In such a case i think (working from her works) one could say that she insinuates it is better to have a superiority complex than an inferiority complex, and that everyone who decides to not be their best in a bid to be 'nice' and be utilitarian is a sot!
Althoug Ayn Rand has her own issues when it comes to her philosphies, and is depicted as a cult symbol by some and as a pariah by others. Some of her issues is that she does not believe in God (she says religion is making people suffer suppression, repression and oprression in this world in the 'hope' that they shall get a 'reward' in some 'future perfect heavenly world' that for her does not exist), and she also was at loggerheads with some cultural propriety (for similar reasons as the religion thing).
However no matter what Rand has to say the fact still remains that what that Cali school is trying to do is so silly i dare say it is stupid! After all the kids will find competition everywhere...and it is only going to INCREASE! And taking out the game of tag is just not only ludicrous but asinine!
True, but they also had socialist/liberal types in them as bad guys, who were doing all they could to p***yfy the world through taxes, punishment of success, oppressive laws, etc.
Just as Orwell's "1984" is one of the most instructive overviews of totalitarianism ever written (despite being "just" a novel), Rand's "Atlas Shrugged" is the best illustration of the results of budding socialism/communism. The novel contains an entire inventory of all the ways that the socialists/communists attempt to destroy capitalism and individualism. And the successive stages and long-term results of those agendas are shown in the course of the novel.
It's a real eye-opener for people who haven't given socioeconomics much prior thought.
And it's scary that although the events in the book seemed like science fiction when I first read it in 1982, all too much of it reads like today's headlines now.
She was extremely Nietzschean and quite Machiavellian.....unless i am mistaken.
Um... Not really. Both of those imply a "screw you to get mine" outlook, which is very definitely *not* part of her philosophy. In "Atlas Shrugged", especially, there's a very strong code of honor involved which specifically forbids defrauding or stealing from anyone, or even mooching or accepting charity.