.
The ghost of Ayn Rand.......
I suspect most folks who read this blog have also read Ayn Rand's philosophical novel 'Atlas Shrugged'.
Here is yet one more piece of evidence pointing towards her prescient thinking.
So many folks have pointed at her book, and the way it's apparently coming to life before our eyes. They wave it at those in power, yelling at them to open their eyes and see what they are doing to our nation, and the world.
I am beginning to wonder.... as events follow the rand recipe like clockwork, if those in power have not already read the book and found parts of it to their liking. The characters who control... and control... and control.... perhaps that image appeals to a certain kind of person. Raw power, even if it is over a dieing society. Perhaps there is a kind of person who's willing to sacrifice anything and everything to get that kind of power, and maybe is convinced they can 'stop the decay in time', if only they have enough power.
Lenin thought this, as did Stalin. Given enough power, they thought they could take their entire society apart and rebuild it in another form.... and they failed. But, while they ruled, they had power... and perhaps that is enough for some people... enough to risk destroying everything to gain it.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
3 comments:
I really didn't see anything wrong with downsizing cities that are facing abondoned properties and bankruptcy (like Flint, MI). I don't see this as a way for the government to control. It is a way to help those cities with major declines in population to once again be sustainable and flourish, and spend thier resources on education and other issues that can benefit the residents...rather than police patrolling abondened neighborhoods. Just my 2cents.
By the way, I love the pictures of your food. That bacon yesterday rocked! Also, you have made me think about the simple pleasures in my life for the last week or so. One thing I especially like is that first hug I get from the kids when I pick them up from school. It's so sincere, and they are so happy to see me. It's about 1 minute of happiness, before the wrangling into the car and fending off requests for Burger King.
J,
I would happily support reducing the size and scope of cities. I think their reason to exist began to vanish 20 years ago, and many now exist to serve as housing and care centers for low/no income people.
That said... I called the notion a 'waypoint' on a journey, and it's one that Rand wrote about. Taken in context with the rest of what our society is facing, the forced shrinking of cities can be viewed as a symptom of sickness, rather than a positive action.
It's a matter of perspective.
I agree on the simple pleasure ... Treasure them. They are fleeting in fact, but live in memory forever.
Now... time for me to shut up and get cleaning. She comes home today!!
It's amazing how accurate Ayn Rand is turning out to be. I re-read Atlas Shrugged earlier this year as a re-fresher. I'm also reading Mark Levin's Liberty and Tyranny. Both are good books and generate a lot of thought. One point from Levin is that Obama and his followers are Statists. Socialism is just a tool for the Statists. I believe that makes them more dangerous since they will use any means towards their ends.
Post a Comment