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How Ayn Rand Became an American Icon The perverse allure of a damaged woman.
Slate ^

Posted on 11/03/2009 12:13:51 AM PST by Tempest

Ayn Rand is one of America's great mysteries. She was an amphetamine-addicted author of sub-Dan Brown potboilers, who in her spare time wrote lavish torrents of praise for serial killers and the Bernie Madoff-style embezzlers of her day. She opposed democracy on the grounds that "the masses"—her readers—were "lice" and "parasites" who scarcely deserved to live. Yet she remains one of the most popular writers in the United States, still selling 800,000 books a year from beyond the grave. She regularly tops any list of books that Americans say have most influenced them. Since the great crash of 2008, her writing has had another Benzedrine rush, as Rush Limbaugh hails her as a prophetess. With her assertions that government is "evil" and selfishness is "the only virtue," she is the patron saint of the tea-partiers and the death panel doomsters. So how did this little Russian bomb of pure immorality in a black wig become an American icon?

(Excerpt) Read more at slate.com ...


TOPICS: Books/Literature; Business/Economy; Education; Society
KEYWORDS: ayn; aynrand; rand; religiousbaiting
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This should get a interesting reaction.

I've found it odd how the party that claims to support family values can hail this vile and morally bankrupt woman as such an iconic hero.

What did she achieve, besides the corruption of souls.

1 posted on 11/03/2009 12:13:51 AM PST by Tempest
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To: Tempest

Out of curiosity, did you ever read Atlas Shrugged? The entire thing?


2 posted on 11/03/2009 12:16:15 AM PST by Spktyr (Overwhelmingly superior firepower and the willingness to use it is the only proven peace solution.)
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To: Tempest

Oh good Grief. Slate has their panties in a wad. Yes she had many bad traits but on the evil of government she was spot on. Now tell me do liberals think .gov is evil. Of coarse they do if it is not socialist. As I said Good Grief.


3 posted on 11/03/2009 12:18:28 AM PST by therut
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To: Tempest
I especially love “Christians” that try to resolve their adoration of Rand...

They make my heart cry.

4 posted on 11/03/2009 12:19:39 AM PST by Tempest (I believe in the sanctity of life... As long as you can afford it.)
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To: Spktyr

I’ve never read Mein Kampf. What’s your point?


5 posted on 11/03/2009 12:20:59 AM PST by Tempest (I believe in the sanctity of life... As long as you can afford it.)
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To: Tempest
I've found it odd how the party that claims to support family values can hail this vile and morally bankrupt woman as such an iconic hero. What did she achieve, besides the corruption of souls.

What she pointed out is that people are individuals and need to be held to that personal responsibility. To contrast, many collectivists are so lost in group-approval syndrome that even when attempting to be manipulative, they spontaneously use group phrases without even realizing it, like "the party that claims." For all of Rands personal faults, she has had an enormously positive effect of millions of people's understanding of personal responsibility in politics, and the absolute evil of collectivism in any form.

As a result, collectivists hate her with a passion few others receive, and can't help using such derogatory, dehumanizing, hate-filled descriptions such as "vile" and "morally bankrupt." Others go so far as to cynically invoke Christian morality through the use of terms such as "family values" and "corrupter of souls," all while trying to turn their audience against a person who fought against the most satanic of all political threats in the world.

All in all, she evokes an interesting reaction from collectivists the world over.

6 posted on 11/03/2009 12:23:57 AM PST by Talisker (When you find a turtle on top of a fence post, you can be damn sure it didn't get there on it's own.)
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To: therut
Oh well then. That's totally different. If we want to hail immoral A-holes up to point out that government is evil. We could always use Charles Manson or Bill Ayers as mascots as well...
7 posted on 11/03/2009 12:24:08 AM PST by Tempest (I believe in the sanctity of life... As long as you can afford it.)
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To: Tempest

Have you ever read the book?


8 posted on 11/03/2009 12:26:49 AM PST by fellowpatriot
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To: Talisker

I know what you mean.. Collectivist obviously hate all people who preach personal responsibiity. Like Jesus, Law-enforcement personel, and Smokey the Bear...

It all makes sense now. Totally good reason to have Rand as a mascot...


9 posted on 11/03/2009 12:27:03 AM PST by Tempest (I believe in the sanctity of life... As long as you can afford it.)
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To: Tempest

Aww, you’re all wee wee-ed up today. Poor thing.


10 posted on 11/03/2009 12:27:52 AM PST by Carley (OBAMA IS A MALEVOLENT FORCE IN THE WORLD)
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To: Tempest

Perhaps you should read the works before you criticize them.

Even if only under the ‘know your enemy’ department.


11 posted on 11/03/2009 12:28:03 AM PST by Spktyr (Overwhelmingly superior firepower and the willingness to use it is the only proven peace solution.)
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To: fellowpatriot

Have you read any gay men’s magazines?


12 posted on 11/03/2009 12:28:34 AM PST by Tempest (I believe in the sanctity of life... As long as you can afford it.)
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To: Tempest

I believe you are overdue at your psychiatrists.


13 posted on 11/03/2009 12:28:52 AM PST by fish hawk (It's sad that science gathers knowledge faster than society gathers wisdom. Isaac Asimov)
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To: Spktyr; All

How many times have you read the Koran?


14 posted on 11/03/2009 12:30:00 AM PST by Tempest (I believe in the sanctity of life... As long as you can afford it.)
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To: Tempest

Some of the most moral people in the world support evil political ideas. Rand knew the evil of collectivism. As the article states that boot on her neck as a child was never forgotton.


15 posted on 11/03/2009 12:31:33 AM PST by therut
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To: fish hawk
Sorry, I'll begin my indoctrination of Rand er I mean Ms. Rosenbaum worship immediately.
16 posted on 11/03/2009 12:32:05 AM PST by Tempest (I believe in the sanctity of life... As long as you can afford it.)
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To: Tempest

At least four times, actually. A couple of the CAIR-type ‘redacted’ versions and some of the scholarly ‘non-politically-correct’ translations.

I even read Mein Kampf twice - once in the original German, in which it’s really a PITA. As more than one person has put it, it’s ‘heavy going.’

I’ve also read and understand Marx and Guevara. Again, one should know whereof he speaks when he chooses to criticize a work or an author.


17 posted on 11/03/2009 12:34:07 AM PST by Spktyr (Overwhelmingly superior firepower and the willingness to use it is the only proven peace solution.)
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To: Tempest
I've found it odd how the party that claims to support family values can hail this vile and morally bankrupt woman as such an iconic hero.

Why is she morally bankrupt? Because she is an atheist? Are you saying no athiest or agnostic can have a home in the party that supports family values?

Can you be a non-believer and still accept that the society you live in was built on the tenets of Judeo Christian values and still adhere to those values and laws?

18 posted on 11/03/2009 12:34:20 AM PST by riri (http://rationaljingo.blogspot.com/)
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To: therut

“Some of the most moral people in the world support evil political ideas”

So which ones do you think Jesus would support?


19 posted on 11/03/2009 12:34:24 AM PST by Tempest (I believe in the sanctity of life... As long as you can afford it.)
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To: Tempest
Read Atlas Shrugged and tell me what in that book is divergent from a conservative world view.
20 posted on 11/03/2009 12:35:08 AM PST by PugetSoundSoldier (Indignation over the sting of truth is the defense of the indefensible.)
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