[awptimus]

I love articles like these because it's nothing but regurgitated BS by people who don't get Rand, about people who aren't really 'devotees'.

Writing caricatures of people and ideas and how those caricatures of people ideas relate to each other is great.

Here's an honest sentence "Paul Ryan, who has never really done anything the protagonists of Rand's novels would, is said to have liked the book a lot"

[CalChris]

Similarly, I hate articles like this because she will always be defended by people who don't quote her atrocious writing or summarize her mediocre ideas. Instead we are told that we don't get what you won't say.

[awptimus]

Give one example of a "mediocre idea."

[Frondo]

"There is one word that is forbidden in this valley: the word 'give.'" -- Atlas Shrugged

[awptimus]

And this single line you plucked out of Atlas Shrugged is mediocre because?

[CalChris]

Because you asked us to "give" you an example.

[awptimus]

And it's mediocre because?

[Frondo]

Here is another mediocre idea of hers:

"The Arabs are one of the least developed cultures. They are typically nomads. Their culture is primitive, and they resent Israel because it's the sole beachhead of modern science and civilization on their continent. When you have civilized men fighting savages, you support the civilized men, no matter who they are." -- Ayn Rand Ford Hall Forum lecture, 1974, text published on the website of The Ayn Rand Institute

[0xCMP]

Devil's Advocate: Kind of goes with the idea that the characters are unrealistic right?

[awptimus]

Yes, the characters are intended to be one dimensional. You'll notice all the characters have differences from each other in important ways, because they are meant to show how certain beliefs (and contradictions in beliefs) interact and have consequences.

Dagny and Rearden have internal contradictions, and it's not the point to find relation to them as people, but how their contradictions affect them.

The one sided villains aren't meant to be rich characters full of life, but people who carry out principles you here uttered in real life to their extreme conclusions.

The purpose is to take people at what they claim their values are and illustrate their implications.

[arkis22]

People have argued that, but I don't buy it.

We have captains of industry that we hero worship today.

Devil's Advocate: Jesus was the son of God, but we don't ignore his ideals as unrealistic.