Thursday, April 5, 2012

Favorite Books - Number Five - Atlas Shrugged

A 'Dem" friend once said to me that this was the most elitist book she'd ever read.  I was impressed that she'd read it at all as most on the left shy away from it.  Atlas Shrugged is number five on my list and it's certainly not an easy read; one speech goes on for 72 pages!  But the story is about how government and bureaucrats will take over an entire society if those with talent and enterprise do not stand up against them.  It also shows what can happen when those talented people go on strike.  Not just for more money but to withdraw completely, taking their abilities with them.  It was panned by most critics when it came out and continues today to annoy them.  Most on the left seem to idealize collectivism which is the antithesis of Rand's philosophy which is individualism - she called it objectivism.
Ayn Rand's work was published in 1957, and surprisingly it continues to be one of the top sellers in print - in 2009 it sold over 500,000 copies.  If you read it you will be able to answer the question: "Who is John Galt?"

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