Comments on: Boston Globe on “Ayn Rand’s Campus Radicals”

By: Herbert Smart

Herbert Smart — Sun, 22 May 2005 15:24:16 +0000

Aloha
Be here now kids. The problem is how do we get rid of these mammon Worshipping assholes that are manufacturing Hegelian events; and don’t believe that freedom, truth and love is not enough to make life worth living

Killa

By: Vanmind

Vanmind — Tue, 15 Feb 2005 11:22:03 +0000

Keep in mind that I’m as big a fool as anyone else, and am often called for being full of sh*t.

By: Chris Matthew Sciabarra

Chris Matthew Sciabarra — Tue, 15 Feb 2005 10:53:01 +0000

Thanks for your detailed analysis.

It leaves me speechless.

By: Vanmind

Vanmind — Tue, 15 Feb 2005 10:34:23 +0000

Like I said, my opinion has zero value outside my brain. I will offer this, though... I find that only fools have ever engaged in the back-and-forth argument:

"Marx was a dialectic-using scumbag and we were fortunate to be blessed later with the objective wisdom of Rand."
"No, Rand was the one using scummy dialectic non-proof to claim that Marx was wrong, when in fact Marx was right about the exploitation of blah blah blah."

Guess who were--and are still--the real dialectic-using scumbags who gave both Marx and Rand their "big breaks" so they could force a "third way" synthesis upon everyone. Guess also as to the fiat nature of the big-picture theft going on behind-the-scenes that required manufacturing two so-called paragons of polar-opposite "genius" to distract people and obfuscate issues. Over the last few decades, since fewer and fewer people have bothered to educate themselves about economics or liberty, perpetual cognitive dissonance has become much easier to maintain:

"Brad Pitt is a loser for dumping the beautiful Jennifer Aniston."
"No, Jennifer Aniston is a loser for dumping the beautiful Brad Pitt."

Same fools, different foolish idols--and the theft continues behind everyone's back. In writing workshops, one of the first lessons learned is how to "kill the most precious babies." This requires a willingness to delete even the most brilliant turns-of-phrase if they add nothing to the story. Everyone, kill your babies. Reclaim cognitive resonance by choosing to burn all copies you own of anything written by either Marx or Rand.

By: Chris Matthew Sciabarra

Chris Matthew Sciabarra — Tue, 15 Feb 2005 09:21:17 +0000

Well, Vanmind, I’d be eager to explore this with you if you’d like to provide a bit more analysis or explanation.

Cheers,
Chris

By: Vanmind

Vanmind — Tue, 15 Feb 2005 09:05:33 +0000

“…does make some comparisons between Rand, Marx, and Hegel, but only insofar as these thinkers draw from dialectical method”

Then you messed up.

By: Chris Matthew Sciabarra

Chris Matthew Sciabarra — Mon, 14 Feb 2005 23:16:39 +0000

Vanmind's "argument" sounds nothing like Sciabarra's, of that I can assure you. My book, Ayn Rand: The Russian Radical, does make some comparisons between Rand, Marx, and Hegel, but only insofar as these thinkers draw from dialectical method---which long predates all of them. I extend that analysis to include key Austrian thinkers in both Marx, Hayek, and Utopia and Total Freedom: Toward a Dialectical Libertarianism.

By: Vanmind

Vanmind — Mon, 14 Feb 2005 11:08:02 +0000

I have never heard of Sciabarra. I have only my own conviction and formulated opinion about Rand (which has zero value outside my brain).

By: Lowell R.

Lowell R. — Mon, 14 Feb 2005 10:11:14 +0000

Vanmind–

I see your point in regards to Hegel and Marx, but not in Rand. Perhaps you could point out some passages?

And by the way, your argument sounds a lot like Sciabarra’s!

– Lowell R.

By: Vanmind

Vanmind — Mon, 14 Feb 2005 09:35:51 +0000

Both were set up as tools to perpetuate a Hegelian dialectic by which the masses would engage evermore in fruitless debate while the real thieves scammed everyone with a pretense of impunity.

Rand was an intellectual whore who should now be relegated to the dustbin of history. Once her hack writing is finally put to its best use as so much kindling, people will be able to look elsewhre and discover some real libertarian scholarship.

Rand was scum.

Marx was scum.

Rand was scum.

Marx was scum.

Rand was scum.

Marx was scum.

ad infinitum…

By: Lowell R.

Lowell R. — Mon, 14 Feb 2005 06:57:45 +0000

Vanmind --

"Intellectual whore"? "Tool for the Establishment"? "Just like Marx"???

Honestly, when this crap passes as an endorsement for "real libertarian scholarship," is it any wonder that people don't take libertarianism seriously?

-- Lowell R.

By: Vanmind

Vanmind — Sun, 13 Feb 2005 09:30:37 +0000

Now if we can get people to understand that Rand was an intellectual whore and tool for the Establishment (just like Marx), we’ll be able to approach some real libertarian scholarship.

The time has come to destroy this manufactured Hegelian dialectic…

By: Logan Buck

Logan Buck — Sun, 13 Feb 2005 05:19:34 +0000

This is certainly good news. It is also very uplifting to see that JARS is achieving wider notoriety.