http://freakonomics.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/01/20/quotes-uncovered-making-money/
And from Mar 15th,2006 it would appear this is not the first time this has been queried.
Freakonomics? Things that make you go . . . hmmmm.
And from Mar 15th,2006 it would appear this is not the first time this has been queried.
Freakonomics? Things that make you go . . . hmmmm.
Thanks for the link.. interesting.
I always took for granted that what Rand meant was the concept of creating wealth out of nothing as opposed to the usage put forth in these articles that uses the term “make” obviously referring to the accumulation of something already in existence.
I think it is meant in terms of usage of the term “make” with reference to money. I assume there must have been some book that said so, that Rand used as a source.
Isn’t there also something about the dollar symbol being based on “U” and “S”, which is not the actual way the dollar symbol came about.
Always dicey basing fiction in a country called “USA” (or any other real name). People begin to expect the facts mentioned abut the country in the novel to match with the facts about the real country… even though they do not (say) expect that there was a railroad named TT with a terminal in NYC.
Isn’t there also something about the dollar symbol being based on “U” and “S”, which is not the actual way the dollar symbol came about.
A speech at the American Numismatic Association convention.
#076 THE PUZZLING ORIGIN OF THE DOLLAR SIGN ($) (Chicago, 1991) by Eric P. Newman. The origin of the
symbol and the date of the first use of the dollar sign ($) in written form is explained. 1.0 hrs.
“The dollar sign : its written and printed origin” by Eric P. Newman.
In: Kleeberg, John M., ed. _Coinage of the Americas Conference. Proceedings No. 9. America’s silver dollar_s, New York: American Numismatic Society,c1995 p. 1-49 pp. 5-16 Vol. 70, No. 2 (Feb. 1957), pp. 137-147.
Basically, the dollar sign evolved from a ligature for Pesos. Ps.
Its origin is traced to a merchant in Florida.
Rand knew the Russian and French languages in addition to English. She likely observed first-handed that the metaphorical phrase “to make money” was widespread in American usage, but not the other languages she heard spoken.
I will resist the temptation to make a crack about Fred Shapiro simply because, well, who is Fred Shapiro? The point being missed by Mr. Shapiro, sarcasism notwitstahding, is that making money is not a sin or affront to society. Fred seems a bit confused about the question and seems somewhat dismissive of Rand’s contention we are free to benefit from the fruits of our labor without having to be subjected to the contrived idea we must comply to a subjective assesment of what we owe society such that those who do not expend the extra effort to succeed can realize the benefits of other peoples’ ambitions.