Atlas felt a sense of deja vu

[Barbara Branden]

Ayn Rand

Atlas felt a sense of déjà vu

Feb 26th 2009, From The Economist print edition

The economic bust has caused a boom for at least one author

Books do not sell themselves: that is what films are for. “The Reader”, the book that inspired the Oscar-winning film, has shot up the bestseller lists. Another recent publishing success, however, has had more help from Washington, DC, than Hollywood. That book is Ayn Rand's “Atlas Shrugged”.

Reviled in some circles and mocked in others, Rand's 1957 novel of embattled capitalism is a favourite of libertarians and college students. Lately, though, its appeal has been growing. According to data from TitleZ, a firm that tracks bestseller rankings on Amazon, an online retailer, the book's 30-day average Amazon rank was 127 on February 21st, well above its average over the past two years of 542. On January 13th the book's ranking was 33, briefly besting President Barack Obama's popular tome, “The Audacity of Hope”.

Tellingly, the spikes in the novel's sales coincide with the news (see chart*). . . .

Whenever governments intervene in the market, in short, readers rush to buy Rand's book. Why? The reason is explained by the name of a recently formed group on Facebook, the world's biggest social-networking site: “Read the news today? It's like ‘Atlas Shrugged’ is happening in real life”. The group, and an expanding chorus of fretful bloggers, reckon that life is imitating art.

[Selene]

Folks:

Here is the link

http://www.economist.com/finance/displayst...ory_id=13185404

[kiaer.ts]

I just finished rereading Atlas Shrugged for the fourth time since 1984. It has ceased being Romanticism, and has become flat out journalistic Naturalism.

[Alfonso Jones]

I just finished rereading Atlas Shrugged for the fourth time since 1984. It has ceased being Romanticism, and has become flat out journalistic Naturalism.

I just finished "reading" Atlas via listening to it in unabridged audiobook format. The result of the audio format was that I was throttled down in the speed with which I went through the book. (The total is about 62 hours of listening time.) That's sometimes a good discipline for the long-term fast reader...

Bill P

[galtgulch]

Ayn Rand

Atlas felt a sense of déjà vu

Feb 26th 2009, From The Economist print edition

The economic bust has caused a boom for at least one author

Books do not sell themselves: that is what films are for. “The Reader”, the book that inspired the Oscar-winning film, has shot up the bestseller lists. Another recent publishing success, however, has had more help from Washington, DC, than Hollywood. That book is Ayn Rand's “Atlas Shrugged”.

Reviled in some circles and mocked in others, Rand's 1957 novel of embattled capitalism is a favourite of libertarians and college students. Lately, though, its appeal has been growing. According to data from TitleZ, a firm that tracks bestseller rankings on Amazon, an online retailer, the book's 30-day average Amazon rank was 127 on February 21st, well above its average over the past two years of 542. On January 13th the book's ranking was 33, briefly besting President Barack Obama's popular tome, “The Audacity of Hope”.

Tellingly, the spikes in the novel's sales coincide with the news (see chart*). . . .

Whenever governments intervene in the market, in short, readers rush to buy Rand's book. Why? The reason is explained by the name of a recently formed group on Facebook, the world's biggest social-networking site: “Read the news today? It's like ‘Atlas Shrugged’ is happening in real life”. The group, and an expanding chorus of fretful bloggers, reckon that life is imitating art.

Barbara,

Atlas Shrugged was recommended to me at the end of an argument between three doctors over what to do if the City of NY did not meet the demands of a union of doctors employed by the city. One had suggested a job action which amounted to a strike!

The Dutch Catholic doctor responded by objecting because man is his brother's keeper therefore we had no right to withhold care.

A soft spoken young fellow offered that "No man's need constitutes an obligation on the part of another man to fulfill that need!"

After the ensuing dust settled I asked him to explain and he did starting out that the statement is not self evident and in order to prove it he would have to start with a couple of self evident concepts and we would have to agree on certain laws of logic.

That is when I heard "Existence exists" and "Consciousness is conscious" for the first time.

He went on to say that there are No Contradictions in the Universe and defined a contradiction as "An Entity which exists which does not exist" or "An entity which possesses an attribute which it does not possess."

Forgive me if I told you this before but it was a milestone for me.

The first issue of The Objectivist had the article on To Whom It May Concern. I did not take sides and read everything I could find by both Rand and Nathaniel Branden. It continues to be outrageous that one cannot find any reference to NB in the Objectivist Lexicon or the ARI website.

I thought that all might change when Rand was no longer alive. Perhaps after Leonard P. bites the dust.

We know the Soviets had a diagnosis for people who pondered about philosophy and opposed the regime: latent schizophrenia.

The current Diagnostic and Statistical Manual is due for an upgrade having been through several renditions already. Perhaps there should be a category for those in power who justify and advocate government coercion against its citizens to fulfill government objectives. Perhaps they already fit in one of the personality disorders such as "antisocial."

www.campaignforliberty.com 1March 7 AM 105202; 3Mar 105579

gulch

Edited March 3, 2009 by galtgulch

[Chris Grieb]

Gulch; You have a serious interest in Objectivism. The proof is that the first issue of the Objectivist you got had To Whom It May Concern and you stayed interested. You are to commended.

[Selene]

Gulch:

I sure hoped you kept in touch with the soft spoken young fellow [? another Dr.?]. His approach is so similar to one of the major ways that I have always approached folks. Did you?

Another additional assumption agreement to get, along with existence exists and consciousness is consciousness, is that existence (reality) is independent of our senses, eg., if a tree falls.....

Once you have gotten that we will use the rules of logic and argument, it is basically over.

He did a nice job.

Adam

[galtgulch]

Gulch:

I sure hoped you kept in touch with the soft spoken young fellow [? another Dr.?]. His approach is so similar to one of the major ways that I have always approached folks. Did you?

Another additional assumption agreement to get, along with existence exists and consciousness is consciousness, is that existence (reality) is independent of our senses, eg., if a tree falls.....

Once you have gotten that we will use the rules of logic and argument, it is basically over.

He did a nice job.

Adam

Adam,

I left out much of what was said by him. He did say that there is an objective universe which exists independently of our perception. He did point out the necessity of accepting Aristotelian Laws of Logic. He made the point in that regard that there are those who would disparage Aristotle's Logic by calling it bougoisie logic or the like. He did elaborate on the Law of Identity by showing that there are no contradictions in the universe.

Just to show that I got it. When he was done my response was to say:"How come it is not front page headlines in the New York Times?"

I grew up in Flatbush in Brooklyn. The only newspapers which came into the house when I was a boy were the Daily News and the Daily Mirror. I had the New York Times on a pedestal. I do remember that there were several newspapers including both morning and evening ones. As I recall Rand wrote about the newspaper strike by unions which drove several papers out of business. Similar to the irrational strikes of the coal miners which made the price of coal so high that it became economical for natural gas to enter the market. I can still hear the sound of coal sliding down the chutes into the basement as well as my mother's admonition for me not to play in the coal pile.

But then I also remember when it cost just a nickel to ride the subway. The Jewish girls I dated later wouldn't go to restaurants other than those which were Kosher. I learned what non Jewish girls were taught in church from them. Now i know it is called a process of "cultural osmosis."

I am glad that Atlas Shrugged is selling. Perhaps some who read it will go on to read her essays. I wonder how many of us, Objectivists, there are in the world today. There is an analogy here between the furry creatures which lived during the 167 million years the dinosaurs reigned and us during the age of tyrants and empires.

www.campaignforliberty.com 1 Mar 12 noon 105232, 3PM 105249; 3Mar 105579

gulch

Edited March 3, 2009 by galtgulch

[Selene]

Gulch:

Clarify this please.

"I learned what non Jewish girls were taught in church from them."

I think I know what you mean and since I am beginning to be pretty sure that we are real close in age and that I traveled from Queens to Brooklyn to "date" Jewish girls in the heavily Jewish election districts in Brooklyn, I'd like to be sure, lol.

I remember the 15 cents, I even have one, and coal chutes.

Adam

[Barbara Branden]

Gulch, that's a great story of how you discovered Objectivism. And I give you credit for being able to follow what sounds like a very complex explanation -- from A is A to ethics!

Barbara

[galtgulch]

Gulch, that's a great story of how you discovered Objectivism. And I give you credit for being able to follow what sounds like a very complex explanation -- from A is A to ethics!

Barbara

Barbara,

Thanks for your response.

I can still hear the words, "No man's need constitutes an obligation on the part of another man to fulfill that need!" I have never come across that idea stated in just that way in the writings of either Ayn Rand or Nathaniel Branden.

I don't remember what I asked him, but he took my question as a request for a proof. He didn't let me get in another word or question. If I did start to say anything he world literally put his hand up in front of my face. So I just shut up and let him speak and heard him out. I do remember all of what he said. It was just like a geometric proof starting with axiomatic concepts and derivation of the concept of Man's Rights and the role of limited government.

I have repeated it many times over the years and it has done wonders for overcoming my fear of public speaking.

I recall finding out that there were some 20,000 subscribers to The Objectivist Newsletter at the time. I once calculated that if that number doubled once a year that in ten years there would be 20 million Objectivists. I thought it could happen much faster than that but it is actually taking much longer.

I am sure you have noticed my involvement with the Ron Paul phenomenon and now his Campaign For Liberty. He is right about so many things but so pathetically wrong about the abortion issue. I imagine not all his supporters agree with him on that. I hope the pro freedom movement thrives. I hope to be able to influence their thinking on a woman's right to choose, which was a deal breaker issue for Ayn Rand.

Do you agree with me that it would be reasonable to join the www.campaignforliberty.com movement? 105345; 3Mar 6AM 105494. 6PM 105580

gulch

Edited March 3, 2009 by galtgulch

[Ross Barlow]

For those of you that are fans of the print editions of *The Economist,* this article on the sales of *Atlas Shrugged* is in the recent issue for the week of February 28 to March 6, page 73.

-Ross Barlow.

[Brant Gaede]

In Dec. 1969 I took my neices on a subway ride in NYC. Fare: 10 cents.

--Brant

[Alfonso Jones]

In Dec. 1969 I took my neices on a subway ride in NYC. Fare: 10 cents.

--Brant

I was a junior in high school.

Bill P

[Selene]

Ahh fading memories - maybe the kids fare in 1969 was 10 cents???

"From the inauguration of IRT subway services in 1904[22] until the unified system of 1948 (including predecessor BMT and IND subway services), the fare for a ride on the subway of any length was 5 cents. On July 1, 1948, the fare was increased to 10 cents, and since then has steadily risen.

When the New York City Transit Authority was created in July 1953, the fare was raised to 15 cents and a token issued. Until April 13, 2003, riders paid the fare with tokens purchased from a station attendant.

The tokens were changed periodically as prices changed. For the 75th anniversary of the subway in 1979 (also called the Diamond Jubilee), a special token with a small off-center diamond cutout and engraved images of a 1904 subway car and kiosk were issued. Many were purchased for keepsakes and were not used for rides. The last iteration of tokens featured a hole in the middle, and after they were phased out, many became featured in home made jewelry."

[Brant Gaede]

Kid's fare? That's interesting. I remember what I paid for them, not me. Regardless, it's not dementia yet, because I've had the same memory for 39 years. I remember remembering.

--Brant

[galtgulch]

Ahh fading memories - maybe the kids fare in 1969 was 10 cents???

"From the inauguration of IRT subway services in 1904[22] until the unified system of 1948 (including predecessor BMT and IND subway services), the fare for a ride on the subway of any length was 5 cents. On July 1, 1948, the fare was increased to 10 cents, and since then has steadily risen.

When the New York City Transit Authority was created in July 1953, the fare was raised to 15 cents and a token issued. Until April 13, 2003, riders paid the fare with tokens purchased from a station attendant.

The tokens were changed periodically as prices changed. For the 75th anniversary of the subway in 1979 (also called the Diamond Jubilee), a special token with a small off-center diamond cutout and engraved images of a 1904 subway car and kiosk were issued. Many were purchased for keepsakes and were not used for rides. The last iteration of tokens featured a hole in the middle, and after they were phased out, many became featured in home made jewelry."

Selene,

I lived one block from the Newkirk Avenue station on the Brighton Line (BMT) one half hour from Times Square and one half hour from Coney Island where I fulfilled a childhood dream and worked as a Life Guard. I recall being up on the chair one hot Sunday. The beach stretched over a mile in each direction filled with people who were blanket to blanket. Suddenly the sky turned dark and ominous followed by a torrential downpour. The people grabbed their stuff and all ran for the boardwalk. It was like a Cecil B. DeMille spectacular!

I would go to the beach on my day off.

Only cost a dime which I would put in the little pocket of my bathing suit so I could get home. Didn't have any money, saved deposits on milk bottles and bought Lionel trains and a Raleigh three speed bicycle. Life was good and I was a believer in Capitalism!

gulch

[Selene]

Gulch:

What year was this? I know that neighborhood really well.

Adam

[Chris Grieb]

Instapundit has a report of a display of copies of Atlas Shrugged at the LAX bookstore. The Instapundit reader had never before seen a display of the book.

[galtgulch]

Gulch:

What year was this? I know that neighborhood really well.

Adam

Adam,

1940s, 1950s, early 1960s, then military in Korea.

Where did you live?

I grew up on a street with apartment houses on both sides, no two alike and the one tree was blown down in the hurricane of '48. Bklyn is flat which was great for cycling which I did daily for years.

Freedom worked for me and still does even after taxes.

www.campaignforliberty.com 3Mar 105584

gulch

[Selene]

Gulch:

Two blocks from Kissena Park. I watched the LIE get built. We moved their when I was 5 in 1951 from Sunnyside near Bliss St.

[Barbara Branden]

Gulch: "I am sure you have noticed my involvement with the Ron Paul phenomenon and now his Campaign For Liberty. He is right about so many things but so pathetically wrong about the abortion issue. I imagine not all his supporters agree with him on that. I hope the pro freedom movement thrives. I hope to be able to influence their thinking on a woman's right to choose, which was a deal breaker issue for Ayn Rand.

"Do you agree with me that it would be reasonable to join the www.campaignforliberty.com movement?"

Gulch,I do not agree with you about Ron Paul. I'll repeat something I said in an earlier post: I would dearly love to support someone who is loyal to the principles of our Republic-- but I see Paul as a man so ignorant of the dangers of Islamofascism that if he had his way we could end up with no Republic to be loyal to. Our freedom is in jeopardy from two sources: from those within our borders who sanction and support an ever-growing big government, and from those abroad (and at home) who wish to destroy us physically. It will not do us any good if a Ron Paul. in accordance with the Constitution, battles big government but simultaneously blames America for 09/11 and allows terrorism to flourish. If atom bombs hit New York or Los Angeles, lower taxes will not save us.

Barbara