Who needs cranky Ayn Rand when we have Thomas Jefferson?
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Agorism
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Jefferson opposed standing armies for the central government. He is also closely associated with the Anti-Federalist movement, and he characterized the delegates of the Philidelphia convention as an assembly of "demi-gods."
His greatest accomplishment lies in the his authoring the Declaration of Independence saying that Government law did not apply here.
He was always anti-government not pro. Being anti-war and anti-government is essentially the same thing though.
His greatest accomplishment lies in the his authoring the Declaration of Independence saying that Government law did not apply here.
He was always anti-government not pro. Being anti-war and anti-government is essentially the same thing though.
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sailingaway
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I liked the Fountainhead ok when I was in high school, but I tried to get into Atlas Shrugged last year, having heard so much rhapsodizing over it here and elsewhere..... I haven't been able to get into it.
I much prefer Jefferson to Ayn Rand.
I much prefer Jefferson to Ayn Rand.
low preference guy
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Jefferson didn't have an ethical system consistent with capitalism. Ayn Rand does. That's why when capitalism is established in the future, it will be thanks to Ayn Rand, not Thomas Jefferson.
sailingaway
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I don't need a perfect pattern from anyone.
eduardo89
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The first 100 or so pages of Atlas Shrugged are hard, but after that it's really good
sailingaway
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Well, maybe I'll try it again, then. I have read some books like that that were worth it.
TheNcredibleEgg
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Yeah, I started once and quit after about 50 pgs. Then returned to it.
The book transform into a great story after 100-200 pgs and you really get into the characters and the story. So much so that I remember thinking how did I ever let this book sit so long unread on my bookshelf?
(But be prepared to get really glossy eyed from around pg 1000-1075.)
TheeJoeGlass
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Why do you say that?
I disagree. You are probably referring to Rand's ethical egoism as compared with Jefferson's belief in altruism; I believe it is a serious misconception that altruism is incompatible with the free market or inconsistent with free-market thought. In fact, to the contrary, individual altruism can only exist in a system founded on voluntary exchanges as opposed to top-down coercion. As such, in terms of ethics, one need only be an individualist and/or a believer in the non-aggression principle- both of which are potentially compatible with either egoist or altruist morality- in order to oppose State economic intervention and thus support a free economy. Note that our own Ron and Rand Paul are altruists, as evidenced by their impressive charitable backgrounds (they have both made a point of offering free or lower-priced medical services to the poor in their respective local communities) and well-expressed Christian faith (Christianity having been founded by the ultimate altruist in Jesus Christ).
As for the video, a couple of the quotes they used are actually misattributions; the "people fear the government/government fears the people" line actually comes from Ben Franklin, for instance. Additionally, they left out most of Jefferson's best stuff, such as:
“I sincerely believe... that the principle of spending money to be paid by posterity under the name of funding is but swindling futurity on a large scale.”
"The natural progress of things is for liberty to yield and government to gain ground."
"In questions of power, then, let no more be heard of confidence in man, but bind him down from mischief with chains of the Constitution."
"A wise and frugal government which shall restrain men from injuring one another, which shall leave them otherwise free to regulate their own pursuits of industry and improvement, and shall not take from the mouth of labor the bread it has earned. This is the sum of good government."
“I sincerely believe... that the principle of spending money to be paid by posterity under the name of funding is but swindling futurity on a large scale.”
"The natural progress of things is for liberty to yield and government to gain ground."
"In questions of power, then, let no more be heard of confidence in man, but bind him down from mischief with chains of the Constitution."
"A wise and frugal government which shall restrain men from injuring one another, which shall leave them otherwise free to regulate their own pursuits of industry and improvement, and shall not take from the mouth of labor the bread it has earned. This is the sum of good government."
And Obama is to Peace.
Someone needs to give her a Nobel Prize for
It doesn't really require an massive philosophical talent to preach self-centric objectivism or indvidulism without practicing it.
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TheeJoeGlass
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The more I hear about Rand, I like her less an less.
LibertyEagle
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He was also President of the United States.
Staring, the misconceptions about her have to be cleared up.
1) She wasn't against charity. At all. She was against FORCED "charity".
2) She wasn't militant. She favored non-intervention. The youtube clip always used against her is misleading. She felt the Iranians had violated property rights when they nationalized the oil rigs that we built.Therefore, we had the right to reclaim our property that she felt was stolen from us.
3) Her emphasis wasn't money or "hating poor people". Her emphasis was on ACHIEVEMENT with money being the proper award for that achievement. She was vehemently against "looters" who used the government, or force in general, to acquire wealth.
My comparison to Einstein and Newton is like this. Think of your thoughts and beliefs as a large structure, a skyscraper say. Most genius' come along with ways to tweak that structure, or apply parts of it and new and effective ways. Occasionally, some genius' turn the whole structure on it's head. That's what people like Einstein and Rand did.
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