Ayn Rand is one of my favorite writers. She was born and raised in Russia in the first half of 20th century. She was a person with strong individuality, a rare breed, which refuses to surrender its core principals to anyone. She seems to be inspired by Nietzsche’s ubermensch. The title of her great novel Atlas Shrugged is based upon an ubermensch who is holding the whole world on his shoulders, relentlessly with extreme precision. In that Novel world is run by the spineless and the wretched. But it was run indirectly with the help of those strong individuals who contribute in spite of the wretchedness which prevails in the society. The protagonist of the novel, John Galt, sees that without the help of these strong individuals the motor of the world cannot run. One by one he contacted these people and convinces them to stop being a tool in the hands of those people. Stop lending their services to them. Stop compromising their values for them. Stop for a while and go on a strike. And with this fascinating idea John Galt (or Ayn Rand) was able to stop the motor of the world (at least in the Novel ). Let the wretched fight with wretched. In the novel, Dagny sees the mental condition of her wretched brother (Jim) after his empire, Taggart Transcontinental, starts crumbling as follows:
“….he (Jim) had started coming to her (Dagny) office more often than usual, he had stopped her in the halls for snatches of pointless discussions-and such moments had grown into a sum that gave her an incomprehensible sensation: as if, while clinging to her for support and protection against some nameless terror, his arms were sliding to embrace her and to plunge a knife into her back.”
The point is that Zeitgeist felt in Ayn Rand’s Atlas Shrugged seems quite similar to that of current time.
When financial institutions are crumbling down and FOX news (even the name is FOX ) is feverishly promoting Sarah Palin as the best fit to rule the world (by the way up till now I see not much harm in calling myself a Clinton supporter to greater extent) its not hard to draw parallels. I wonder if Ayn Rand were alive today would she have chosen to end her exile and go back to Russia.
If Nietzsche was initially inspired by Wagner, doesn’t mean that Nietzsche has to be a musician (although he was a bit)
The idea of ubermensch has not much to do with capitalism or communism.
Sense of individualism is very strong in Rand’s writings which I believe she got from Nietzsche.
Ubermensch as I see can be a Dionysian or an Apolonian super entity. In Rand, ubermensch seems like an Apolonian entity.
I wouldn’t even think of maligning christanity.
My initial post had not much to do with either Capitalism or Socialism (there is no socialism as we know even in Russia) it had to do with the human wretchedness that plagues all systems.
As far as capitalism is concerned, even a big capitalist like Bill Gates is proposing “Creative Capitalism”.
And on the playground is where she spent most of her days.
Chilling out, maxing, relaxing all cool.
And shooting some B-ball outside of her private school.
When a couple of a commies were up to no good!
Started socializing everything in the neigborhood!
She got in one little fight and her mom got scared!
And said “You’re moving to America, where they just don’t care!”
She whistled for a cab and when it came near the
licensplate said money and had a dollar sign in the mirror
If anything she could say that this cab was rare
But I thought naw man, forget it, even opinions shouldn’t be shared!
She pulled up to a house about seven or eight
And wrote a bunchof shitty books that would make awesome troll bait
Looked at her kingdom, and she could finally see…
To be worshipped by kids, even more then Nietzsche!
God I wish I could shop well enough to put some gold chains and a backward cap on one of Rand’s pics…
). Let the wretched fight with wretched. In the novel, Dagny sees the mental condition of her wretched brother (Jim) after his empire, Taggart Transcontinental, starts crumbling as follows:
) is feverishly promoting Sarah Palin as the best fit to rule the world (by the way up till now I see not much harm in calling myself a Clinton supporter to greater extent) its not hard to draw parallels. I wonder if Ayn Rand were alive today would she have chosen to end her exile and go back to Russia.
