What is interesting is how people become similar to what they oppose. In her vision of communist totalitarian ideology as the great evil of modern history, I wonder if Rand herself expresses some concealed totalitarian tendencies?LanDroid wrote:I hear what you're saying Mr. Tulip, but I think Mr. A is on to something. Remember Galt's group is not totally passive towards what happens to the rest of society, merely waiting for a collapse caused by others. No, they were hastening the collapse by actively destroying their own companies, unleashing financial panic, stealing property, even sinking ships - and considered themselves heroes for doing so. Also consider the vicious hatred Galt's group expresses for those with opinions different from their own; they're barely sub-human, therefore ripe for a holocaust.
You are right that the piracy of Ragnar Danneskjöld and the destruction of the d'Anconia copper company are active rather than passive.
Since Rand constructs Atlas Shrugged as a morality tale, she makes the baddies around Wesley Mouch very slimy, encouraging her readers to hate everything associated with socialism.
I sympathise with Rand, just on the basis of the Biblical injunction "to those who have will be given" in the parable of the talents. It is far more productive to build upon success than to tear down capable people. But the other side of the parable of the talents is also in Matthew 25 'what you do to the least you do to Christ'. How I see it is that capitalist growth provides the resources for charity and peace. So we need a free market, with a social safety net.