Rand-bashing article

The Critics of Objectivism
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What does this mean for following Miss Rand as an idol?

Ayn Rand took government assistance while decrying others who did the same

Noted speed freak, serial-killer fangirl, and Tea Party hero Ayn Rand was also a kleptoparasite, sneakily gobbling up taxpayer funds under an assumed name to pay for her medical treatments after she got lung cancer.

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An interview with Evva Pryror, a social worker and consultant to Miss Rand’s law firm of Ernst, Cane, Gitlin and Winick verified that on Miss Rand’s behalf she secured Rand’s Social Security and Medicare payments which Ayn received under the name of Ann O’Connor (husband Frank O’Connor). As Pryor said, “Doctors cost a lot more money than books earn and she could be totally wiped out” without the aid of these two government programs. Ayn took the bail out even though Ayn “despised government interference and felt that people should and could live independently… She didn’t feel that an individual should take help.”

But alas she did and said it was wrong for everyone else to do so.

Ayn Rand and the VIP-DIPers

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The Huffington Post? ewww.

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What does this mean for following Miss Rand as an idol?

Nothing. For admiring as a role model…also no change. They should check their facts about what she recommended one do about government handouts.

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What does this mean for following Miss Rand as an idol?

Well first off, you shouldn’t be doing that anyways (idolizing).

Second, I question the objectivity of a reporter whose descriptors of Rand consist of “speed-freak,” and “serial-killer fangirl,” and who refers to her husband’s last name as an “assumed name.”

Thirdly, she herself wrote an article about when accepting government assistance is proper, and when it is not, making her position quite clear. If someone who was actually educated about her viewpoint wanted to make an argument that she violated it, I’d be interested in that discussion. However, when some journalist, who clearly has no idea that she considered it proper under certain circumstances, calls her a hypocrite regardless, he clearly has some axe to grind. The statement that, “she did [accept government assistance] and said it was wrong for everyone else to do so,” clearly illustrates his ignorance on the matter.

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…Am I the only one who thinks OP was trolling? I mean, basically he’s posting a smear article, thinly veiled as a question. Even the question is loaded and a smear in itself.

[edit] Maybe I’m totally wrong. I don’t know.

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…Am I the only one who thinks OP was trolling? I mean, basically he’s posting a smear article, thinly veiled as a question. Even the question is loaded and a smear in itself.

You’re not the only one to whom it occurred, and if the thread devolved into Rand-bashing we would certainly cut that off. That said, articles like this are posted now and again to the site. It’s good to know what’s being said out there about Rand, even if the OP didn’t have such a positive motivation.

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The OP has 88 posts, so he may not be trolling.

In any case, I agree that Rand was bristlingly clear about when people can accept help. Besides, wouldn’t it be immoral of her to not accept the help when by not doing so she would be acting in such a manner as to not preserve her life (i.e., her highest value)?

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I copied this from this comment section related to a similar article:

http://dangerousintersection.org/2011/01/29/ayn-rands-real-world-position-regarding-government-benefits/

Rand wrote this in 1966:

“The recipient of a public scholarshi­p is morally justified only so long as he regards it as restitutio­n and opposes all forms of welfare statism. Those who advocate public scholarshi­ps, have no right to them; those who oppose them, have. If this sounds like a paradox, the fault lies in the moral contradict­ions of welfare statism, not in its victims."

“The same moral principles and considerat­ions apply to the issue of accepting social security, unemployme­nt insurance or other payments of that kind. It is obvious, in such cases, that a man receives his own money which was taken from him by force, directly and specifical­ly, without his consent, against his own choice. Those who advocated such laws are morally guilty, since they assumed the “right” to force employers and unwilling co-workers­. But the victims, who opposed such laws, have a clear right to any refund of their own money—and they would not advance the cause of freedom if they left their money, unclaimed, for the benefit of the welfare-st­ate administration.”

From this article above: Ayn took the bail out even though Ayn “despised government interference and felt that people should and could live independently… She didn’t feel that an individual should take help.” But alas she did and said it was wrong for everyone else to do so.

Who are they quoting? She was very outspoken and vocal about what she believed. Quit putting words in her mouth.

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That wasn’t ‘taking government assistance’ at all. It was theft recovery.

1 Like
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Can you write a topic tittle that says what the thread is actually about? This way when people want to find the thread in the future they will search for the actual topic, instead of trying to remember what clever tittle x poster used. It’s really hard to find them when people decide to do this.

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Can you write a topic tittle that says what the thread is actually about? This way when people want to find the thread in the future they will search for the actual topic, instead of trying to remember what clever tittle x poster used. It’s really hard to find them when people decide to do this.

Done.

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The Psychology Today website published an article responding to the criticism of Rand for taking social-security.

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The Psychology Today website published an article responding to the criticism of Rand for taking social-security.

Good for him.

Just this week I got a commenter railing against Rand at TechCrunch, and he used that as one of his “criticisms.”

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Good for him.

Just this week I got a commenter railing against Rand at TechCrunch, and he used that as one of his “criticisms.”

Yes. The paucity of substance to their shrill, little attacks, denotes a level of desperation.

(What did Rand say about desiring one, worthy opponent?)

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What does this mean for following Miss Rand as an idol?

I have to say, I really like the typeface+color combo of “Shrugging.”

Well, you see, OBVIOUSLY you’re only allowed to buy into and use government programs if you’re in favor of big GOVERNMENT

In a freer society she would have had more acclaim and probably wouldn’t need the assistence. She could still write with lung cancer, granted she probably couldn’t speak. She may have been in too(hey) much pain to work and it’s wretched that if this is the case, the social democrats would say “No.” to a person that they designed the program for! An author, as she depicts in her novel Atlas Shrugged deserves handouts and “everyone deserves subsistence” EXCEPT YOU. She was attacked in much the same way that she depicted heroes attacked in her novels.

Yes. The paucity of substance to their shrill, little attacks, denotes a level of desperation.

(What did Rand say about desiring one, worthy opponent?)

She was talking about, say if another author appear spouting the same message as she, they would compete. I truely doubt she would want anyone to live the opposite of her values. She was talking about when Hank Rearden says Dagney is going to take the shirt off his back [in business transaction(s)] in the valley, or for an absolute example, Pat Conway(?) of the Pheonix Durango where the respect is there and what’s left is a game in which he with most cunning wins. She would never espouse vile tactics such as logical fallacy and lying, manipulation and the subsequent use of force those bring…It’s more like this:

Galt and Dagney have a “Civil Engineering” problem to solve. They can put the tracks through the mountain, above it, around it ect. Galt says over it, Dagney says “around.” They both have to make theirs work and the better of the two wins and will be used (or is used and thus wins…hahaha, wait, not funny. ). Rand said (I believe) that both would enjoy this competition and thus be fulfilled and the only true way to do that is have someone after the same thing, as good (better) as (than) you also vying for completion of the goal, whatever it may be. I’ll add my one cent here and say that people can’t judge their own ability and magnificence as well as they can see it in another. But to go head to head with someone you admire? That’s something else.

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Good for him.

Just this week I got a commenter railing against Rand at TechCrunch, and he used that as one of his “criticisms.”

Hey, that’s kind of like when Roark is discredited because the Wynand papers were “plugging” him.

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Good for him.

Just this week I got a commenter railing against Rand at TechCrunch, and he used that as one of his “criticisms.”

In fact, it’s using a kind of inverted claim against pathos. It’s basically “So-and-so likes this so it’s no good.”.

I will call it “Appeal to Outcome” and may or may not be a logical fallacy. After determining “Appeal to Outcome” has been used we then look at the logos of the Outcome’s response, as pathos should only be used in determining whether to use an expert because it is not possible to, or too time consuming to analyze all information from the ground up such as a doctor. A doctor says you need ___. and you need it now. You can either take the time to prove to yourself that you do in fact logically need whatever it is they say or you can instead look at their credibility.

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The OP has 88 posts, so he may not be trolling.

In any case, I agree that Rand was bristlingly clear about when people can accept help. Besides, wouldn’t it be immoral of her to not accept the help when by not doing so she would be acting in such a manner as to not preserve her life (i.e., her highest value)?

It would be anti-altruism if she didn’t accept it..She had fans.

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What does this mean for following Miss Rand as an idol?

It’s not wrong to take help, it’s wrong to force it.

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What does this mean for following Miss Rand as an idol?

I think it’s silly to say “Atlas is Shrugging” or whatever that sign says. Atlas is not a collective. Atlas is the individual with the most achievement power. To be most specific, the most capability to give actual life. I have zero idea.