Posted on 01/15/2019 8:48:31 PM PST by huckfillary
If people did not indulge in such abject evasions as the claim that some contemptible liar “means well”—that a mooching bum “can’t help it”—that a juvenile delinquent “needs love”—that a criminal “doesn’t know any better”—that a power-seeking politician is moved by patriotic concern for “the public good”—that communists are merely “agrarian reformers”—the history of the past few decades, or centuries, would have been much different.
Good morning FRiend ;)
“It is the same dumb argument”
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I’m not making an argument, just made an observation. A person who spends their life advocating against something and then rejects his own position as not applying to himself is gonna have problems. That’s just the way things go.
But as we both seem to agree - everyone is a hypocrite to one degree or another. This is one reason why I’m not into guru-following or hero-worship.
As Dylan (a guy who made millions singing about the poor) once said:
‘Don’t follow leaders, watch the parking meters’
No, you have the same dumb argument.
Ayn Rand is no hypocrite, you are.
Ayn Rand lived under Communism, which makes people poor.
Hence Rand was poor. That makes sense.
She wrote about Communism, not about Get Rich Quick.
You make a flippant assumption that Rand had her whole life to recover from that despair. That is a flaw many money gurus often make too, so that they can sell their junk money products.
Wealthy trust fund gurus sell money lies, but they made their money through fortune. Research the story of Rich Dad guru for one example.
Simple Summary, just because a person is wealthy means NOTHING about their knowledge about money. Nothing. The fortune factor is difficult to monetize.
Fact is, a super smart money person, may have used their knowledge to escape homelessness & alcoholism. They are not rich, but have still done well to escape despair.
Ask any know it all about money, what the price of a stock will be next month. By that, you will learn 99% of people know zilch about money and are really living on fortune.
“Hence Rand was poor.”
“You make a flippant assumption that Rand had her whole life to recover from that despair.”
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I’m not sure I’d wanna follow the economic teachings of who’s life was one filled with despair and poverty.
But I understand others may think otherwise - don’t matter to me if they do.
“A person who spends their life advocating against something and then rejects his own position as not applying to himself is gonna have problems.”
This is only true if a person lived in a [relatively] “free” society. Many people - most of us here likely - are forced into living in the society, culture and government structure that exists here. The structure has been, and is becoming increasingly, socialist and authoritarian. Ms. Rand - like us - end up in our situation not by our own choices but by the strictures that are in place in the society which we live. Our choice becomes continue living or simply commit a form of suicide by attempting to live in a manner that cannot be achieved in the world we live in. (I am assuming - a fair assumption in the world today - that there is no place, no country, to relocate to that operates under a truly libertarian social and governmental structure).
This doesn’t make a person a hypocrite in any manner. We all believe certain things that we cannot implement in our lives because the structure of our society makes it impossible to do so. I am incensed by the political class and our perverted government-run medical system forcing Medicare upon senior citizens. However, if I am going to live in the United States, then at age 64 I am required to sign up...even if I don’t use it. I am opposed to Social Security as a concept. However, my choice is to get nothing at all back from the politicians that stole my money from me or take it when I reach age. I don’t get other choices.
That is not being a hypocrite, that is being forced to live in a society that create such structures that leave an individual no real choice. And year by year, as the Marxists gain more and more power in this society, there will be much more that is forced upon us, even though we do not believe in it and will argue as forcibly as we can against it.
“there is no place, no country, to relocate to that operates under a truly libertarian social and governmental structure”
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Some things that work out really well on paper don’t function nearly as well in the real world. Communism has the same problem.
Very well put. Those who say collecting Social Security are hypocrites are the same ones PAYING social security taxes. The real world is where we are all forced to live no matter what our beliefs are.
Rand ping. The comments are interesting.
That is true - and probably true of our form of government as well (as we are witnessing in these times).
However, I will point out that there ARE in existence in the world Communist form of government. In fact, most of West currently has varying levels of Marxist forms - and in our government and society as well, Marxism is becoming more and more acceptable and popular. It has been for some time now and is increasing in speed as all of the major institutions in our society, both public and private, become more heavily imbued with Marxist philosophy.
Ms. Rand had a much tougher row to hoe in speaking for her principles than, say, the hot new maven Ocasio-Cortez has in speaking for her philosophy.
Thank You for the ping Publius.
Is it a problem if I visit a federal park?
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