I don’t know about the rest of you, but I get more inspired every day I hit my dropdown of recent sites to go to this forum. I have seen a better quality of Objectivist writing during this election than ever before. Some of my favorite all time Objectivists like Dr Hurd, Betsy Speicher, etc, have done some of their best material this year. The biting humour, and unescapable logic are on our side. I have a feeling that a re-elected Bush may start to feel the impact of Objectivist culture during his next administration. Given the amount of penmanship on the topic of religion on this site alone, he had better watch his step!
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On the quality of recent Objectivist writings I couldn’t agree more. And, despite recently taking advantage of an early voting opportunity to cast my vote for Bush, I think the writing and arguments of the pro-Kerry Objectivists have been first rate as well and made me seriously question whether I wanted to vote for Bush and they (particularly Dr. Peikoff) deserve a lot of credit for drawing attention to rise of religion and its potential threats.
I wish these arguments had been published in a printed forum similar to the way Commentary magazine publishes a forum with 10-20 essays on a single topic. TIA is great (whenever it shows up ) but I have never seen anything like that in it. And I think this is definitely an issue where reasonable people can disagree on the best strategy (as in fact, they have).
Though I expect Bush to win, I am somewhat pessimistic about what either candidate will do but I am very optimistic about our movement’s growing vitality and strength. More and more Objectivist books are published, there are numerous blogs, growing numbers of Objectivists at Universities, op-eds, interviews, online bulletin boards, public events, growing support by businesses for ARI, increasing participation in the essay contests and on and on…Cheer up everybody – our future looks bright!
Which candidate would Ayn Rand choose – and why? Here are two very relevant quotes:
Later, she wrote:
Ayn Rand stated TWICE that she would vote for ANYONE sooner than she would vote for Ted Kennedy – including Reagan, a religious conservative whose position on abortion, according to Ayn Rand, made him someone who “has no right to pose as a defender of rights.”
In the three decades since Ayn Rand wrote that, Ted Kennedy has gotten much worse, but there is someone whose voting record places him even to the left of Kennedy. This year the Democrats have nominated someone WORSE than McGovern or Kennedy, and that makes it necessary for me to vote for Bush. (I would vote for almost anyone against Kerry, but this is not saying much.)
This reminds me of what Bush said in the last debate (IIRC): “Kennedy is the *conservative* senator from Massachusetts!”
More and more Objectivist books are published, there are numerous blogs, growing numbers of Objectivists at Universities, op-eds, interviews, online bulletin boards, public events, growing support by businesses for ARI, increasing participation in the essay contests and on and on…Cheer up everybody – our future looks bright!
Gideon is absolutely right and every issue of my CyberNet is chock full of evidence for everything he says. "You’ll know Objectivism is winning … " because it IS!
I wish these arguments had been published in a printed forum similar to the way Commentary magazine publishes a forum with 10-20 essays on a single topic. TIA is great (whenever it shows up ) but I have never seen anything like that in it. And I think this is definitely an issue where reasonable people can disagree on the best strategy (as in fact, they have).
There is a daily emailed version of TIA and also the TIA Forum website where there are many unusually high quality articles and comments on the election. See TIADaily.com.
There is a daily emailed version of TIA and also the TIA Forum website where there are many unusually high quality articles and comments on the election. See TIADaily.com.
I subscribe to TIA daily and visit the forum often. I was thinking more along the lines of what Capitalism Magazine is doing presently – offering side by side 3 arguments for Bush and 3 for Kerry (and there probably could have been three for not voting as well). But I would want it in printed form. I see the controversy on the vote as a healthy thing and a sign of maturity in the Objectivist movement. As others have pointed out it puts the lie on the “Randroid” and dogmatist claims. I would like to reach the point when TIA monthly is the size of Commentary magazine, with an extensive letter section, a 5-6 main articles, and several book and other reviews. In other words I would like it to truly become “an Objectivist review” as it refers to itself. That means it would have to be 50 or more pages per issue. I’m quite sure that we will reach that point and the active intellectual debate on this and other forums, as well as the increasing intellectual output by professional Objectivist intellectuals is evidence of that.
Vegas odds are 2-1 against Bush, folks. Looks like it’s all over. And he started the day with a lead, too.
Cool website… There is a chance that everyone is voting for Bush and betting for Kerry.. I hope so anyways.
I two questions to reveal the depth of my ignorance of this whole process. What is the best way to keep track of the voting? (internet/TV stations/radio) and; What is the is the earliest/latest possible date for knowing the winner?
) but I have never seen anything like that in it. And I think this is definitely an issue where reasonable people can disagree on the best strategy (as in fact, they have).
) but I have never seen anything like that in it. And I think this is definitely an issue where reasonable people can disagree on the best strategy (as in fact, they have).