1st in a series of “Who is … ?” posts in exploration of: 1) the “Who is John Galt?” question posed in Ayn’s 1957 novel, Atlas Shrugged; and 2) the Paul Ryan/Rand mysteries. So to the question: “Who is [Ayn Rand]?” □ a real, historical figure (1905-1982) who named her subjectivist theories, Objectivism? □ a […]
Who is [Ayn Rand]? Read More »
During this year 2012 (which marks the 30th anniversary of the death of Ayn Rand), I have been re-reading Atlas Shrugged.[1] Besides doing a little Ayn-alysing,[2] I have been struck by the inadvertent symbolism of her $-sign on a cigarette butt. That symbol has proven profoundly apt for those devoted above all things to self-direction,
Inadvertent Symbolism? Read More »
(Déjà vu characters from 424 BC ~ courtesy of ARISTOPHANES[1] with some minor name changes for the sake of clarity.) [A Duel of Economic Ideologies (including personalities): continued from the previous two posts.] SAUSAGE-SELLER. The story is worth hearing. Listen! From here I rushed straight to the Senate, right in the track of this man;
Duel of Abuse ~ Round Xn2 Read More »
(Déjà vu characters from 424 BC ~ courtesy of ARISTOPHANES[1] with some names slightly amended for clarity.) In the last post, Dimisthenes asks, “Who will get us out of this mess?” And who should promptly show up but a sausage-seller! He is swiftly recruited to the cause. What follows is an Aristophian distillation of mankind’s
Duel of Abuse ~ Round Xn1 Read More »
(Déjà vu characters from 424 BC ~ courtesy of ARISTOPHANES[1] with some names slightly amended for clarity.) [DIMISTHENES:] I will begin then. We have a very brutal master, a perfect glutton for bean[counting], and most bad-tempered; ’tis Demos of [DC], an intolerable old man and half deaf. The beginning of last month he bought a
Duel of Abuse 2012 ~ Prologue Read More »
(or The Toxic Fallout from Ayn & Uncle Miltie) Posted in observance of April [etc.] Fool’s Day Here are a few quotes from Boomerang by Michael Lewis—a déjà vu of “what you sow is what you reap [eventually**]”: “They created fake capital by trading assets amongst themselves at inflated values, … This was how the banks
A Series of Massive Delusions* Read More »
Isocrates ~ 436-338 BC: “Democracy destroys itself because it abuses its right to freedom and equality. Because it teaches its citizens to consider audacity as a right, lawlessness as a freedom, abrasive speech as equality, and anarchy as progress.” WikiCommons ~ Public Domain I am almost finished Boomerang: Travels in the New Third World
Déjà vu: Back & So-Forth Read More »