I absolutely agree. Had I read Rand before running into the lunatics, largely American, who worship that queerly fascistic line of thought dressed up as classic liberal, I would have been turned off right away.

I absolutely agree. Had I read Rand before running into the lunatics, largely American, who worship that queerly fascistic line of thought dressed up as classic liberal, I would have been turned off right away.

Matt,

what's stupid about objectivism? I am not familiar with the theory, so I checked the very quick intro on this site but the parts I read at least didn't sound like a mass of trash...

shaheen -- Oi, you should read the book, Atlas Shrugged. I found it absolutely horrifyingly, stultifyingly bad, despite being already sympathetic to the whole rational egoism argument, which is supposed to be the turnoff. Absolute crap, as a novel, and near-absolute crap as a philosophy, with droning, single-minded repetition as its main argument.

Alternatively, you could get the philosophical theory -- which is stupid, yet with a number of good points baked into the lunacy, and I think on the whole very worth reading for those interested in politics or political philosophy -- through those ten-or-so-page pamphlets by Rand circulating on the web. That way you get all the important stuf, yet avoid the 1000-page cheesy romance/cowboy/Sci-Fi/Nazi/Falcon Crest novel.

just bought the book...

Objectivism is one of those things that restate good things that others have long since trod and said better -- there is objective reality and metaphysics; freedom is grand, life is an end in itself, technological and commercial development is cool; and then it somehow wanders off -- cult-like -- into wackosity -- selfishness is the only true virtue, altruism is evil with Kant the most evil of men, everyone has a philosophy (they do even if they dont, we tell ya), abstract art is satanic (even if there's no satan), belief in God is fundamentally irrational, businesspeople are Aryans (ok a bit of a parody), etc.

My dear fellow (ok a bit of a parody), I would emphasize only a bit.

The fact that her sex scenes are explicit rape fantasies seems to have something to do with her Aryan businessman ideal. There's something going on there that I don't feel I have the pshych training to analyze as thoroughly as it deserves.

I have long felt there is a rather simple explanation for Rand's oddness toward such things as good intentions: the Soviets knocked her on the head a bit too hard and shook something loose before she had a chance to leave the country.

The rape fantasy is typically explained as a reaction to restrictive sexual social interactions--as a method of absolving one's "guilty" but irresistable desires, one shifts the blame.

One possible explanation then is that Rand was simply overreacting in both cases to perceived repression.