Ken Rahman

I see your point and greatly appreciate your explanation. Perhaps some day our options will be better. I certainly agree with you that a vote can matter, especially in Ohio. Thanks again, your posts are always interesting and thought provoking (and usually thought-clarifying).

Just to clarify: Saying that I don't understand how an Oist can vote for Obama, was not my way of tacitly endorsing McCain. I abhor both and will not vote for either. I hear people arguing over who is better and it seems like a false dichotomy to me. You can choose your master, but you cannot choose to not be a slave. It seems to me that voting for one of two evils gives sanction to the evil they perpitrate. I understand completely the distate for McCain and the right especially in regards to religion. I do not share the idea that we will be pushed into a theocracy. It seems like the push into further socialism with more government controls is a sure thing, and that seem like it will happen regardless of the who is elected. I agree that Obama poses less of a threat to individual rights. However, further economic controls left unchallenged don't seem to bode well for individuals either, not over the long run. I question as to whether the United States is even capable of becoming a free nation where liberty is paramount. Watching and listening to people around me and on TV makes me awfully cynical. It's disheartening. Speaking of disheartening... I have to leave for the dentist!

My apologies. I certainly did defiant from the topic's title. I have not voted yet, but I will either be voted for the issues only or not at all. I cannot force myself into a compromise between Obama or McCain. In a game of two evils, I'll choose not to play the game.

I don't understand how any Objectivist could honestly vote for Obama. The "best" argument that I have heard for Obama was from an anarcho-capitalist who said he would vote for Obama to speed up the inevitable collapse of society so a revolution could begin. Are there really Objectivists that support Obama? If so why?

I read excerpts from Ayn Rand Lexicon while in high school (I think that's when it was, its been a long time), and seeing a friend reading The Fountainhead in class. I respected his opinion so I started to read her non-fiction which frankly was difficult for me. Being in late teen years and deciding to read Objectivist Epistemology was intimidating, but fun. I actually read some quotes of Rand's in a body building book (no joke, Mike Mentzer's Heavy Duty II). So, I purchased Atlas Shrugged at 18 or 19 years old. Long story short.... I procrastinated and waited 10 years later to read Fountainhead and Atlas, and now regret waiting. They were life altering and I have made a friend at my work as he has fallen in for Rand's philosophy and literature. My wife as well has read the two novels and LISTEN TO THIS... as a suburban public school English teacher has replaced one of her books with Anthem. Yes, my wife got approval teaches Anthem in her eighth grade class (as well as propaganda and informal logical fallacies). I cannot begin to describe the change Ayn Rand has had on me, and those I value.

I'm in the "can only take him for 5 minutes" category. I honestly feel that the similarities that I have with him in regards to economics are coincidental. He ends up being like most rightists when he drops reason for faith in regards to metaphysics. He looses me at "Power on loan from god." I prefer to listen to Boortz or Glenn Beck, but they all get on my nerves quickly. I used to listen to O'Reilly when he was on here in order to play "count the logical fallacies" with a friend and fellow man of the mind. I typically end up loading my usb stick for my car with podcasts of more tolerable (i.e. rational) material.

I was actually reading on wikipedia last night about private highways and "free market roads" (hadnt heard of that phrase before). I am amazed at how often a statist pulls the "what about public roads" card out of their *** as some sort of last ditch resort to justify tyranny. According to what I read on wiki there are already many private roads in Europe. Another thing: Why do people come up with that rebuttal when you criticize the US (i.e. then leave!). Why is it an acceptable argument to them, when you confront them with the government's extortion of men via taxes, to say well leave then? Taxation is theft, and someone it is alright to steal if you are geographically located in the vicinity of the thief? That just seems like the same terrible argument someone would use to justify being mugged while in a "bad" part of town. Theft is always wrong regardless of who is doing it. Is it just me or are these two issues (roads and the just-leave thing) ones that always come up when irrational people are backed against a wall. Sorry for the rambling, but I have fallen prey to frustrations today after my wife forwarded me an email from a former friend that included the phrases: "civic duty" and "Morality is different for everyone." Time for some aspirin.

"If the govt abolished forced taxation, wouldn't everyone's bosses start lowering salaries across the board?" Why? What is the correlation between compulsory taxation and employee salaries? I can speak for where I am at by saying: If we had less money taken by the government there would be more money for compensation (e.g. salaries/bonuses) and investing.