Over the course of recent months, the words fascism, socialism, and totalitarianism have shifted from distant historical concepts to an unsettling part of our everyday vocabulary.
Alisa Rosenbaum decried racism as one of the lowest forms of collectivist thinking, a quality she believed displayed by "brutes." Like economist Milton Friedman, she advocated for unregulated (laissez-faire) capitalism as her preferred solution to this vexing and seemingly insurmountable social evil. It's easy to forgive her lack of insight into genetic science because so little was known about the human genome in her day. Still, laissez-faire capitalism has not ended racism. In my view, an unregulated business environment in the US exacerbates racism. I can't offer a definitive explanation for the persistent racism that poisons our country. I only know that it's been around for centuries.
Thank you for clarifying Ayn Rand's messages for me. I've lived 85 years in a safe, wonderful and FREE county and never thought it could come to what has been laid at my door from the radical right in this democratic country. Beware, people!
Before we go any further. I just wanna mention how grateful I am to have stumbled upon you. Like music, I'm always needing new words, ideas and stories in my life. Wonderful and worthy purpose you have. Work worth doing, I contend!
Atlas Shrugged is epic. It's not very hard to subdue a population of the genetically deficient, uncurious. Besides, who's going to give you the knowledge it takes it overthrow them anyway ?
In this phrase we find my feelings and absolute agreement with Rand, "Her rigid advocacy for laissez-faire capitalism and her dismissal of altruism..."
I rigidly advocate for laissez-faire capitalism, and I (almost completely) dismiss altruism as a driving force for behavior. By the way, Ludwig von Mises agrees with both of us on the matter of altruism, but that's another subject, about which I've written a bit. That's a discussion for another time.
What I find instructive is that when people cry "fascism" or "authoritarianism" too loudly, they often want more of it, versus less. The current political climate is instructive in that regard. In regard to how racism and capitalism interact, I think it is naive to think--not that I suggest that you do--that a system of political economy, capitalism, can "fix" a system of collectivist lunacy, racism. As an aside, Rand was also openly dismissive of racism as a tool of intelligent people, so again, she and I agree.
One last point. This. "Are we, like Rand’s Soviet Union, sacrificing personal freedoms in the name of collective ideals?" From my perspective, the recent US election reflects a rejection of collectivist ideas, but it seems like you and I, along with many if not most of your commenters, disagree on that point. It is what it is, I guess...
Thank you for your article! I felt similar to what you said here: "...The reckoning we face today is not new; it’s simply become harder to ignore. Now, as the fragility of our systems of governance becomes more visible, it feels as though the rest of America is beginning to understand the disillusionment long felt by its Black communities."
Because of this, I didn't have such a knot in my center as I had almost an opposite response of more people are able to see what African Americans have been experiencing, to a degree, because we have been here before.
I believe it was largely the economic/personal finance factor. While there was no way I was voting for Trump, I certainly was in this camp. Last week is the first time I’ve have had more than $30.00 worth of groceries in the house at one time this year. I’ve been a solopreneur since 1993 and 2023-24 have been my worst years.
Alisa Rosenbaum decried racism as one of the lowest forms of collectivist thinking, a quality she believed displayed by "brutes." Like economist Milton Friedman, she advocated for unregulated (laissez-faire) capitalism as her preferred solution to this vexing and seemingly insurmountable social evil. It's easy to forgive her lack of insight into genetic science because so little was known about the human genome in her day. Still, laissez-faire capitalism has not ended racism. In my view, an unregulated business environment in the US exacerbates racism. I can't offer a definitive explanation for the persistent racism that poisons our country. I only know that it's been around for centuries.
Excellent point Jerry. Let’s continue the conversation as I ponder what you’ve shared here.
Sure. Racism is a plague on all of us.
Thank you for clarifying Ayn Rand's messages for me. I've lived 85 years in a safe, wonderful and FREE county and never thought it could come to what has been laid at my door from the radical right in this democratic country. Beware, people!
Wow!!! I swear on all that is sacred to me, I didn't know about any of this when I made my comment this morning. LOL
Who is John Gault?
Yes Hudson. Ayn Rand’s book “We The Living” hits the mark spot on in terms of what may be down the road in 2025.
Before we go any further. I just wanna mention how grateful I am to have stumbled upon you. Like music, I'm always needing new words, ideas and stories in my life. Wonderful and worthy purpose you have. Work worth doing, I contend!
Atlas Shrugged is epic. It's not very hard to subdue a population of the genetically deficient, uncurious. Besides, who's going to give you the knowledge it takes it overthrow them anyway ?
In this phrase we find my feelings and absolute agreement with Rand, "Her rigid advocacy for laissez-faire capitalism and her dismissal of altruism..."
I rigidly advocate for laissez-faire capitalism, and I (almost completely) dismiss altruism as a driving force for behavior. By the way, Ludwig von Mises agrees with both of us on the matter of altruism, but that's another subject, about which I've written a bit. That's a discussion for another time.
What I find instructive is that when people cry "fascism" or "authoritarianism" too loudly, they often want more of it, versus less. The current political climate is instructive in that regard. In regard to how racism and capitalism interact, I think it is naive to think--not that I suggest that you do--that a system of political economy, capitalism, can "fix" a system of collectivist lunacy, racism. As an aside, Rand was also openly dismissive of racism as a tool of intelligent people, so again, she and I agree.
One last point. This. "Are we, like Rand’s Soviet Union, sacrificing personal freedoms in the name of collective ideals?" From my perspective, the recent US election reflects a rejection of collectivist ideas, but it seems like you and I, along with many if not most of your commenters, disagree on that point. It is what it is, I guess...
Well said. Thank you Diamond-Michael!
Thank you for your article! I felt similar to what you said here: "...The reckoning we face today is not new; it’s simply become harder to ignore. Now, as the fragility of our systems of governance becomes more visible, it feels as though the rest of America is beginning to understand the disillusionment long felt by its Black communities."
Because of this, I didn't have such a knot in my center as I had almost an opposite response of more people are able to see what African Americans have been experiencing, to a degree, because we have been here before.
I’ve read it she sucked. How did things go for her? Make sure to include that in your next post she is a loser and had two dumb ass followers.
Yup. What’s even scarier are all of the voters that fell for the bait.
Yup, Trump plays the victim card well. On that note, I for one don’t believe that the assignation attempt was legit.
I believe it was largely the economic/personal finance factor. While there was no way I was voting for Trump, I certainly was in this camp. Last week is the first time I’ve have had more than $30.00 worth of groceries in the house at one time this year. I’ve been a solopreneur since 1993 and 2023-24 have been my worst years.