Chris Grieb Posted February 26, 2009 Share Posted February 26, 2009 Glen Reynolds call this good economic news. As I have been noting Atlas has showed on Amazon's Top Hundred. The sucess of the book is being noted on the blogosphere.Another good economic sign is ammo sales are up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BaalChatzaf Posted February 26, 2009 Share Posted February 26, 2009 (edited) Glen Reynolds call this good economic news. As I have been noting Atlas has showed on Amazon's Top Hundred. The sucess of the book is being noted on the blogosphere.Another good economic sign is ammo sales are up.Guns and bullets are popular totems and fetishes. Against gas, tanks, helicopters, jet planes and anti-personal shells, they are useless. I prefer IEDs to guns any day of the week. Hit and run is the preferred mode of asymmetric warfare. In the late and unlamented Viet Nam war, Charlie killed or maimed more U.S. troops with their bamboo booby traps (pungi stakes and the like) than with bullets or grenades. Who needs bullets or guns?Ba'al Chatzaf Edited February 26, 2009 by BaalChatzaf Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Grieb Posted February 26, 2009 Author Share Posted February 26, 2009 Baal; Our little ray of sunshine! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roger Bissell Posted February 26, 2009 Share Posted February 26, 2009 You've heard the expression "War is the health of the State"? Well, it's sad to say it, but economic disaster and the prospect of societal collapse is the health of Objectivism. What else would motivate people in large numbers to even ~consider~ breaking with the long Western tradition of mysticism-altruism-collectivism and consider a fundamental alternative? This is what Peikoff et al have been telling us for decades to be ready for--to have the rational alternative ready and waiting, when people got to the point where they felt desperate and like the standard "remedies" would no longer work. Maybe we've reached that point. Maybe not.But also, I think that a lot of people are appalled at our current mess and curious about the rumors/reports of the prophetic nature of Rand's novel, and they want to see if there really ~is~ an explanation for why things have fallen apart so badly, one that transcends this or that gang of politicians, one that gets into the systemic guts of the ism's that have been controlling our country.This is a golden opportunity for Objectivism. I hope ARI is up to it -- not just to grouse in op-ed's, but to push Atlas Shrugged big-time. Perhaps TAS will have a role to play, too, though they seem to be struggling to stay afloat, let alone to pursue big initiatives in promoting the philosophy.Talk it up!REB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Stuart Kelly Posted February 26, 2009 Share Posted February 26, 2009 There is a story that was used on a commercial in Brazil for another cause (environmentalism to be exact), but it can apply to the present context. Without denigrating the value of organizations like ARI and TAS, we don't need them or anyone else to do a job that is within our own reach.The story is about a forest fire raging and a small bird flying to a nearby river, getting a few drops of water in its beak, then flying over the forest fire and dropping it. The bird repeated this over and over. When another animal pointed out to the bird that it would not be able to put out the forest fire that way, it said, "At least I am doing my part."Leaving aside the practical consideration, this is an emotional attitude well worth cultivating. And even on the practical side, if the little birdie's example started to inspire other animals until large flocks and herds were doing the same thing, there would be a huge practical impact.Rand has an essay on this where she said a person in an epidemic cannot do anything about the whole epidemic. But he can do something about one patient at a time.Michael Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Grieb Posted February 26, 2009 Author Share Posted February 26, 2009 Michael; Good Post! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
syrakusos Posted February 26, 2009 Share Posted February 26, 2009 Baal; Our little ray of sunshine!Well, you have to give Bob his due. I mean a 20 year combat veteran, he only joined to do physics for the air force and they had him in Elint and next thing he knows he's in Nam... Cambodia, Laos... then Central American. He won't even talk about what he did on Grenada and he flat out denies his laison work in the Falklands. They send him to Afghanistan and he nails the Taliban for what they are but no one at State or the Pentagon will listen, they just focus on the Soviets and Bob gets, well, they call it "marginalized" and some guys call it a reassignment, but basically, he's back in civvies and when Gulf War I break out, they give him the cold shoulder. Can't even go merc. So, he rattles around in civvies and gets older and lonlier and he has to hang out with us because we're the last line of defense in a collapsing world.Well, OK, some people say he's unpredictable, but when I have to go out on patrol to check the Galt Screen against drones, I want Bob Kolker on point. Tell you what, next time, buy him the good stuff and see if he doesn't tell you about Sinai. It's a lesson we all need.Mike M."Mercury"Michael E. Marotta Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
syrakusos Posted February 26, 2009 Share Posted February 26, 2009 (edited) Well, you have to give Bob his due. I mean a 20 year combat veteran ... "Mercury"Ooops, sorry... Been reading The Watchmen and musta fallen into an alternate universe where we're not a bunch of pussies. Well, except for Kat, of course, who, ummm.... never mind...The point is that the bullets talk from the likes of Roger Bissell and Bob Kolker is laughable. You embarrass youselves when you talk like that, or would, if you had any sense of self-awareness.I'll tell you a truth from this universe. Atlas sales are new sales to new readers. Bullets are sold to people who already own guns -- and you don't want to meet them.Read The Future and Its Enemies by Virginia Postrel. Edited February 26, 2009 by Michael E. Marotta Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roger Bissell Posted February 27, 2009 Share Posted February 27, 2009 Well, you have to give Bob his due. I mean a 20 year combat veteran ... "Mercury"Ooops, sorry... Been reading The Watchmen and musta fallen into an alternate universe where we're not a bunch of pussies. Well, except for Kat, of course, who, ummm.... never mind...The point is that the bullets talk from the likes of Roger Bissell and Bob Kolker is laughable. You embarrass youselves when you talk like that, or would, if you had any sense of self-awareness.Michael, what the HELL are you talking about? When did I mention bullets? Hmmmm?Self-awareness be damned. YOU need to be a little more aware of whom you're talking about, and careful about what you're saying about them.REB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
syrakusos Posted February 27, 2009 Share Posted February 27, 2009 Michael, what the HELL are you talking about? When did I mention bullets? ... YOU need to be a little more aware of whom you're talking about ... REB"You've heard the expression "War is the health of the State"? Well, it's sad to say it, but economic disaster and the prospect of societal collapse is the health of Objectivism. ... when people got to the point where they felt desperate ... ... why things have fallen apart so badly ... This is a golden opportunity for Objectivism. ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roger Bissell Posted February 27, 2009 Share Posted February 27, 2009 Michael, what the HELL are you talking about? When did I mention bullets? ... YOU need to be a little more aware of whom you're talking about ... REB"You've heard the expression "War is the health of the State"? Well, it's sad to say it, but economic disaster and the prospect of societal collapse is the health of Objectivism. ... when people got to the point where they felt desperate ... ... why things have fallen apart so badly ... This is a golden opportunity for Objectivism. ... You prove my point. I never mentioned bullets like Bob did. I only used the term "war" in passing, for an analogy.Are you perhaps denying that we are facing economic disaster and possible societal collapse? Or that such is irrelevant to what are the most favorable conditions for getting people to pay attention to Rand's ideas? I can't figure out what else you might be getting at.REB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Selene Posted February 27, 2009 Share Posted February 27, 2009 "JUST WORDS!" Presidential Candidate Barack H. O'Biwan soon to be anointed First Premier The PresidentThe White HouseWashington, D.C. 20500Dear Mr. President,On behalf of the millions of members of our respective organizations, we are writing to thank you for your pledge to slash “earmarks to no greater than 1994 levels and ensure all spending decisions are open to the public,” and your vow to “ban all earmarks, the process by which individual members insert pet projects without review” in H.R. 1, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.Now that H.R. 1 has been signed into law, our groups believe more than ever that Executive Order No. 13457, “Protecting American Taxpayers from Government Spending on Wasteful Earmarks,” must be strictly enforced. Because the stimulus package is more than 1,000 pages in length and the programs will cost taxpayers approximately $578 billion in discretionary and direct spending, we are concerned that members of Congress and lobbyists will be seeking earmarks through surreptitious contacts with federal agencies. The “Initial Implementing Guidance for the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009,” issued by the Office of Management and Budget on February 18, includes detailed reporting and grant-making procedures, but does not address potential earmarks.E.O. No. 13457 was issued by President George W. Bush in order to reduce out-of-control earmarking. It states that for any “appropriations laws and other legislation enacted after the date of this order [February 1, 2008], executive agencies should not commit, obligate, or expend funds on the basis of earmarks included in any non-statutory source, including requests in reports of committees of the Congress or other congressional documents, or communications from or on behalf of Members of Congress, or any other non-statutory source, except when required by law or when an agency has itself determined a project, program, activity, grant, or other transaction to have merit under statutory criteria or other merit-based decision making.”We are particularly concerned about any future “phone marking” with respect to H.R. 1. This is why President Bush wisely included the term “communications from or on behalf of Members of Congress, or any other non-statutory source” in the E.O.In order to provide assurances to taxpayers that there will not be any opportunity for members of Congress or special interests to obtain earmarks from the money being obligated through federal agencies under H.R. 1, we urge you to publicly express your support for E.O. No. 13457 and to reinforce to all agencies that they should follow the directive. Please be assured that our organizations stand ready to assist you in upholding your pledge to reduce earmarks.Sincerely,Larry Hart, Director of Government AffairsAmerican Conservative Union Tim Phillips, PresidentAmericans for ProsperityGrover Norquist, PresidentAmericans for Tax Reform Sandra Fabry, Executive DirectorCenter for Fiscal AccountabilityThomas Schatz, PresidentCitizens Against Government Waste Pat Toomey, PresidentClub for GrowthMatt Kibbe, President and CEOFreedomWorks Duane Parde, PresidentNational Taxpayers UnionDanielle Brian, Executive DirectorProject On Government Oversight Ryan Alexander, PresidentTaxpayers for Common Sense Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Grieb Posted March 5, 2009 Author Share Posted March 5, 2009 Amazon is reporting Atlas Shrugged is at 36. I believe this is best showing Atlas has been at. As I keep noting this is amazing for a book that is over 50 years old. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Selene Posted March 5, 2009 Share Posted March 5, 2009 Folks:I just read a thread wherein Brant pointed out, I think astutely, that Atlas was a 3 generation process. I think he is correct. For example, I always carry a book with me, even when we go grocery shopping, a concert, a NY Knicks game back when we actually played basketball at Madison Square Garden or birding and I can tell you that any time I carry any of her groups, it attracts people.Many are tentative when they ask me about it, but when I share with them what it has done for me and folks that I have had read it we wind up exchanging e-mails and phone numbers. In Virginia, about a year and a half ago, at a Michaels, wound up speaking with a couple for almost an hour and we were invited to go sailing with them the next month. The "original objectivists", us, continue to work over 3 and 4 generations, perhaps we are reaching a potential critical mass for actual change.Thoughts?Adam Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Grieb Posted March 16, 2009 Author Share Posted March 16, 2009 (edited) Instapundit has a great picture of a sign "Atlas is Shrugging" from one of this weekend's Tea Parties. The Wall Street Journal is reporting that Yuron Brook's article is the most e-mailed article. As I keep saying this is wonderful for a book over fifty years old. Edited March 16, 2009 by Chris Grieb Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BaalChatzaf Posted March 16, 2009 Share Posted March 16, 2009 . The "original objectivists", us, continue to work over 3 and 4 generations, perhaps we are reaching a potential critical mass for actual change.Thoughts?AdamDon't count on it. Before the Stupidity of Man, even the Gods are helpless.Ba'al Chatzaf Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Selene Posted March 16, 2009 Share Posted March 16, 2009 Well, so we won't be the best dressed revolution lol.http://pajamasmedia.com/instapundit/73296/Bovina: It has started. In the last two weeks, there have been at least half a dozen semi-crazed responses to the Atlas resurgence published either in the MSM or on lefty blogs (the HuffPo people seem to have come unbuttoned by this).What's more interesting is that the little boys at the National Review seem to have fallen silent.Peter | 03.15.09 - 8:52 am | #Gravatar Seems like everyone in our family is reading Atlas Shrugged. I'm doing the Audible. My 30-yr-old step-daughter finished the Audible version while commuting and is obsessed. She's now listening to The Conservative Mind, and has Witness and a trove of liberty-oriented titles lined up behind those. At her request I shelled out $50 for her birthday for an AUDIO CASSETTE version of The Road to Serfdom from Amazon! It is a travesty that this is out of print and almost impossible to buy. There are no audible versions other than cassette?!For someone who works in the Bronx with a bunch of lefties, and who used to know zero about politics or economics much less freedom and liberty, she is fast becoming an expert. We couldn't be prouder and we take some satisfaction that we started her down this road. Best part is she will inculcate her daughter and any future offspring into conservatism with a firm and knowledgeable foundation.Atlas is Shrugging and the elite statists are panicking.Peg C. | 03.15.09 - 9:30 am | #Gravatar Of course it's started.I'm doing my part. For the last 15-20 years, I've been a net contributor to my federal, state and local governments to the tune of about $30,000 annually in federal income, state income, local property and state sales taxes.As of last month, I'm a net receiver of about $30,000 annually of federal state and local government assistance in the form of unemployment, food stamps, heating aid, etc.I intend to not contribute until our system of taxation is fundamentally altered to make it fair. Until that day, I intend to bleed the government dry of any funds it decides to hand out.Before: +$30,000Now: -$30,000Net: $60,000/annuallyThat math is just not sustainable, and I intend to do my part to help make that perfectly clear to Americans.shrugger | 03.15.09 - 10:05 am | #Gravatar I think shrugger misses the whole point...or is snarking his statist hatred. Take your pick.Peg C. | 03.15.09 - 10:07 am | #Gravatar I met a friend for lunch yesterday and noticed that we both paid for the meal on the credit card and the tip in cash. Independently we both did our part to help our waitress keep money away from the looters and the elites.Last year Ron Paul tapped into a backlash against big stupid government. While his anti-war position accounted for a significant part of his support, I think that there was also some genuine support for limited government too.George | 03.15.09 - 1:12 pm | #Gravatar "This was in Manhattan, mind you. I've never seen a sight like that before." Haha I have lived in NY my whole life and I am an avid reader of Ayn Rand on the subway. Guess we never crossed paths!D | 03.15.09 - 1:27 pm | #Gravatar Peg,I haven't missed the point. The point is that our taxation is unfair; that it allows many to not pay taxes, and a few to support those.There's only one way to break that system; and that is to bankrupt it by depriving it of dollars.By not paying taxes any longer (by withholding my work) and by suckling from the teat of the those who continue to finance this system, I intend to do my part to bankrupt the system; to bring about its ultimate demise; in the same way as John Galt, only more efficiently and less passively.Our society is no longer just. It must be allowed to destroy itself before it can be rebuilt.I ask you to join me in hastening the Phoenix.^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^These are from the blog - nothing earth shattering, but ...Adam Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
galtgulch Posted March 17, 2009 Share Posted March 17, 2009 You've heard the expression "War is the health of the State"? Well, it's sad to say it, but economic disaster and the prospect of societal collapse is the health of Objectivism. What else would motivate people in large numbers to even ~consider~ breaking with the long Western tradition of mysticism-altruism-collectivism and consider a fundamental alternative? This is what Peikoff et al have been telling us for decades to be ready for--to have the rational alternative ready and waiting, when people got to the point where they felt desperate and like the standard "remedies" would no longer work. Maybe we've reached that point. Maybe not.But also, I think that a lot of people are appalled at our current mess and curious about the rumors/reports of the prophetic nature of Rand's novel, and they want to see if there really ~is~ an explanation for why things have fallen apart so badly, one that transcends this or that gang of politicians, one that gets into the systemic guts of the ism's that have been controlling our country.This is a golden opportunity for Objectivism. I hope ARI is up to it -- not just to grouse in op-ed's, but to push Atlas Shrugged big-time. Perhaps TAS will have a role to play, too, though they seem to be struggling to stay afloat, let alone to pursue big initiatives in promoting the philosophy.Talk it up!REBRoger, "What else would motivate people in large numbers to even ~consider~ breaking with the long Western tradition of mysticism-altruism-collectivism and consider a fundamental alternative? "What else? I'll tell you what else! Get ready to scoff. As I have said here many times: Ron Paul recommended his supporters read Atlas Shrugged in his best seller The Revolution: A Manifesto. I believe this certainly contributed to the bump in sales. At least they knew of the book because of Ron Paul. Over 1,240,000 voted for him in the primaries. I am reminded of a story Ludwig von Mises told regarding inflation. When he was living in Germany in the early twenties during the hyperinflation, a man wondered aloud what was responsible for it. Ludwig asked the man if he really wanted to know he should meet him that evening at a certain intersection in the city. When they met there was a noise so loud that the man asked what it was and von Mises said that what he heard was the cause of the inflation: the roar of the printing presses running day and night printing Deutschmarks!I tell people this story when the subject of the stimulus comes up, as Bernanke has said he will print as much money as necessary to get us out of the recession. I ask people including strangers and coworkers if they think Obama knows what he is doing. Often I get a laugh with that question. I suggest that if they really want to know what is wrong and what has caused the crisis they should read Atlas Shrugged.www.campaingforliberty.com 16Mar 11:38 118090Is that enough? It is growing over one thousand each day now and that is likely to increase. By the 2010 elections there will be enough to support candidates for Congress in virtually every district in the country. Imagine how that will change the dialog in the campaigns and debates. This is getting serious with so many losing their jobs and the printing presses rolling eroding everyone's savings. Things will get worse as we can predict. Our govt is calling for more controls over the economy, the banks, businesses. We just might have to get more involved than we would want, reluctant warriors that we are.gulch Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Grieb Posted June 17, 2009 Author Share Posted June 17, 2009 Amazon is reporting that Atlas has been on their top one hundred list over one hundred days.Tom Paine's Common Sense also show up on the list. A quick look suggests that Common Sense is the only book older than Atlas on the list. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Grieb Posted June 23, 2009 Author Share Posted June 23, 2009 Atlas is at 64 today on the Amazon bestseller 100. The oldest book on the list is Common Sense by Tom Paine. Interesting Jonah Goldberg's Liberal Fascism is back on the list.Does anyone else feel the horrific DC Metro accident is an Atlas Shrugged event. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reidy Posted June 23, 2009 Share Posted June 23, 2009 (edited) Has anybody out there read Mark Levin's book? I gather that it's standard-issue religious/social conservatism, but if somebody can point out some merit in it I might read it.As of 0815 MDT Atlas Shrugged isn't in the top 100 at all. I haven't seen it there for at least a few weeks. Edited June 23, 2009 by Reidy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Selene Posted June 23, 2009 Share Posted June 23, 2009 Reidy:Seems we are not all on the same page:64. Ranking has gone up in the past 24 hours117 days in the top 100 Atlas Shrugged Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand (Author)4.1 out of 5 stars (1,835 customer reviews) | 19 customer discussionsIn StockList Price: $25.00Price: $14.25You Save: $10.75 (43%)74 used & new from $6.91 In answer to your question about the Levin book, it is brilliant. The scholarship is superior. The writing is not polemical, but it is not a simple read. It is the best pure declarative book since Goldwater's Conscience of a Conservative.I just finished it last night. $14.00 at most mass retail stores, e.g., Target where I bought my copy.If a well written treatise with a conservative religious bent is anathema to you, then it will be a struggle. However, if you know the bias going in, it is well worth it just for the scholarship.Adam Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reidy Posted June 23, 2009 Share Posted June 23, 2009 Where are you looking? I'm looking at http://www.amazon.com/gp/bestsellers/books/283155, and it isn't there. Maybe adding up the different editions will push it into the top 100. Or another 300 points down on the Dow. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Selene Posted June 23, 2009 Share Posted June 23, 2009 Reidy:This is the link I was on.http://www.amazon.com/gp/bestsellers/booksAdam Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Grieb Posted June 23, 2009 Author Share Posted June 23, 2009 (edited) Reidy; I saw the same figures Selene saw. I go to Amazon home page and click on best sellers. What do you do? Edited June 23, 2009 by Chris Grieb Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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