Senate sponsors of the FAIR TAX, which calls for the abolition of the IRS, are overwhelmingly republican???
I've waited 50 years for "Atlas" to be made into a movie - better a mini-series to cover it all - and altho' I don't like the likely cast, if it does indeed come out next spring, it has the potential to wake up a whole new generation to the recognition markers of Socialism/Communism. And maybe they'll be inspired to also read her "Capitalism: The Unknown Ideal"...and learn what they didn't get taught in school.
Should be good for the elections
The audiobook version of Anthem read by Paul Meier is excellent. Available in CD, cassette, and iTunes download.
Thanks! And yes, We the Living is excellent both as literature and as a vehicle to expose the evils of communism.
That was a terrible work!
At the end all you have is death!
The Fountainhead was her best work.
Ayn Rand comes with the a few of the enemies of Free economics and Business - Moochers & Looters.
Additionally, she opposed Religion as “Mysticism”, and denied the doctrine of “Original Sin”.
Adam was the first of the moochers and looters (e.g. apple - exhibit A) from God’s point of view - in a sence - the original sinner.
The one with whom, sin originated.
Re: Looters an Moochers
I would retort Ayn Rand - the anti-Catholic with G.K. Chesterton!
G. K. Chesterton once noted,
“Certain new theologians dispute original sin, which is the only part of Christian theology which can really be proved,” (Orthodoxy, chap. 2).
He saw original sin as the one Christian doctrine that is empirically verifiable and validated by 3500 years of human history.
Ayn Rand didn’t get it the doctrine of Original Sin - or inclination of Man toward evil(s), like mooching and looting.
Quoting G.K. Chesterton:
But Christianity preaches an obviously unattractive idea, such as original sin; but when we wait for its results, they are pathos and brotherhood, and a thunder of laughter and pity; for only with original sin we can at once pity the beggar and distrust the king.
Men of science offer us health, an obvious benefit; it is only afterwards that we discover that by health, they mean bodily slavery and spiritual tedium. Orthodoxy makes us jump by the sudden brink of hell; it is only afterwards that we realize that jumping was an athletic exercise highly beneficial to our health.
Orthodoxy by Gilbert K. Chesterton
IX—Authority and the Adventurer
http://www.leaderu.com/cyber/books/orthodoxy/ch9.html
IMO, she was an enemy of Faith, Rational and Logic thought regarding Faith and Religion.
Faith need not be “blind” or devoid of Rational Reason! (It should be noted that Ayn rand never found a personal reason to believe in God, and additionally never disprived the existence of same.)
Now, I am quite sure that Ayn Rand loved her freedom, but she failed to learn or acknowledge where that freedom came from! (Atheism, IMO, does not provide a logical foundation for our Liberties, and Right(s) for Freedom)
Here is my two pennies worth:
I assert that as persons, we are moral human beings who deserve dignity, universal human rights, some objective purpose in life (e.g. that life has meaning if lived in a particular way), moral accountability, and self-determination, and freedom(s).
Furthermore our personhood derives from the ultimate divine person - God. And, we - as moral beings created in the likeness of God. Thomas Paine, certainly Anti-Catholic and no great friend of Christians writes: “...every child born into the world must be considered as deriving it’s existence from God”
Thomas Paine reveals the thinking behind, “Common Sense”, (1775) and of his day and age, and indeed the thinking of our founding Fathers, and the foundations of Laws, and the divine reason for Justice – for all.
Quoting from Common Sense:
“The Mosaic account of the creation, whether taken as divine authority or merely historical, is full to this point, ‘the unity or equality of man’.
The expression admits of no controversy. (TP then quotes the Bible:)
“And God said, Let us make man in our own image. In the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.” (Genesis 1:27)
TP: “If this be not divine authority, it is at least historical authority, and shows that the equality of man, so far from being a modern doctrine, is the oldest on record.”
(Rights of Man)
This was the common ground of Deists, Christians, Jews, and Quakers in the 18th century, and accordingly: ‘admits no controversy’.
Agnostics, atheists, objectivists, libertarians, curmudgeons, and radical who ever(s) enjoy all the same rights!!!
Now go and enjoy your Freedom(s) that were bought and paid for in blood, and the faith of our founding Fathers. (BTW, Thomas Paine is not an official FF, but is often counted as such.)
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