Obama inauguration

[Ordr]

I am not convinced that socialism is discredited anymore. Outside of objectivist circles I am seeing a great deal of support now. More than I ever remember.

I agree with you completely. I was just stating the official Peikoff/Objectivist viewpoint.

[aequalsa]

I agree with you completely. I was just stating the official Peikoff/Objectivist viewpoint.

Oh...sorry about that, you're right. I lost context.

[khaight]

I agree with you completely. I was just stating the official Peikoff/Objectivist viewpoint.

I don't think this is an accurate representation of Peikoff's view. For starters, he did not advocate voting for Obama: he advocated not voting for either candidate. I think a better description of Peikoff's argument is that, while both the Democrats and Republicans are thoroughly statist, the Republicans -- under the religious right influence -- ground their statism in a moral ideology with demonstrated staying power. The left, by and large, does not. (There are some signs that the left is turning to religion seeking such a moral base, which is a very bad development.)

It has been claimed that the Republicans are closer to capitalism than the Democrats. This is exactly the viewpoint that needs to be discarded -- they really aren't. But as long as people think that the party that brought us SarBox, the Medicare prescription drug benefit, faith-based government initiatives and the banking and auto bailouts is the capitalist party, they will continue to blame freedom for the disasters created by its opposite.