Alternet: How Ayn Rand Helped Make The U.S. Into A Selfish, Greedy Nation

[Hissyspit]

Last edited Mon Dec 19, 2011, 07:16 PM - Edit history (4)

http://www.alternet.org/reproductivejustice/153454/how_ayn_rand_seduced_generations_of_young_men_and_helped_make_the_u.s._into_a_selfish,_greedy_nation

AlterNet / By Bruce E. Levine

How Ayn Rand Seduced Generations of Young Men and Helped Make the U.S. Into a Selfish, Greedy Nation

Thanks in part to Rand, the United States is one of the most uncaring nations in the industrialized world.

- snip -

Ayn Rand’s personal life was consistent with her philosophy of not giving a shit about anybody but herself. Rand was an ardent two-pack-a-day smoker, and when questioned about the dangers of smoking, she loved to light up with a defiant flourish and then scold her young questioners on the “unscientific and irrational nature of the statistical evidence.” After an x-ray showed that she had lung cancer, Rand quit smoking and had surgery for her cancer. Collective members explained to her that many people still smoked because they respected her and her assessment of the evidence; and that since she no longer smoked, she ought to tell them. They told her that she needn’t mention her lung cancer, that she could simply say she had reconsidered the evidence. Rand refused.

- snip -

Ethics—self-interest. For Rand, all altruists were manipulators. What could be more seductive to kids who discerned the motives of martyr parents, Christian missionaries and U.S. foreign aiders? Her champions, Nathaniel Branden still among them, feel that Rand’s view of “self-interest” has been horribly misrepresented. For them, self-interest is her hero architect Howard Roark turning down a commission because he couldn’t do it exactly his way. Some of Rand’s novel heroes did have integrity, however, for Rand there is no struggle to discover the distinction between true integrity and childish vanity. Rand’s integrity was her vanity, and it consisted of getting as much money and control as possible, copulating with whomever she wanted regardless of who would get hurt, and her always being right. To equate one’s selfishness, vanity, and egotism with one’s integrity liberates young people from the struggle to distinguish integrity from selfishness, vanity, and egotism.

Politics—capitalism. While Rand often disparaged Soviet totalitarian collectivism, she had little to say about corporate totalitarian collectivism, as she conveniently neglected the reality that giant U.S. corporations, like the Soviet Union, do not exactly celebrate individualism, freedom, or courage. Rand was clever and hypocritical enough to know that you don’t get rich in the United States talking about compliance and conformity within corporate America. Rather, Rand gave lectures titled: “America’s Persecuted Minority: Big Business.” So, young careerist corporatists could embrace Rand’s self-styled “radical capitalism” and feel radical — radical without risk.

Rand’s Legacy

In recent years, we have entered a phase where it is apparently okay for major political figures to publicly embrace Rand despite her contempt for Christianity. In contrast, during Ayn Rand’s life, her philosophy that celebrated self-interest was a private pleasure for the 1 percent but she was a public embarrassment for them. They used her books to congratulate themselves on the morality of their selfishness, but they publicly steered clear of Rand because of her views on religion and God. Rand, for example, had stated on national television, “I am against God. I don’t approve of religion. It is a sign of a psychological weakness. I regard it as an evil.”

MORE[p]

[JJW]

1. What about Native Americans?

US Gov was committing genocide long before Rand was born. We had slavery, no child laws, women had no rights.... all before Rand was born.

Looking for heroes and demons seems to not solve anything rather an excuse not to take personal responsibility.

[Mosaic]

28. Very good point

It started with John Winthrop declaring a shining city on a hill, as an excuse to take all the land that did not belong to them and was occupied with natives. It goes back to the beginning. Rand made it worse but you're right, it started much earlier.

[fasttense]

2. Ayn Rand was a psychopath.

She put herself above all others. She declares herself a god.

Then when a serial killer who chopped up a 12 year old girl and threw her body parts around for the grieving father to find comes along, Ayn Rand idolizes him. In her diary she uses him as one of her heroes in her book. William Hickman a psychopath with a blood lust is easily identified by another smart psychopath, Ayn Rand. Then she writes books on how noble and moral people who act like psychopaths are.


And a bunch of stupid people believe her.

[ProfessionalLeftist]

10. Bingo. But she is the darling of the GOP (Grand Old Psychopath) party

Their tea bagger faction are just a little more blatant about showing it.

[Bogart]

3. Nonsense, the US is one of the most generous nations on the planet.

Compared to the rest of the world, American benevolence is unmatched. Conversely, China, which has the second largest economy in the planet, is one of the least generous nations on Earth. https://www.cafonline.org/research/publications/2010-publications/world-giving-index.aspx

http://www.forbes.com/sites/susanadams/2011/10/21/american-companies-that-give-back-the-most/

http://www.redcross.org/portal/site/en/menuitem.94aae335470e233f6cf911df43181aa0/?vgnextoid=ac803595ce1a3310VgnVCM10000089f0870aRCRD

That is one of the reasons the rest of the world likes us so much.

[Vogon_Glory]

4. NOT SO FAST! Your Claim Is One Regularly Handed Out By Right-Wingers

Your claim that the US is one of the most generous nations on Earth is one REGULARLY put out by right-wing propaganda sources. US foreign aid to foreign nations is proportionately far smaller than that given out by the more prosperous EU nations and Canada. Such right-wing claims about US altruism are usually followed by right-wing claghorns' and talking heads' demands that the US stop giving so much money to foreigners. It may have been true a generation or two ago, but that claim has been undermined by decades of right-wing politicking in practice.

That the US is so popular among the nations of the world is another trope that has taken big hits thanks to Buckaroo Bush's and the Republican Party's Big Sandy Adventure in Iraq and the limited funding the US has made for reconstruction in both Iraq and Afghanistan.

[Bogart]

5. Facts are neither left, nor right--they are simply the facts.

[Vogon_Glory]

6. Caveat Lector

Sorry, but I've gone through far too much right-wing and "fibber-tarian" propaganda written by little cherubs with a 24/7 "casual Friday" attitude towards truthfulness to automatically take right-wing memes at face value. And regardless of how much pivate philanthropy US citizens may direct at other nations, I am convinced that per-capita US government assistance to other nations has not only dropped sharply over the decades, but has also declined in comparison to per-capita government assistance given by other countries.

[Bogart]

7. It's not my problem that you refuse to believe that my country does a lot of good in the world.

It's yours...

[Vogon_Glory]

9. As I Was Saying About Little Cherubs...

A 24/7 "casual Friday" attitude towards the truth.

BTW, I didn't say that US foreign aid doesn't do good overseas or that domestic aid doesn't do good here in the US. I can and do say that government foreign aid HAS substantially gone down over the decades. I also say that the US government COULD and DID give more in decades past. To name a couple of examples: the Pan-American Highway, infrastructure in South America and in post-independence Africa. Older examples include Havana's famed "Malecon" sea wall.

Such largesse became a popular target for ambitious right-wing politicos and the topic of US government foreign aid continues to be a popular right-wing whipping-boy to this day. That's why US foreign aid has been proportionately cut over the decades.

How that logically translates to "you refuse to believe that my country does a lot of good in the world" eludes me. Does the term "non-sequitur" have any meaning, by any chance?

[Bogart]

11. Actually, it would appear to be a left/right whipping-boy...

unless you believe that 59% of the country is right-wing.


Nevertheless, we are seen as generous by the people who benefit from our help.
(And that's what really matters)

[AverageJoe90]

15. So true, man.

Same for the so-called 'spoiled brat' epidemic, 'lack of personal responsibility' of the entire current generation, etc., too.....all right wing memes as well.

[tabatha]

12. World Giving Index - 2010

A very nice PDF with lots of charts and statistics.

USA comes in 5th, although with its access to capital and having plundered the rest of the world, it should come in at 1.

https://www.cafonline.org/pdf/WorldGivingIndex28092010Print.pdf

[Bogart]

17. Well then, perhaps you should help a little more.

BTW, your link was included in my post.

[tabatha]

21. I did not see that.

However, it would be preferable if the giving did not include attached strings.

I highly dislike the Gates interference in Africa. There has been too much western interference in Africa. I have seen its devastation first hand.

Edit: It would also be interesting to see what organizations gave, what they gave, and what they got back. I bet Ayn Rand organizations gave little. Additionally, the help within the US itself, is not working. There are too many people without health insurance, adequate food and clothing, because of greedy bankers and realtors.

[ThomThom]

13. the problem is we use the money we give to force them

to do what we want and to act in our interests
then there are all the people we have killed in our so called wars but never should we question our generosity.

[Bogart]

18. Well, would you advocate for them to act against our interests?

[ThomThom]

23. No, I think we should mind our own business and if we give money

do it out of compassion and not extortion.
As it is now if they act against us they could be crushed by our military/ CIA.

[tabatha]

19. Yes - Bush certainly did that.

[Bogart]

22. Bush was responsible for many stupid things. Some of them are correctable--some are not.

We should correct the correctable, learn from each, and then proceed to move forward with great pride and exuberance.

[Kurovski]

31. Issues like "Wall Street Targeting Hospitals for Profits"

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10145914

[kestrel91316]

14. If the Randists had their way the dollar amount of US foreign aid would be exactly ZERO.

[Bogart]

20. According to the OP, they ARE having their way...

My point, is that they ARE NOT.

[Kurovski]

30. I think the focus is on the corporate decisions that have been made,

Not charitible giving.

The Imbalance in pay, the stagnant wages for workers compared to soaring CEO salaries.

Decisions based on profit for a few, rather than fair living wages for a nation.

Circumventing laws, cutting basic business ethics from training. Destroying oversite that allows corruption to run rampant.

The kind of job mitt Romney had, sending jobs overseas. Etc.

[nashville_brook]

16. foreign aid is not charity -- it's a hammer we use to get what we want.

[nadinbrzezinski]

34. First stats place us at number five

second, foreign aid is not charity, is just one more tool of foreign policy (a little fun fact not understood by the same right wing that brings this we should stop doing it because we are the most generous.. yada, yada, yada)

And in individual giving in proportion to income we do even worst.

Oh the US used to give a lot more by the way. Or do a lot beter with internal charity as well. but declining empires are declining for a reason.

[Bogart]

36. Oh well, I guess there is no hope...

Clearly, the US is the worst country on the planet.

[nadinbrzezinski]

37. Nobody said that

What we have been telling you is that we are not doing as well as we USED TO. there are valid reasons for that too.

[Bogart]

38. No one is doing as well as they used to...

But it must be the US' fault--right?

[nadinbrzezinski]

39. Again, it has nothing to do with whatever chip

you carry on that shoulder.

These are facts. They have reasons behind them, real reasons. And yes, the US is a declining Empire as well.

It is not personal... reality is not personal. In the universe I like to live, there are facts, testable facts and reality... not make belief reality. The we are the most charitable people (we used to be) is a myth, just like the we are exceptional. And both will come crashing down as reality intrudes.

[Bogart]

40. Again, with the exceptions of China and India, everyone is experiencing stagnation.

As for chips, I don't have much use for even the lightest ones. However, I don't have a whole lot of patience for those who blame the woes of the world on the US.

You see, I know that I am not perfect, but I also see that my "swing" is getting better every day.

[nadinbrzezinski]

41. Point where I have blamed the us for the woes of the world

In some issues the us has more guilt than others...global warning, it's the policy stupid. In others we are far from even having a role in the ills of the world. But hey I live in reality.

[Bogart]

42. Global warming...geez, we are the most vibrant nation on the planet...

what do you expect?

But you ain't seen nothin' yet...China and India are going to necessitate a search to find another planet to which we can relocate to.

As it is, the US accounts for +/- 25% of expended world energy. However, energy usage in China and India is expanding exponentially...China 1,338,299,500 + India 1,170,938,000 = 2,509,237,500 / US 307,006,550 = 8.17!!!

The time has come to increase NASA's funding!

[nadinbrzezinski]

43. I am talking RIGHT NOW

is that difficult?

As to China and India... China is also investing HEAVILY in solar.

Read the Rise and Fall of Great Empires by Paul Kennedy. It might explain why THAT matters.

[Bogart]

44. China has a lot of....SPACE on Earth...they have "the room" to do local solar.

Something like this is the way we will "escape" the world of Empires.

[ProfessionalLeftist]

8. The word is "Barbaric"

Or at least that's one I use most often.

[treestar]

24. That paragraph on ethics shows

how she could appeal to a certain type of young person. Where your own vanity and ego are to be seen as a good thing to be stood up for.

[Remember Me]

25. Link? nt

[Hissyspit]

26. Here you go:

http://www.alternet.org/reproductivejustice/153454/how_ayn_rand_seduced_generations_of_young_men_and_helped_make_the_u.s._into_a_selfish,_greedy_nation/

[Remember Me]

27. Thanks! nt

[Kurovski]

29. K&R. (nt)

[Kablooie]

32. She also supports one of the ugliest hairstyles in human history.

[Stuart G]

33. K and R thanks for posting..nt

[nadinbrzezinski]

35. Objectivism only works in dystopias