Wow, post #13 was indeed brilliant. I have all of Rand's work. Rand's defense of Capitalism has no equal. She truly understood the utter evil of collectivism. She knew exactly of the evils we are facing today.
Everyone should indeed read post #13 (relevant to these idiot talking heads this Sunday)... I have reposted below the last paragraph of Gail Wynand's wonderfully insightful post.[with spelling corrections and broken into 3 paragraphs]
This nation and our civilization are rapidly falling away. If you want to know the cause start reading or re - read Ayn Rand. Short term financial gimmicks might stave off flagrant catastrophe for a bit. The parasites are consuming the host and the scavengers are already feeding on Europe, and little is left in the world that looks like enduring civilization. We are Rome before the vandals. It is night in America and the hyenas are in charge.
Be smug as long as you can, elitists, enjoy your privileges and speak dismissively of a genius who called you what you really are. Scoff at her personal failings in order to distract from her ideas, of free men, of a free society, of the nature of value of human achievement.
Raise your flags and make great speeches in honor of everything pointless and continue your headlong rush toward the politically correct society where sodomites, union thugs and the John Edwards of the world are just as or more important than Ford Carnegie and Edison, more important because Jersey Shore and Oprah have become the heart of America’s culture and Jeffrey Sachs an economic guiding light to those in power.
If you’re not on it, Publius has a ping list for Ayn Rand. You can get to his account at http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/bloggers/2934979/posts?page=18#18
Also, he hosted an entire group that read, or reread, Atlas Shrugged weekly and posted comments and analysis comparing AS to today’s world situation. He can tell you that link as well if you want it.