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Stalin and Mao were quite rational and logical and clear-headed (much more than most people) and considered themselves overwhelming successes. It just didn't matter to them that they wiped out tens of millinos of people; it made rational sense for them to do such to reach their goals. That we consider wiping out so many people evil comes from somewhere else.

True, Stalin and Mao were rational and logical, but only to a point. Their goals of a Utopia were impossible to achieve, but their over inflated self opinions refused to let the apparent logic of their fallacy damage their fragile egos. No matter what they did, their ideas did not work, causing them to take measures against people who disagree with them, rather than listen to them as well as facts, and realize that they are wrong. I think that Stalin and Mao and their ilk were exactly the kind of people that Rand hated. You probably know many like them, those that have such a small ego, such a miniscule thread of it, that they will savagely attack anyone who dares to criticize them and endanger that last remaining shred. Randian heroes didnt give a damn what others thought of them, and since they depended on others for nothing (other than what could be bought, sold or traded, that is), paid them no mind. Facist pigs like Stalin and Mao and Clinton cannot abide criticism of them, because they have so much to lose. Just my opinion, hope it made sense...JFK

Randian heroes didnt give a damn what others thought of them, and since they depended on others for nothing (other than what could be bought, sold or traded, that is), paid them no mind.

Right. But many, many in this world (Chrisitans in particular - 1/3 of the world) believe that we exist to serve others - that the ultimate good is based on selflessness (not selfishness or self-interest or self-reliance). That is a notion of good that is given to them by God - not one like Rand's which is self-established - and which is one of many self-established moralities (like Stalin's).

True, Stalin and Mao were rational and logical, but only to a point. Their goals of a Utopia were impossible to achieve

I'm not sure Stalin and Mao are the best examples. You have to recognize the difference between their stated goals and their actual goals. They wanted to run everything. They liked killing people. 99% of philosophy is just a justification for what we want to do.

It's pretty tough to start a revolution by saying "I want to run things so I can steal everything of value, rape women and children and torture and murder everyone who disagrees with me." It's much easier to start one by saying, "Look how bad the masses are being treated! We must overthrow the powerful elite and build a more egalitarian society." Course, once they had the money and the army, that last part about spreading the wealth around kind of got lost in the mix.