[blue-duncan]

"complete distortion of what Rand said. Rand stood for individual rights"

Individual rights are promoted, exercised and protected from a position of strength, not cooperation or weakness. If you read Rand that comes out loud and clear. As for capitalism, Rockefeller, Carnegie, Ford and Gates have nothing to do with it. Their empires were built on ruthless monopolistic tactics. They drove competitors out of the market place by buying them out, unfair trade tactics, copyright and trademark laws, endless expensive lawsuits or financial intimidation. Lives were ruined and businesses destroyed in their lust for power. They were no different in their tactics than Stalin and Pol Pot except the latter killed with violence rather than with banks and lawyers. But they had the same thing in common; the lust for selfish power over people, whether in the market place or in politics.

[CarolinaGuitarman]

" Individual rights are promoted, exercised and protected from a position of strength, not cooperation or weakness. "

No it doesn't. It comes out of a the moral certainty that the initiation of force is always wrong. I doubt you have ever read any of her work.

"As for capitalism, Rockefeller, Carnegie, Ford and Gates have nothing to do with it. Their empires were built on ruthless monopolistic tactics."

Their businesses were built out of hard work and the willing exchange of goods and services. I am sorry you hate capitalism so much, though not surprised.

"Lives were ruined and businesses destroyed in their lust for power. They were no different in their tactics than Stalin and Pol Pot except the latter killed with violence rather than with banks and lawyers."

No, people's lives were made better, even yours. Gates has forced nobody to use his products, he has no monopoly; that's just a left-wing myth. Your hatred for individual rights and capitalism is out of place here. Your views are more in line with Marx than Adam Smith.