I get what you are saying on an intellectual level, but altruism is part of human nature. We are built to work with each other. We are made for each other. We are social creatures. The key is to balance altruism with individualism. Rand’s philosophy does not allow for this simple reality, and that’s why Objectivism never works in the real world.
Rand got John Galt wrong.
The communist party of China has taken over a lot of production, due to one aspect: COST.
The communist party of China has the numbers, and the difference in wages, to win this contest. If we continue this same tactic of allowing them to take over.
We must. Must get aggressive.
We also must, start playing defense.
As well as offense. Both defense AND offense are critical.
Now.
It did work in the real world. Look at the success of this country. Now you see it being destroyed by “trying to balance Altruism and individualism”. Don’t you see that they are incompatible. It’s either one or the other. Capitalism and the free market, private property and free speech can not exist under the Altruist morality. And as the moral code of Altruism comes to be practiced more fully as it is today you see all of these things being destroyed. We are not made for each other. We are social beings but not in the way it is preached in our society. We are created as individuals. Every man is an island. There is nothing wrong with helping people and being kind to others and giving money to those who are struggling, so long as it is voluntary. But if you accept the premise that you exist to serve others, that it is your duty, then what objections can you have when you are taxed at a higher rate or your property is taken and given to someone else? Really. Objectivism will work precisely because it is based on the real world and on Human nature. Look at the Declaration of Independence and you see Objectivism so eloquently stated in a single paragraph. This country was founded on the principles of Objectivism but from the very start it was infected with Altruism and as has happened all throughout Human history the majority have chosen to follow that path and take a look at the result: Barack Obama, Harry Reid, Nancy Pelosi, Barney Frank, Hillary Clinton, Tim Geitner, Chuck Schumer, George W. Bush. How about Social Security, Medicaid, Welfare, Food Stamps, Obamacare, The war on Poverty, The minimum wage, the National Labor Relations board, the EPA, the Green Energy Initiative, Farm Subsidies, Ethanol subsidies, the National Endowment for the Arts, NPR, Affirmative action, Slavery, Jim crow laws, racism, multi-culturalism, political correctness and the list goes on and on. All of these evils are based on the moral code of Altruism. The basic premise that a man’s life is not his property but belongs to the state or his brothers or God. That he has no right to exist except to serve others.
I think the difference is that it is fine to want to help people because you enjoy it or to serve your Lord. It is important to remember that you are not REQUIRED to. It is not your social DUTY. You would not be a bad person if you chose not to help. You should certainly never be physically forced into providing for others. Your virtue (altruism) should never be used as a weapon against you by the leeches and moochers in society. When we as a society start turning virtue (charity) into weakness and vice (covetousness) into a strength then people turn away from virtue and toward vice.