Oscar Wilde got screwed

[franksolich]

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x9633573

Oh my.

It's been like, ten days, since I last took out the boat and rowed over to Skins's island, and guess who the first primitive was, to greet me upon coming ashore.

Cyrano  (1000+ posts)        Fri Nov-26-10 12:12 PM
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Original message

Ayn Rand – And how she screwed us all

If you don’t know who Ayn Rand is, she wrote “The Fountainhead,” and “Atlas Shrugged,” among other works. She’s the goddess of neoconservatives and of millions of others who read her works, or heard of them, and which led them to believe or imagine their superiority over the rest of humanity. Alan Greenspan, who ran the Federal Reserve, (seemingly forever), was a true believer in her philosophy. The fiscal damage he did to America is almost beyond belief.

Basically, Ayn Rand believed that there were “superior” people who create things, and all the rest of us leeches who are along for the ride. She proclaimed that those who create things were exempt from any claims the rest of humanity had upon their works. She held that altruism is evil and that no one owes anyone else anything. (Google her if you don’t know about her.) And by the way, can anyone name anything that Wall Street "creates?"

I read Ayn Rand’s books many years ago and I found her to be a person whose upbringing in communist Russia warped her perception of humanity. She invented/adapted a philosophy which is partially responsible for the suffering taking place in our country today.

Most of the ruling class in America is driven by greed and a lust for power. Many of them have never read Ayn Rand. But for those who have, she has provided them with a rationale that frees them from guilt and responsibility for the suffering of others. They consider themselves to be superior people who are not subject to the rules of civilization.

Ayn Rand despised fascism, communism, and every other ism you can think of. Yet, it turns out that “Randism” has helped lead us to chaos, widespread suffering, and disaster. Her true believers couldn’t care less.

So when looking around for how we got where we are today, put Ayn Rand near the top of your list.

Cyrano  (1000+ posts)        Fri Nov-26-10 12:59 PM
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Response to Reply #4

5. Whatever title you put on the millions who kneel at her alter, they are the enemies of all liberal beliefs. I seem to recall others who held the belief that they were "superior beings." That didn't work out to well for the world. True believers in Ayn Rand, as well as those who pretend to believe in her philosophy, will always stand in the way of human progress, not to mention simple decency.

Cyrano  (1000+ posts)        Fri Nov-26-10 01:26 PM
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Response to Reply #7

8. It's amazing how many bought the crap she was peddling.

Then again, her philosophy lets the greediest, meanest pricks and sociopaths in the world off the hook. It let's them believe in their own "greatness" and the "inferiority" of the masses.

Cyrano  (1000+ posts)        Fri Nov-26-10 02:01 PM
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Response to Reply #12

13. Great quote.

I was about that age when I first read Ayn Rand's novels. And although I got caught up in the plots of "The Fountainhead" and "Atlas Shrugged," I had the nagging feeling that there was something wrong that I couldn't identify.

A few years later, I was fortunate enough to be exposed to teachers who helped me develop a social conscience. And it was only then that I realized what I found disturbing about her writings.

[thundley4]

Cyrano  (1000+ posts)        Fri Nov-26-10 12:59 PM
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Response to Reply #4

5. Whatever title you put on the millions who kneel at her alter, they are the enemies of all liberal beliefs¹. I seem to recall others who held the belief that they were "superior beings." That didn't work out to well for the world². True believers in Ayn Rand, as well as those who pretend to believe in her philosophy, will always stand in the way of human progress, not to mention simple decency.

1. Liberal beliefs usually include believing they are better than everyone else, and should make the rules.

2. It's nice that you point out the fact that socialism has failed so many times.