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The road not to be taken:"Toward the end of World War II, newspapers reported the following: when Russian troops moved west and occupied foreign towns, the Soviet authorities automatically executed any person who had a bank account of $100 or a high-school education; the rest of the inhabitants submitted. This is a physical dramatization of the spiritual policy of mankind's moral-intellectual leaders: destroy the tops, the rest will give up and obey.
Ayn Rand, The Age of Envy in Return of the Primitive, the anti-industrial revolution.
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Comments thread (9)
4032 - 2hotel9
2hotel9 Western Pennsylvania
If I was a really greedy capitalist pig I could sell all the copies I bought for pennies at yard sales.
Hmmm. Theres a thought!
4033 - Spiny Norman
Spiny Norman California
There was a 3-hour documentary on the US cable TV History Channel last night (4/5) about the Gestapo, and how, in the beginning, some their leaders (especially Heinrich Muller) were inspired by Stalin's NKVD. Curiously, when they interviewed survivors of the round-up of political opponents (some still committed Communists), I found it a little difficult to muster much sympathy, because I knew they'd have done precisely the same thing had they (the Communists) come to power.
And when German Communists eventually attained power in the East during the post-war years, they most certainly did do the same thing. I have no doubt whatsoever that the Stasi imprisoned and executed more political prisoners than did the Gestapo (of course, they had a lot more time to do it: 45 years vs 12 or 15 or so).
4034 - Grimmy
Grimmy
The ol' fight between those with the mindset of free citizens, and those inclined toward serfdom.
Irreconcilable differences. Each hates the other. The hatred is not so much because of the differing mindsets themselves, but stems from that other element that exists between them. The "betters". Those betters, be they old school feudal lords, fascist or communist cult of personality heads, or the newer branch of self appointed elites of the cosmo tranzie set, are kept weak and out of power by free citizens or put into power by serfs.
That is the primary source of bloodshed between the two mindsets that divide most of humanity.
4035 - privatei2
privatei2
Warning ** PLOT SPOILER** Warning
Book review of Atlas Shrugged:
The sex scenes are dull. The heroine, Dagny, does not make a dress out of curtains and steal other people's fiances. She also doesn't swear before God that she will never go hungry again. Dagny can't hold a candle against the ultimate objectivist-Scarlett O'Hara. Other than that, I don't have a problem with the book. Now it's your turn, 2Hotel.
4036 - 2hotel9
2hotel9 Western Pennsylvania
Hey, Froggy? What is up with this privatei2 asshole?
4039 - unknown jane
unknown jane
He's going through nicotine withdrawal -- go easy bro; I feel your pain as I'm presently engaged (against my better judgement) in the same thing.
And I kinda agree -- Ayn Rand has some interesting ideas (and some which are a bit much -- objectivism is like any other ism; taken too far it's a bad ass bitch), and her books are very thoughtfully crafted, but I always found her a boring read -- guess I'm an asshole too.
4045 - privatei2
privatei2
2hotel - I reread my post and you're right. I totally sound like an ass. But I really was interested in your opinion on Rand's writings. For the most part, I don't have a problem with the ideas behind her books. I think it's just common sense--people are going to do what's in their best interest. But boy oh boy, is it tough to get through Atlas Shrugged.
And don't take everything I say seriously. I have a bad habit of viewing everything as a big joke (except for a few things). That kind of philosophy doesn't come across very well on the internet and I suspect it will kill my political career. (Okay, I was kidding about the political career part). Just let me know any time my posts sound obnoxious so I can apologize and tone it down.
4046 - privatei2
privatei2
unknown jane - did you quit cold turkey? I'm using the patch and starting to think it's just prolonging the agony.
4048 - unknown jane
unknown jane
Cold turkey, last week -- had to give up booze too at the same time (Doc put me on some meds that don't jive well with either -- I'm thinking Doc is a closet sadist). I've got some nicotine gum, which tastes like an ashtray that's been pulled from a dead rhino's backside, not touching it I'll suffer a complete withdrawal.
Presently I believe I'm on the 7th stage of loss and recovery -- moved from dejection to bitterness sometime yesterday. Desperately trying to think of something that will take the place of smokes -- I run into a lot of idiots in my life, smoking helped me stay sane and them safe.