Ahmadinejad (Done Speaking.)

[Barbara Branden]

But what do you do if you are someone to whom the whole world is an enemy and revolting to you?

Preach hate?

Look for a tribe?

Constantly crap on others?

I see this problem at times in the Objectivist world.

Remember Rand's introduction to the 25th anniversary edition to "The Fountainhead", where she said that she and Frank were living in a world of people for whom she felt nothing but revulsion? What she did at that point seems to be the honorable response: live your life as best you can and do your work, and let your light shine as best you can.

You made this post sort of tongue-in-cheek, but the situation can happen. What would an honest person do living in Nazi Germany? Or Soviet Russia? Retreat into a private world to the extent possible, and look for escape to the extent possible.

As for the Objectivist world, I wish some of them WOULD do the honorable thing and retreat into a private world instead of making the trouble they do and giving the rest of us a bad name.

Judith

But the whole world is not our enemy and revolting. (I know this is not what you are saying, Michael, or you, Judith.) It is so easy to give up and retreat. But we are not living in Nazi Germany or Soviet Russia -- we are not living in a dictatorship where we can do nothing. There are still great achievements to admire, and decent, honorable people, and wisdom to be gained from others, and great deeds to be done. I sympathize deeply with Rand's despair, and I understand the reasons for it; but she was wrong to believe that the world had become a sewer. She was tired beyond bearing from the years of excruciating effort involved in the writing pf Atlas Shrugged , she had reached the end of her power to endure, she was ill, and when no public voices from the men and women of achievement, the creative heroes she had spent her life defendimg, were raised in her defense and the defense of her work, she had no power to cope with it. But we have not created Atlas, we are not weary and disappointed and ill. We have no right to damn the world and retreat from it. And today, the vøices Rand longed to hear are being raised to defend her. Look around you.

I often thmk of how many thousands upon thousands of people excuse their lack of effort on the grounds that the world is evil., that there is no no one, anywhere, who appreciates greatness. They do not see the blatant contradiction in that very statement. Surely it is obvious.

Barbara

[Michael Stuart Kelly]

Barbara,

It was semi-tongue-in-cheek. How about this?

But what do you do if you are someone to whom the whole world is a playground and fascinating to you?

That's more or less where I am. And I am finding the human being a most curious and intriguing creature, even as I am one.

btw - Don't worry too much about Ahmadinejad. His saber rattling won't go far. If it does, someone will get him. From the looks of things, someone will get him anyway.

Michael

[Chris Grieb]

Barbara, Michael, Wolf, and Judith; I know I am not Ayn Rand. I admire and respect her a great deal and recognize that I have no idea of her struggles.

Michael;

Your point about Ahmadinejad is well taken.

[Alfonso Jones]

But the whole world is not our enemy and revolting. (I know this is not what you are saying, Michael, or you, Judith.) It is so easy to give up and retreat. But we are not living in Nazi Germany or Soviet Russia -- we are not living in a dictatorship where we can do nothing. There are still great achievements to admire, and decent, honorable people, and wisdom to be gained from others, and great deeds to be done. I sympathize deeply with Rand's despair, and I understand the reasons for it; but she was wrong to believe that the world had become a sewer. She was tired beyond bearing from the years of excruciating effort involved in the writing pf Atlas Shrugged , she had reached the end of her power to endure, she was ill, and when no public voices from the men and women of achievement, the creative heroes she had spent her life defendimg, were raised in her defense and the defense of her work, she had no power to cope with it. But we have not created Atlas, we are not weary and disappointed and ill. We have no right to damn the world and retreat from it. And today, the vøices Rand longed to hear are being raised to defend her. Look around you.

I often thmk of how many thousands upon thousands of people excuse their lack of effort on the grounds that the world is evil., that there is no no one, anywhere, who appreciates greatness. They do not see the blatant contradiction in that very statement. Surely it is obvious.

Barbara

Thanks for the exhortation. I think all of us have moments when we despair. Then, we rise again - perhaps, in words we all recall, remembering "The world you desired can be won, it exists, it is real, it is possible, it's yours."

Alfonso

[BaalChatzaf]

When Iran is being discussed, and its clear, open, unequivocal, and specific intention to destroy America and Israel, I wonder how it is possible that no one appears to remember Neville Chamberlain and Hitler. When will we believe that dictators mean precisely what they say?

Barbara

No one? Not so. Many recall the spectacle of Chamberlain going to Berlin on his knees to give Hitler and Ribbentrop a blow job. What is horrible, is seeing this disgrace repeated again and again. The problem with the U.S. is that we have to be carried nearly to death's door to stand up and do what is necessary. On Dec. 6, 1941 a vast majority of Americans were abed in their isolationist slumber. What was happening in Europe and China was not -their- problem, was it? On Dec. 7, they found out differently. What did we find out on 9/11/2001? Sometimes I wonder.

Wake up America! Be lean! Be mean! Kick ass! The Romans in their prime would not be doing what we are doing. The would have sent in the Legions to do the necessary thing. See what the Romans finally did when Hannibal came knocking at their door. Delenda Cartago est. We should make a desolation and call it peace.

Ba'al Chatzaf

[tjohnson]

There were no nuclear weapons at the beginning of WWII. The existence of them is probably the biggest single reason we haven't had WWIII yet - it certainly isn't because we have grown more intelligent. I mean just look at Baal's comments above. Yes, let's start a nuclear war and make a desolation of the planet and call it peace. Maybe that's when mankind will truly be at peace - when he is extinct.