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That does not mean there is nothing an individualist can do. It is not up to any individual to "convert" others to their view, or to "save" society. It is up to every individual to make the most of his own life and achieve whatever success and happiness is possible to him and that can only be done as an individualist. What every true individualist can and must do is to live as a free independent individualist to whatever degree is possible. In the end, this is the only method that Rand ever describes as successful—it is the entire theme, purpose, and objective of her opus novel, Atlas Shrugged. It is the story of a revolution unlike any other. Not one of her heroes is involved in politics, not one of her heroes forms an organization or movement.

Not one of her heroes engages in propaganda. All of her heroes do one thing, they choose to live their lives as free independent individualists, and it is that choice and their lives that produced the revolution.

Whole ball of wax.

When people in a society are allowed the freedom of pursuing their lives as "free independent" individuals to whom the products of their talents/labor belongs without encroachment - society benefits by default.

When society believes it has the right to take, by force, the use of another's work/talent - society will degenerate.

Not one of her heroes engages in propaganda.

But they do go off on 50 page rants sometimes.

Individualism has been drummed out of us, and is not longer in our culture. The only place to start is culturally to put it back in. The politics would naturally follow from there.

I am not a disciple of Rand, although I do respect her carving out a unique philosophy when everyone else in the world was rushing towards communism. But as a conservative I do share a lot of beliefs with her too.

Its unfortunate that the only current diccussion of her ideas is contained in a videogame, (Bioshock), one which does not put Objectivism in any sort of positive light. In the game, an objectivist builds an underwater city, invites fellow objectivists to live there. It deteriorates into a zombie filled hellhole.