Luke

Bigger and better trade towers will cost more money. If that money is coming from taxpayers why is it so dumb to focus on that? The pyramids were built with slave labor. At the time would it have been moral to say, "These guys don't cost anything and can't fight back, so let's make them stay out here in the sun and build the biggest pyramid possible?"

Is it really? Choosing direction like choosing a career? If so, I'll go pick it up right now. Is that what you meant? I wouldn't have guessed that from the table of contents.

I did not think that Smith was altruistic. He said: "I have never known much good done by those who have affected to trade for the public good." and "It is not from the benevolence of the butcher, the brewer, or the baker that we expect our dinner, but from their regard to their own self-interest." What did he say to confess altruism?

**** SPOILERS **** Wait a minute. From the beginning of the movie, Vincent is talking about how nobody cares about anyone, and that everyone is an insignificant speck to a world that will not remember them and will keep spinning after they're gone. After he kills the first criminal-turned-witness, he makes that point again saying that because Max doesn't know the dead man it doesn't matter that he's dead now anymore than it matters that the so many people in Rwanda die so quickly. The premise is that you only have value if someone else values you. Moreover, since he doesn't value himself, Vincent doesn't have a purpose of his own. He has only the purpose that someone else gives him, which ends up a brutish one described on a disk as a list of targets. That he mentions the story of the LA man who died on a train without anyone noticing is important too, because he thinks that story describes everyone including himself, and his actions consequently lead him to the same ending. He finds out that Max has a long-term goal, but doesn't pursue it diligently or take the necessary risks. I agree with you about the quality of Max's development, but it's driven by Vincent, who amazingly articulates to Max the importance of pursuing goals without realizing the mistake of his own life. He uses the same life-is-a-speck talk to accomplish this. Only when talking to Max this emphasis is different. It's YOUR life that will be over soon, so do something now. There's a selfish motive implicit in that line, but Vincent doesn't value himself and he can't have a selfish motive. That theme climaxes in the car crash. Afterwards, there's nothing more that Vincent can say that will help or advance Max's character, and he runs out of the scene. Max is about to put his head down and go on the same way when he sees the picture of the girl he likes on the floor of the torn up car. She was tied to his highest value after he gave her his only picture of the island. He realizes he values something, and goes running off to save it from....the predatory emptiness embodied by Vincent. So it gets symbolic in the last scene, but the importance of values and a selfish motive is driven home very skillfully. I'd say more, but if you disagree with this interpretation of events then the other details wil not help convince you that there's more to this movie. I agree that Vincent is evil, but he's evil ultimately because he doesn't value himself and he takes that to its logical conclusion.

I think Objectivists would like the movie Collateral. It doesn't really show life how it can and should be, but it hints at that in dialogue. What it shows is how life can and shouldn't be. It's definitely value oriented. I think that Cruise's character is smart but defined by a mistaken premise, and the plot and theme of the movie are driven by it. The movie ends where the logic of that premise does. I don't want to go into a lot of detail and spoil it for people who haven't seen it. Is there anyone who has seen it and understands what I mean? I wanted to talk about it with someone.

These are neat. Do you have more links?

It is very nice. Good Job.