Hey Randians, There’s More To Life Than Economics: Mike Lee is right, life is not an Ayn Rand novel

The Federalist ^ | December 12, 2013 | Nicholas Rizzuto

[Vanders9]

One of the greatest weapons of 'progressives' is this idea that the 'progression' they advocate (because there are other kinds) is somehow natural and inevitable. Kind of like the marxists claiming history was on their side and that capitalism would collapse under its own contradictions. Some of them were still spouting this the day before the Berlin wall collapsed. Anyway, the point is that this enables them to assert that your opposition to affirmative action, or gay 'marriage' sounds exactly the same as the opposition to slavery, or mixed race marriage, in years gone by. You are a dinosaur, who will be judged by the future as a bigot and a racist. Get on the right side of history man!

Of course it's all twaddle, designed to win arguments by sheer bluff rather than have to go through all that logic and hard debate work. There is no reason why current social trends in drug use, abortion, or sexual activity cannot be reversed, or even sheer off in some other direction. Sexual and social mores have oscillated from one extreme to another for centuries, as even a cursory examination of history will illustrate. All it requires is for people to think differently on these matters, and that is what we are in politics for. Just because the other side claims that they will prevail doesnt mean that they will, unless of course by shouting that so loud they shut us up.

In other words, FRiend...do not despair! The world may not bend to your wishes often, but it doesn't bend to theirs either.

[fortheDeclaration]

Her philosophy isn't anti-charity, and she make a point to note that.

She was against the view that held that those in need had a right (welfare system) to your life and goods.

Sadly, many so-called 'Conservatives' think that the welfare state is just fine even though it is based on implicit force.

It is immoral.

[fortheDeclaration]

The idealized image of a family sitting around a Thanksgiving table says more about America in one image than Atlas Shrugged was able to say in 1,168 pages of dense text.

The abundance pictured in that picture came from the Capitalist system, which allows freedom of association and private property.

The Puritans almost starved to death because they tried socialism before they tried private property rights.

Take away capitalism and you have each man fighting for the scraps that the Government throws our way.

Those in government today who call themselves conservatives seem very unconcerned with defending private property, but are more concerned with making the welfare state work more efficiently.

[Kartographer]

"Libertarians are Liberals at heart..."

Their only saving grace is that they don't want to other peoples money.

[InterceptPoint]

Lee’s initial remarks are easily misinterpretable by honest people. All that was needed was the clarification given. The rest is picking a fight with people that we don’t need to have.
++++++++++
Well said. That was exactly my immediate reaction when reading the article.

A fight we don’t need.

Mike Lee is a good guy. A good Senator. We need more like him.

[Ueriah]

Montanajoe:

Although we are free men and surely able to pick the company that we keep, I think that there are many issues where Conservatism and Libertarians agree.

Both want smaller government.

Both believe in the Constitution.

Liberals hate both groups.

Sometimes when you are in a foxhole, it’s better to have someone on your side who disagrees with you on minor issues but agrees that you have a right to your opinion.

[ROCKLOBSTER]

issues where Conservatism and Libertarians agree.

How different things would be if the two parties in Congress were the Libertarians and the Teaparty.

[OKSooner]

"For sure Rand was against ‘looking out for the other fellow’ being forced on everyone’, but really she didnt have much time for voluntary charity either. She might have thought it should be allowed, but she quite clearly also thought it an utterly stupid thing to do. "

Yep. "Now that I've got mine screw you."

[Pelham]

Russell Kirk dismissed libertarians as “chirping sectaries” adding that they and conservatives have nothing in common...

[BfloGuy]

While the Randians rightfully hold individual achievement as the primary building block of prosperity, they seem to think that it occurs in a vacuum defined by the size and scope of government. They’d have you believe that all the remarkable individuals of the world need in order to reach their potential is the absence of government.

What tripe. "Randians" only "seem" to think that to this writer. It is either intentional misinterpretation or outright ignorance of Rand's philosophy. Probably the latter.

[muir_redwoods]

Believe as you like but your hopes are a totally lost cause in this culture. Nothing short of a complete collapse will turn the page back. The ‘50’s are not coming back.

[Vanders9]

I dont want the 50’s to come back. I want my culture to be alive, vibrant and prosperous in the 2020’s. Do you not think the future is worth fighting for?

[muir_redwoods]

Yes I do but wholesale change will take massive death. The people who have poisoned our culture are not open to persuasion; They already know they are indisputably right. They have to die out and, via their beloved abortion rights, leave no progeny similarly poisoned by their ideas.

I don’t see it happening soon or completely.

[dfwgator]

This is why families are so important. They are the ones who need to look out for each other, and not be reliant on those outside of the extended family.

But the traditional family structure has been destroyed, through disastrous government policy, and liberal propaganda. I believe this was done intentionally, so as to further increase the power of the government.