Mr. Kerstein doesn’t seem to know much about U.S. economics and either hasn’t actually read or understood Ayn Rand’s work. In my experience, communists-at-heart find Rand so threatening to their world view that they can’t get a mental grip on her meaning. To protect themselves, they misrepresent her views, and try to take her novels literally, rather than as abstract presentations of principles.
Rand had no problem with VOLUNTARY social activity, specialization of labor, complex integrated societies, and compassion/charity. What she opposed was COERCION. Through the application of reason to experience, Rand knew that socialists inevitably force others to join communal efforts against their interests and will — precisely because the type of people who join freely are the takers, not the makers. Hillary Clinton is a perfect Rand villain; her justification for forcing young healthy people into paying for healthcare for others is classic: “We need their money in the system”. Armed robbery for what she dictates is a “benevolent” purpose is ok.
Rand relentlessly exposed the Left’s game of false benevolence and compulsory altruism as a scam. “Collective” action wherein an elite determines the will of the group turns the group members into dehumanized slaves, who receive more than they contribute temporarily —until it all dries up, and everyone has nothing. Rand’s work argues, correctly, that individuals creating wealth through free market economics bring freedom and higher standards of living for all that are sustainable. But that’s not what the Democrats/Socialists/Leftists really want, is it?
Liberals never seem to notice that Ms. Rand glorified "men of the mind" regardless of how lofty or lowly were their professions.