Another New York Times Columnist Notices Atlas Shrugged

[Robert Campbell]

She's relentlessly superficial, as always, but Gail Collins has belatedly noticed the impact of Atlas Shrugged on contemporary American politics.

http://www.nytimes.c...tml?ref=opinion

Of the senatorial race in Wisconsin, she says:

But about Russ Feingold. He is running for a fourth term, in a very tough race against Ron Johnson, a plastics manufacturer and one of those rich political virgins who have been popping up in races across the country, waving a checkbook and a copy of "Atlas Shrugged."

It's ironic that Feingold, who is possibly the most independent member of the Senate, a Mr. Clean who votes against his party regularly, is among the incumbents in the most danger from an anti-Washington voter rebellion. Especially since Johnson is not all that impressive. Unless you like Ayn Rand and are yearning to see the country run just like a plastics business.

Robert Campbell

[James Heaps-Nelson]

She's relentlessly superficial, as always, but Gail Collins has belatedly noticed the impact of Atlas Shrugged on contemporary American politics.

http://www.nytimes.c...tml?ref=opinion

Of the senatorial race in Wisconsin, she says:

But about Russ Feingold. He is running for a fourth term, in a very tough race against Ron Johnson, a plastics manufacturer and one of those rich political virgins who have been popping up in races across the country, waving a checkbook and a copy of "Atlas Shrugged."

It's ironic that Feingold, who is possibly the most independent member of the Senate, a Mr. Clean who votes against his party regularly, is among the incumbents in the most danger from an anti-Washington voter rebellion. Especially since Johnson is not all that impressive. Unless you like Ayn Rand and are yearning to see the country run just like a plastics business.

Robert Campbell

Robert,

Do these left-wing columnists feel the need to argue for their positions or do they just play cool columnist and string together inchoate opinions for public consumption?

Jim

[DavidMcK]

The left has a big secret that they hope you won't notice...they don't have a political philosophy. The dominating influence (Marx) is dead so they are left with the left-overs a crashed political position. They are down to either re-thinking everything they thought they knew or throwing rocks at other people's positions without actually addressing their arguments in a direct and honest way.

Edited October 24, 2010 by DavidMcK

[Kimmler]

The left has a big secret that they hope you won't notice...they don't have a political philosophy. The dominating influence (Marx) is dead so they are left with the left-overs a crashed political position. They are down to either re-thinking everything they thought they knew or throwing rocks at other people's positions without actually addressing their arguments in a direct and honest way.

True...we've been saying that for years. See this article, which is one of many...

http://www.socialiststudies.org.uk/cinc%20keynes.shtml

You only have to look at one of the examples given in that article: The New Deal

Roosevelt’s New Deal in the US from 1932 to 1939.

"The New Deal was a Keynesian policy. Keynes discussed the policy with Roosevelt. The New Deal did what the Keynesians say a government should do. It greatly increased government expenditure. So it ought to have got unemployment down to negligible levels.

But in 1938, after six years of the Roosevelt Keynesian policy unemployment was still at the peak level of 19%."

The left has learnt nothing and still believes that capitalism can be made to work in the interests of the majority.

Edited October 25, 2010 by Kimmler

[anthony]

The left has learnt nothing and still believes that capitalism can be made to work in the interests of the majority.

Then, doubtless, you agree with the conclusion of the article "Far better...replace capitalism with common ownership and democratic control of the means of production by all of society."

"Made to" and "replace" carry a certain whiff of something...I don't know, but it smells..

I must say, though, that it is quaintly thrilling to have an 'agent provocateur', and a socialist 'mole' in our midst. Just like the old days.

What a shame, where did they all go?

[BaalChatzaf]

"Made to" and "replace" carry a certain whiff of something...I don't know, but it smells..

It smells like the chimneys of the Gulag.

Ba'al Chatzaf

[Michael Stuart Kelly]

"Made to" and "replace" carry a certain whiff of something...I don't know, but it smells..

It smells like the chimneys of the Gulag.

Or puffs of air you are made to buy to redistribute wealth (carbon credits--if this ever passes).

The smell isn't the puffs of air, though.

It's the stench of more impending corruption by government bureaucrats in bed with big business and vice-versa. If this happens, insiders are going to make a killing the likes of which the world has never seen. And we all will get screwed big time.

Equal opportunity screwing. Enforced by guns.

There's a philosophy for the left.

(Hey! Isn't that called rape?... )

Michael

[Robert Campbell]

Do these left-wing columnists feel the need to argue for their positions or do they just play cool columnist and string together inchoate opinions for public consumption?

Jim,

There are some who try to argue for their positions.

If asked, Gail Collins would probably deny that she is presenting arguments. She's a second-string Maureen Dowd, turning out snarky political gossip.

Robert Campbell

[Kimmler]

"Made to" and "replace" carry a certain whiff of something...I don't know, but it smells..

It smells like the chimneys of the Gulag.

Or puffs of air you are made to buy to redistribute wealth (carbon credits--if this ever passes).

The smell isn't the puffs of air, though.

It's the stench of more impending corruption by government bureaucrats in bed with big business and vice-versa. If this happens, insiders are going to make a killing the likes of which the world has never seen. And we all will get screwed big time.

Equal opportunity screwing. Enforced by guns.

There's a philosophy for the left.

(Michael

That sounds grim...and it sure is the philosophy for the left. Just glad I'm not a leftie, if you bothered to read the link I posted you'd have understood that.

[Michael Stuart Kelly]

That sounds grim...and it sure is the philosophy for the left. Just glad I'm not a leftie, if you bothered to read the link I posted you'd have understood that.

Kimmler,

About your presumptions: I did read the link. So you are wrong about this. You are correct that I did not "understand that" (presumably that you are not a leftie) just from reading the link. Your insinuation is incorrect, though. Why should I "understand that"? Did you write the article? Or do you agree with it? I can't tell from your posts in this thread whether you agree with it or not. In fact, I can't tell much about what you think from your posts at all, other than a few opinions.

As to leftie, your link sure is, Here's a pretty good quote from it:

Unemployed in conditions of poor trade and exploited in conditions of good trade workers are caught between the devil and the deep blue sea.. Far better to understand that capitalism can never be made to work in their interests and replace capitalism with common ownership and democratic control of the means of production by all of society.

That's about as leftie as it gets.

Here's a note about the incorrect presumptions you just made about what is in my head, although I don't imagine it will have much value to you. (I like to waste time, sometimes...)

I could say that you should gather more data before using conclusions from inductive reasoning as fact. But I have another idea about why you got it wrong. I don't think it's a deficiency of inductive reasoning capacity at all, since you seem to be halfway intelligent.

I think it's just a snooty attitude of the "old boy" kind.

Michael

[Kimmler]

I think it's just a snooty attitude of the "old boy" kind.

Michael

Well I still stand up when a lady enters the room and always wear a collar and tie. But not a button down one, which is more of an American thing. Why collars need to be buttoned down is beyond me.

[Michael Stuart Kelly]

Kimmler,

Button down collars?

I fear you Brits would not understand.

(Brits are the same everywhere...)

Michael

[anonrobt]

Why collars need to be buttoned down is beyond me.

It goes with the button-down mind...