The best criticism of Rand from the libertarian perspective I've ever seen was
I am teh suck.
The best criticism of Rand from the libertarian perspective I've ever seen was this one by Cathy Young in Reason. Obviously it's not as "fire and brimstone" as you'd like, but it shows there's some middle ground between Objectivism and democratic socialism.
It's still sucky, man.
"No, she's not fascist".
Well, that settles, but it's nice that this woman allows that Rand's work has "overtones of totalitarian mentality". No shit.
Back in college, it amazed me how many people who I considered at least acquaintances were willing to buy into Rand's philosophy. Five years later, I had trouble finding anyone my age who would admit to following it. Five more years later, I'm meeting more and more people my age who act like objectivists, even if they won't admit to reading Rand. Either it's a philosophy that fits 19 year old males and 30 year old yuppies better than 25 year old academics (the first part is certainly true), or the times are becoming more permissive of "screw everyone, I want mine" than they used to be. Probably both.
Retardo,
I'd sincerely love to hear your take on what Whittaker Chambers actually meant when he remarked that he threw down "Atlas Shrugged" halfway through and quipped something to the effect of he had a sick feeling the rest of it could be neatly summed up with "to the gas chambers."
I'm no closet Bill Buckelyphile, but I gots to admit his icy patrician retort to some pencilneck campus objectivist who thought he had Mr Chips primed for the knockout blow on Firing Line is unbeatable:
Legend has it that somemehow the Randgeek got Buckley, who had been opening a up a major can of whoop ass on Rand's hor's ouevre had himself never actually bothered to read the claptrap. So Randgeek, working himself into high dungeon, issues forth with "how dare you criticize..." To which Buckley, leaning back in the full glory of his Old Lyme detachment with his perfectly tailored J Press houndstooth blazer's collar enveloping his neckbcak like a shawl, shoots back in his best faux upper class British lockjaw "One does not have to eat shit to know it tastes bad."
One of the Stephens Bros, Jackson I believe, is also an acolyte. And he's an Annapolis classmate of Jimmy Carter.
What are the odds of a patriotic, God fearing Arkansas back during the heyday of Sen John McClellan begetting a drinker of that brand of Kool Aid?
LOL I never heard of that Buckley anecdote before, Cap'n, and am in your debt for bringing it to my attention. Hilarious. And a hell of a lot wittier on Buckley's part than the "listen, faggot.." retort he served Gore Vidal.
I didnt know that about JAckson Stephens, either.
AFA the National Review criticisms of Rand, I'd love to read them in the original, but still can safely guess, I think, that largely-Catholic NR's major problem with Rand was her atheism. I know Chambers ripped her, and I think Garry Wills did too, but I just dont have them here and am not a library person.
Jesse --
I think your observation is meritorious. Of course the shameless have always said "I want mine", it's just that now there are more of them. Classic Repugs, who were usually upper-class, had the good sense to keep this belief to themselves and let their politics reflect their selfishness. But with the advent of the yuppies and their taste for nutjob libertarianism and/or Randroidness, it's oh so fashionable to say "I want mine", and what's more, act like it's an act of *bravery* to say it so plaintively. Dear god I hate those fucks.
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