Onkar Ghate article on Huffington Post

[softwareNerd]

Good to see an ARI op-ed on the Huff Post. Liberal-leaning youth who take ideas seriously are an important group to target... more important than the typical run-of-mill tea-partier.

Edited December 28, 2012 by softwareNerd

[Mikee]

some very good comments in there too

[2046]

Indeed a refreshing article. There is a more liberal and progressive strain in Rand, and there is a more conservative and reactionary strain in Rand. All too often the latter receives attention and Rand is thought of a right-wing phenomenon, rather than one fully compatible with leftist ends. The main thing to reach out to the left is not to preach and condemn then, but to show them that their ends can only be accomplished using voluntary and market means. There used to be several New Left writers of the "small is beautiful" variety that recognized this fact as well, and rejected the regulatory-welfare state on leftist grounds. Ghate's article could have been enriched and more persuasive if he cited some of these authors as well. Perhaps in a continuation piece.

[SapereAude]

I think the problem of the liberal/conservative split on Rand is related to people seeing political&philosophical matters as linear rather than something more like a Venn diagram.

And we of course suffer from the left's constant use of changing definitions to suit their needs to confuse matters.

I try not to use the term "liberal" anymore as those that commonly call themselves "liberal" advocate what comes frighteningly close to a totalitarian state.

That is, that those advocating for reproductive freedom for women, equality for gays and artisist freedom seem to be those that want total government control over the economy, education, healthcare and supply of all other human necessities.

The social/economic split is becoming the new body/mind dichotomy.