Comments on: Select quotes from Atlas Shrugged http://www.robvstate.com/2009/09/08/select-quotes-from-atlas-shrugged/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=select-quotes-from-atlas-shrugged Rob writes about news, economics, politics and other things Wed, 28 Sep 2011 03:47:20 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Rob http://www.robvstate.com/2009/09/08/select-quotes-from-atlas-shrugged/comment-page-1/#comment-11 Rob Tue, 08 Sep 2009 11:16:33 +0000 http://robvstate.com/2009/09/08/select-quotes-from-atlas-shrugged/#comment-11 Rand was no doubt influenced by her Soviet background and not just what she saw in the United States.<br /><br />I wouldn't say that Rand's fantasy became a reality due to her followers. Are you referring to Greenspan? If so, by the time he became Chairman of the Fed, he was a much different man than the one who wrote 'Gold and Economic Freedom'. No true Randian could take he role of central planner (without the intention to destroy it). Rand was no doubt influenced by her Soviet background and not just what she saw in the United States.

I wouldn't say that Rand's fantasy became a reality due to her followers. Are you referring to Greenspan? If so, by the time he became Chairman of the Fed, he was a much different man than the one who wrote 'Gold and Economic Freedom'. No true Randian could take he role of central planner (without the intention to destroy it).

]]> By: Vinny http://www.robvstate.com/2009/09/08/select-quotes-from-atlas-shrugged/comment-page-1/#comment-10 Vinny Tue, 08 Sep 2009 04:05:31 +0000 http://robvstate.com/2009/09/08/select-quotes-from-atlas-shrugged/#comment-10 I recently read <i>Atlas Shrugged</i> for the first time and I was struck by the thought that at the time Rand wrote the book, the top marginal tax rate was 90%, labor unions were strong, and the United States was the world's biggest creditor as well as the world's greatest manufacturer. <br /><br />Rand's philosophy of unfettered free markets and the evils of government regulation didn't gain political ascendancy until Reagan came to power in the 1980's with his tax cuts and union busting. Since then America has become the world's biggest debtor and its manufacturing base is gone.<br /><br />The irony is that the conditions under which Rand's fantasy can become a reality were brought about in large part by her followers. I recently read Atlas Shrugged for the first time and I was struck by the thought that at the time Rand wrote the book, the top marginal tax rate was 90%, labor unions were strong, and the United States was the world's biggest creditor as well as the world's greatest manufacturer.

Rand's philosophy of unfettered free markets and the evils of government regulation didn't gain political ascendancy until Reagan came to power in the 1980's with his tax cuts and union busting. Since then America has become the world's biggest debtor and its manufacturing base is gone.

The irony is that the conditions under which Rand's fantasy can become a reality were brought about in large part by her followers.

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