Few authors have ever achieved the popularity that the novelist and essayist Ayn Rand (1905-1982) did. With the publication of The Fountainhead in 1943 and Atlas Shrugged in 1957, Rand became a full-blown cultural phenomenon, selling millions of books and inspiring countless readers—ranging from former Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan to Playboy founder Hugh Hefner to actress Angelina Jolie—with her moral defense of capitalism. A refugee from Soviet Russia, Rand argued that capitalism was the best way of organizing society not simply because it was more efficient than communism but because it allowed the individual to fill his or her potential. A self-declared “radical for capitalism,” Rand emphatically rejected collectivism of all stripes and embraced “man as a heroic being, with his own happiness as the moral purpose of his life, with productive achievement as his noblest activity, and reason as his only absolute.” Decades after her death, Rand’s work is hotter than ever. In an age of massive government intervention into every aspect of the economy and personal lives, sales of her books are way up and a movie version of Atlas Shrugged is in the works. References to Rand are everywhere from Mad Men to The Colbert Report to The Simpsons and there’s even a new critical appreciation, as evidenced by two new biographies, Ayn Rand And The World She Made and Goddess of The Market: Ayn Rand And The American Right. Approximately four minutes long and produced by Meredith Bragg and Nick Gillespie, “Rand-O-Rama” analyzes the 21st-century Rand renaissance. It is part of the Reason.tv series Radicals For Capitalism: Celebrating the Ideas of Ayn Rand. Go here for more information, other videos, and related materials. reason.org For downloadable versions of all videos, go to reason.tv
Please educate me. Why is marijuana illegal? If we are reasonable animals, then there should be some reason why we have spent 70 years and trillions of dollars on marijuana prohibition. and the reason is? I am waiting…
Communist work camps existing today? Better believe it. Google “seattle conservative culture examiner” for the article.
This is great
Ayn Rand’s views are gaining ground, as any true ideas must eventualy in spite of the enormous lashout from stagnating minds who are afraid of change
That image of the women (and attractive ones to boot!) holding the “We are Galt” poster is one of the sexiest things I’ve ever seen.
that was cool..
Young Ayn Rand pics are very sexy. I would seriously LOVE if my girlfriend had any notion of intelligence that Ayn Rand obviously had.
Fuck dude, Where does capital come from? Who embodies the capital market? How would socialism exist without capitalism?
Be CREATIVE, LIVE LIFE, BE ADVENTUROUS, EXAMINE REALITY !!!
Do we really need a Russian Philosopher to tell us how our country should exist? If not RAnd, then Marx…
Who among you have created a real philosophy?
Rand was a fucking joke of a human being and her philosophy was bankrupt. Her material is best left to children.
And what have you done with your life? I bet it is far from comparable with Rand’s accomplishments.
because by prohibiting marijuana we reduce of produce dolts like you hahaha
Gillian Anderson (of X files fame) has a striking resemblance of Ayn Rand.
great point.
The number 1. most dangerous recreational drug is Nicotine. Nicotine kills hundreds of thousands of Americans a year (Ironically, Ayn Rand was one of them)
The number 2 most dangerous drug is alcohol. This drug causes some people to become violent. I teach in a school with a high number of FASD students. Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder. The U. N. estimates that Alcohol is responsible for 4% of deaths world-wide.
Number killed by Cannabis? Zero. No one has ever died from consuming weed
since the old Soviet archives are open, I suggest you read Gulag by Anna Applebuam and/or Ivan’s War by Catherine Merridale. These two authors catalog the crimes of Stalin
oops, my ‘great point” comment was in response to XxxNuMbxxX0301
I am not alone in being irrational. Whole countries act irrationally. Look at Bush’s invasion of Iraq and the shredding of the constitution. A whole country capitulated as the Bush administration rolled back human rights all the way back to the Magna Carta. Obama is yet to give up on these Pre-medieval governmental powers.
Feminism must fucking die!!!
Marijuana is illegal because politicians and the CIA can’t make their cut off of you potentially growing the hash in your backyard. Haha. This stops you from growing your own capital. It makes logical sense when you really look at the information given to you. The CIA does the same with cocaine. They don’t get their cut, they set you up. The government is the only one that can deal drugs and take your money! In the name of the “greater good”!
As Dr. Paul puts it, “Don’t Steal, the Government hates competition.”
@copcorona For all you know, She could’ve died happy, most people in this world like their privacy. You will always die alone, buddy. Your mom won’t die with you, your partner won’t die with you, and that’s the truth. You might find meaning in your life by connecting with people you love, but others find meaning by knowledge. You are just an individual with certain beliefs and morals. Don’t impose your ideas to every general individual.
Haha. No, it’s the merger between the supergroup we call, government, and corporations the government deems, “too big to fail.” This is called fascism. We live in one today. Don’t get the misconception from idiots like Micheal Moore that “It’s capitalism’s fault!” when in reality it’s corporatism. If we lived in a truly ‘free market’, you would not see any bailout whatsoever for whatever company. The people, and the market will choose with their money who stays and who goes. Not Big Brother.
It’s not ridiculous. Even in Rand’s philosophy she regards “elites” as antagonists . There will be those with their own interests like Toohey to manipulate others to gain power over them. But these types of men should not be allowed to live or be in power, because they infringe upon other individuals rights as human beings. Power hungry elites do exist, and they do a whole lot to keep you living in a fantasy land. A character like Roark and others could see through that.
I am with you Yanikv. but we are now living in Rand’s Utopia of private armies and no limits on corporate power.
you have summed up Rand better than anyone else Somalia as her Utiopia no laws just guns
I don’t know. From what I have read, she was a very unhappy person. crazy from the Benzedrine and impossible to “reason” with. her personality and philosophy were brittle, not strong this does not add up to a “happy” person. just another nutty meth head. a smart, rich meth head, but a meth head crazy to the end.
What has this to do with reason?
@hyperseauton
More then you know.