Normally, I would not be citing Ayn Rand as one of the people who influenced me. She had little compassion for others, and she felt that it was the duty of the prime movers of society to withhold their contributions to that society when second stringers try to take what isn't theirs. Answering the question "Who is John Galt?" is central to the theme of Atlas Shrugged, as it is John Galt who starts his own revolution against the bandits of society.
As much as I do not believe in Rand's values, I feel that she raised some important questions, questions whose answers were just as important now as when the book was written. The most important of these questions is what happens when a prime mover is caught in a kleptocracy who wants to steal creations to feather their nests instead of benefiting society.
It's been a month since the Orange Snowflake has been in office, and we're seeing him attempting to dismantle the social infrastructure which has allowed the common person a sense of security in society. Medicaid was designed so that the poorest of Americans would have some access to healthcare, and yet its budget is at risk, so that the richest of Americans can get tax breaks.
Ayn Rand would probably not approve of what America has evolved into, but I think she would be appalled at a government led by a felonious grifter, a man only interested in gaining wealth and power without caring how his actions affect others. To Rand, there was a nobility in a capitalist who produces something of value, such as Henry Ford and his automobiles, Thomas Edison and his electrical devices, as well as too many others to count. She would be a palled at the minimally qualified (at best) to be in the Snowflake's cabinet, as well as the party hacks who would ignore his criminality to remain in positions of power.
In a way, Rand's work is as relevant as ever, but not in the way she intended. When a society has developed a safety net meant to protect its citizens in times of need, would she advocate for its dismantling to enrich society's "bandit class"? I doubt it. She would likely be advocating for it to be made as efficient as possible, so that as little money as possible is taken from the productive class of that society. She may not have believed in such a safety net. But she likely would be just as (if not more) appalled that a bandit class is trying to take that wealth for itself.
I don't recall Rand saying much against the poorest members of society. There would always be marginalized classes in society (racial discrimination, ethnic discrimination, gender discrimination, etc.) and she believed that market forces would eventually correct these evils. However, she could not see that there were some problems which could not be resolved in the marketplace, nor could she see any situations where markets could fail. She neglects problems that could only be solved with non market based solutions. A good example of this would be eliminating Jim Crow in America's south. The powers that were depended on a subservient black labor force to maintain a corrupt society. Only by external pressure and non market solutions could this problem be addressed. And the Orange Snowflake appears to be willing to reinstate that way of life to pay off his friends in the bandit class.
Having read Atlas Shrugged, I feel that Rand was advocating a rebellion against the bandit class by withholding support of their regimes. Only do business with honorable businessmen, and let the society corrupted by the bandits collapse on its own. Years ago, the movie "Network" made famous the phrase: "I'm made as hell, and I'm not going to take it anymore!" Maybe, just maybe, someone has to be the first to strike out against he bandit class. Hopefully, Luigi Mangione was the first person who says for all of us, that we're mad as hell and we're not going to take it anymore.
.png)
