Comments on: Capitalism’s greatest salesman

By: Twitted by Peter_Cresswell

Twitted by Peter_Cresswell — Sun, 10 Jan 2010 12:30:17 +0000

[...] This post was Twitted by Peter_Cresswell [...]

By: Bruce Majors

Bruce Majors — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 20:51:26 +0000

I think Ms. Wilhelm and Mr. Brinkley show what some might take to be a vulgar lack of gratitude, as I have my doubts that they would have their current jobs and that their current employers would even exist, were it not for Ayn Rand. I know that I have always found her inspiring, from the time my best friend in junior high school made me read her, and through undergraduate and graduate studies in both economics and philosophy.

Besides the thoughtlessness involved in their lack of gratitude, Ms. Wilhelm is indulging in a kind of irrationality Ayn Rand might have called mysticism. Ayn Rand for her exists as a reified deity outside of time, changeless. More likely Ms. Rand was generous and loving to some at some times, bitter and embattled at other times, disappointed and depressed when the lame stream media ignored the publication of “Atlas Shrugged” even as it sold millions, heady with divadom when she collected a group of smart young acolytes, senile and cranky as she became old and ill.

I have from time to time given a few thousand dollars to the CATO Institute, which overall recognizes its debt to Ayn Rand’s work. And I have even enjoyed an occasional lecture or article by Mr. Lindsey. But parroting the flatulence of flaks and gasbags at the flailing New York Times should be beneath him.

Additionally it is clear that only Rand’s ethics of achievement and self-respect and self-reliance is an antidote to the Obama regime’s attempt to cash in on the demonization of the successful, bankers, insurance companies, and other hooked nosed and behooved boogeymen of contemporary “progressive” fascists imagination.

By: Bruce Majors

Bruce Majors — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 20:41:52 +0000

Right on Yaron.

I posted a reply today on the WSJ

By: Frank Loreti

Frank Loreti — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 20:00:42 +0000

Don,

Did you peek at the comments online to that disgusting article? I make it about 10 to 1 in favor of Ayn Rand, with many decent points made by her supporters. And the absence of any valid arguments by supporter of that creature, Wilhelm. It actually brighten my day to see so many intelligent people influenced by AR.

Frank

By: Dave

Dave — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 17:09:44 +0000

How illuminating is it that a brilliant, concise letter like that won’t even be published by the Wall Street Journal, of all places? We have such a long way to go…(sigh).

By: Ervin Hill

Ervin Hill — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 12:58:18 +0000

Mr. Watkins,
I have recently discovered the works of William Graham Sumner. He was also a staunch supporter of laisse faire, which he didn’t interpret literally, but as “mind your own business”. He is probably best known for “The Forgotten Man”, but “What Societies Classes Owe to Each Other” is absolutely brilliant. Like Ayn Rand’s work, truth is timeless.
On a different note, the Obama administration has openly declared its hatred of capitalism with the FTC action against Intel (full disclosure, I am an Intel employee). Intel treats its employees as its most valued asset and could have crushed AMD at any point in the last twenty years. The complaints leveled against Intel are the same as were used against Rockefeller at the end of the 19th century.

By: Shawn Walker

Shawn Walker — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 20:03:07 +0000

This is a well written letter a pity I didn’t read it when printed. A note however on Ms. Wilhelm’s position you should consider is that her claim is that Capitalism is evil and only through helping the needy can you achieve any pure morality. Without capitalism or just capitalistic behavior there is absolutely no way to give to the needy at all. In fact the needy should be more grateful to capitalists above all others as they are the ones that offer up their hard earned wealth, willingly I might add which is a testament to how wrong she is about how immoral wealthy people are. After all, what happens when everyone becomes “the needy”?

By: uberVU - social comments

uberVU - social comments — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 17:55:01 +0000

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