Posted on 10/16/2008 7:15:26 PM PDT by NewJerseyJoe
Atlas Shrugged has been on my mind a great deal these past few weeks. I don't hold with Ayn Rand on everything -- her view of what constitutes "morality," for example, is in complete opposition to my closely held religious faith. And she could have used a good editor; the damn book could have been half its size but just as effective. However, Rand did have incredible foresight into the political and socioeconomic ills that were occurring around her and that abound, nearly unchecked, in our world of 2008.
Apparently, I'm not the only person who has been thinking along these lines -- for example, see Ask Dr. Helen's article "Is It Time to 'Go John Galt'?". This is very much the question that has been plaguing me: what will I be doing in response to the presidential election?
Regardless of the outcome of next month's election, a great deal of pain lies ahead for most Americans. The American financial market and business environment are currently in big trouble -- either in complete meltdown or overdue correction, depending on your viewpoint -- and the heavily burdened American taxpayers have been handed the tab for the "fix" instituted by politicians.
Senator McCain, I've never been a big supporter of you -- I don't like your past and/or present positions on illegal aliens, the First Amendment, oil drilling, etc. However, I'm supporting you in this election for two reasons: your excellent (and surprising) choice of a vice presidential candidate, and your recent apparent modifications of your positions on some issues.
However, be very clear about one fact: you are this country's last RINO politician. Should you carry the day, I am going to stay on top of your policies and positions. If I may channel Steinbeck for a moment… When you propose opening America's doors to illegal aliens, I'll be there. When you start to discuss limiting the freedom of speech, I'll be there. When you start waxing rhapsodic about the phony science of "man-made global warming," I'll be there, too. To paraphrase a line from your acceptance speech: "I will make you famous, and others will know your name." Betray me -- as I have been betrayed in the past, time and time again, by Republican politicians too numerous to count -- and I will be at the front of the pack, demanding your ouster.
Governor Palin… what can I say? "You had me at 'Hello'." I was a proponent of you running for president at the beginning of 2008, at a time when most Americans (outside of Free Republic) had no idea who you were. You have my encouragement, my support, and my admiration. The only warning I will give to you is to stay on McCain's tail in those areas where he is deficient: energy policy, "immigration" (i.e., dealing with illegal aliens), constitutional rights, and -- heaven help us -- "crossing the aisle" to work with the enemies of this country (viz., Democrats). Steer him in the right directions, with your wit, your charm, and your plainspoken manner, and we'll have him turned around in no time.
The economic situation is very bad. I'm counting on the two of you to help move this country back to a pro-growth, pro-capitalism, pro-America world view.
If this scenario occurs, it will be catastrophic, as it will likely be accompanied by a Democrat takeover of both houses of Congress. American voters (including Deceased Americans and those allowed to vote more than once) will have elected their first openly Communist president.
For years, we have heard liberals throw around (incorrectly) the word fascist in supposed reference to conservatives. If the Obama ticket prevails, bona fide, literal fascism will soon be coming to a street corner near you. Should this nightmare come to pass, I -- and many tens of millions of others, I suspect -- will be implementing any of a number of possible actions, including the following:
There could be many, many more points made (I haven't even touched on energy policy and "global warming"), but these should suffice for now. Be warned, Mr. Hussein Obama: This country holds many Spartacuses. For every one you and your jackbooted thugs cut down, two more will rise to take his place.
Actually, NJJ, this is not flame worthy at all. I found it interesting, provocative and well written. Kudos to you for a worthy vanity...
If you catch too much grief, just don your asbestos suit and carry on!!
Can you believe how our country is being stolen right out from under us and there's nothing we can do because of the way it's been done?
submitted for your review....
I blame Ayn for the current economic problems. Making heroes out of greedy capitalist pigs laid the foundation for this mess.
parsy, the philosopher
Ayn Rand had a lot of terrific things to say. For example, Collectivism is not a good idea that has been implemented poorly (referring to the NYTimes favorite collectivist, Uncle Joe). It’s a morally repugnant idea, not matter how it is implemented.
She was the bulwark against the fashionable intellectual leftism of her day (1940’s - 1950’s). That being said, Atlas Shrugged is a fantasy morality tale. Ayn Rand was also a raging narcissist and anti-religion bigot. Let’s keep things in perspective.
BTW, I met my wife 30 years ago and we fell for each other because we were Ayn Rand fans. She still thinks Atlas Shrugged was her best work. I still go for The Fountainhead (i.e., “Man’s ego is the fountainhead of his progress”.).
I would be honored to join you in the furnace, if that is what comes to pass, but I'll not flame you. It was 'Atlas Shrugged' that converted me back to active Catholic Christianity (and I am entirely serious when I say that) because I saw that when we reach for the purest and best in ourselves, all we can do is gin up a faint echo of He who gave Himself for us. So her Objectivism simply slid off my duck's back. Her spot-on indictment of socialistic democracy and the Weslay Mouch's who populate the corridors of power has remained with me, something I've never even found to have faded, but seems only to get clearer and clearer every day. This does not console me.
But I applaud your work on this. I will stand beside you against the oppression we have been promised. I think we won't be alone.
Well Said !!
Dagny
It's in our own back yards, as we become more self-sufficient with victory gardens and small-scale livestock, working lower-productivity jobs to bring in only the cash we actually need, with as little surplus to feed the TaxBeast as we can manage.
I read “The Fountainhead” many years ago, and I think the one thing in it that stuck in my mind was the relentless total control of the individual that the socialist state finally lapses into. . the petty, obsessive need of the state to hound the individual to death. . with people (thugs) given jobs by the state to harrass and follow ordinary people and keep tabs on them. Wasn’t this the one with the main character being named Kyra Argounova?
That name does not ring a bell, but it has been a few years. (You may be thinking “We The Living” - a semi-autobiographical novel). The main antagonist in The Fountainhead was Ellsworth Touhey (sp?) a critic who wrote a popular newspaper column and was a remarkably cynical and manipulative figure.
Reread the book and it will remind you of today’s elite media and “opinion makers”. It’s a timeless piece of work.
Who said (aside from high school English teachers) that the “Great American Novel” has yet to be written? Ayn Rans wrote two of them!
Go ahead and make some of the other points. These so far are good ones.
However, I don’t think it will be “many millions” by your side.....sadly.
And Communists are killers - just remember that.
See you in the Gulag!
Yes. I think it was “We the Living” that I read, and I did check out “The Fountainhead” and “Atlas Shrugged” which I think I mostly just scanned due to the fact that I was working full time and had a small baby to take care of when I got home. My husband was stationed in Turkey during the cold war and got a month’s tour in Athens as a sort of side trip before coming back stateside. Funny, though, even scanning “Atlas” was enough to figure out the gist of it although I was very young at the time. - I don’t make a big point of thinking Rand was a role model, and I think she was too humanistic for my taste, but the story lines had a lot of merit and opened my eyes to the evils of the corrupt socialist state.
What do you think happened in 2006. I know what you meant, i.e. they may increase their majorities in each house, but the public isn't very impressed with their performance now. I think many of the new rat members of the House may be in jeopardy on Nov 4, 08. The Senate may take a Divine Intervention. The dems are defending 12 seats, and the GOP are defending 22 seats, IIRC.
Take heart! Even the AP is starting to tell the truth: "As an Illinois state lawmaker, he also supported a ban on all forms of semiautomatic weapons and tighter state restrictions generally on firearms. He argues local communities should be able to take the steps they feel are necessary to reduce crime."
We do need a few more Wyatt’s Torches around here though to get the attention of the Commie/Socialists.
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_d_I2VV_CbiE/SPYfVrhu35I/AAAAAAAAAE4/ydFPSszjHL0/s1600-h/change.jpg
Powerful, terrifying and oh so possible if we don’t fight for our lives and the republic.
It would have taken a 5,000 post thread to say what that one picture exemplified.
If the Obamination wins, it's time to go Henry Bowman.
Do you work for a company or a corporation?
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