The Heretic

Hi, Rand is popular in the US and largely unknown in other countries. The only minor exception is the UK and India (according to google trends, etc). The UK is obviously linked to the US and part of its sphere of ideas. It's also the most pluralistic country after the US, so that's not surprising. India is a bit puzzling. It's associated to the UK somewhat, but I doubt that's the reason. Does anyone have a clue what has made Rand known in India? Cheers, The Heretic

A little bit of what Rand said, though it's not the law that will come at you. The rest of what Rand said you can quote freely, because everyone will believe you're either joking or a harmless nutter.

I'm not talking about arrest, but of social exclusion and the loss of your job. Germany isn't America, you can't just change the social environment: By and large, there's only one. If they don't like you, you're doomed. The "holocaust denial" issue isn't relevant, as one is socially destroyed way before going anyway near such things. There is a case of a news moderator (Hermans; public media) which, a couple of years ago, claimed that feminism was a mistake and destroyed the families. She lost her job and there was a show "tribunal" in a talk show she participated in. The tribunal featured throwing her out of the show with all other guests having been informed in advance. She was portrayed as a Nazi because that's the easiest thing you can get someone with in Germany (the America equivalent is the accusation of racism). The political establishment is a thousand times closer to the Nazi ideology than that women has been. People didn't pay enough attention to what she was actually saying and trusted political class's verdict. That trust is, however, eroding fast. And yes, if you're gay you're lucky in Germany and not in Russia. But up untily recently no man could openly pride himself with being a hero for his wife in Germany - he'd be destroyed socially. In Russia, it's the norm.

I don't know for certain, but I'd be very surprised if there was less freedom of speech in Russia than in Germany, where up until recently, there was almost none. I think Americans (and the West in general) often have a biased view on which countries are free and which aren't. Rand herself pointed out that democracy doesn't mean freedom. Russia isn't a free country. Neither is any continental European country. Even America is in a bad shape today. I'm German and I can tell you that if you'd come Germans with any flavor of Objectivism (religion is also quite bad, but not as much), you will not be socially accepted. You will be socially exiled from society (you don't get killed or imprisoned, but you lose your job and standing). Many of my attitudes I could display freely in Russia, but not here in Germany, where I live. There is no single man causing this in Germany. Still you hold, I should believe that in Russia, it's all Putin's fault? The Russians never had anything but Monarchy, Communism, and now a new Authoritarianism. Without Putin, there'd be another Putin (or maybe much worse). Russia is deeply mystical, so is Germany (in a completely different way) that's what one needs to change - then the countries are moving towards freedom. Note that Rand said about Russia (I'm quoting from memory): Russia so deeply rotten a country, I'm not surprised that it got a Communist ideology. So she also had the thought Russians are mystic => so they have authoritarian leaders (or worse). Mysticism is inside the people, it's changing, but slowly. That's what my text is making a point on (and how it could be accelerated). America has been moving towards mysticism (flavor 2), that's what's fueling the tyrannic nature of the US government. The government is not only the cause of the zeitgeist, it's also the effect. I thought that was consensus among Objectivists.

I just thought about this a bit more closely. No, I didn't thought of Putin as more good because he has less Power. I just make an educated guess that when I'd met the two people I could have a rational argument with Putin but probably not with Stalin. The latter was a quasi-religious madmen, Putin is a Machiavellian power-politician. I would even dare say that it's probably easier to have a rational discussion with him than with most of the American or European political class, who are entirely deluded. Evil comes from evasion, what's Putin evading (as far as we know)? That Russia will be shrugging? That's rather unlikely, isn't it?

I removed the section on pragmatism. It's obscuring the main intention of the text. Jake, I'm merely questioning that Russia is "Putin's machine" rather than that it's good or I'd be happy living there. America is clearly the best place to live - and that's because it's less mystical. Russia has been mystical for a long time, Putin didn't bring this about. It's uncertain whether he likes it that way, but it is certain that Stalin wanted it much more irrational. I don't want to provoke here, but the differentiation is important for a solution: If it's an evil Putin, then "fighting Putin" will do. If it's irrationalism around an innocent Putin, then it will hurt. If it's both, neither will be enough. Dante, does Tara Smith talk about the situation of an individual within an evil environment? If so, I'll have a look.

I'm a German entrepreneur in the IT field and have come accross Rand about a year ago. I believe to a have a unique perspective and think I know how the world can be freed from mysticism quickly and for good. (actually I believe it's going to happen either way, but individuals can greatly speed it up) I've written a rough (as short as possible while hopefully being long enough) sketch of the ideas and why they would work and published it here: Critique of pure Rand I'd be pleased about all friendly comments. Yours, The Heretic