You all have so very many opinions about Ayn Rand

[POS Industries]

Turns out we obviously needed this thread since that other thread that wasn't about your opinions about Ayn Rand continued to be filled with your opinions about Ayn Rand, lets hurry up now and fellate me for postin' this thread and then close that other thread up so you can't continue fillin' it up with your endless opinions about Ayn Rand

[Kim]

Ayn Rand is like if you took every absolutely terrible thing about the Republican party, and made a person out of that mess. She's like if Glenn Beck found a way to be an even worse person. A lot of pretentious teenagers read her books and get sucked into her downright malevolent philosophies, but if you haven't realized the whole thing is fucked up after several years out of high school, you may just be a sociopath.

[Fifthfiend]

Originally Posted by NonCon

Ayn Rand is like if you took every absolutely terrible thing about the Republican party, and made a person out of that mess. She's like if Glenn Beck found a way to be an even worse person. A lot of pretentious teenagers read her books and get sucked into her downright malevolent philosophies, but if you haven't realized the whole thing is fucked up after several years out of high school, you may just be a sociopath.

Oh man so I was poking around the Stupid-Ass Threadheap to find some of my old Ayn Rand hate to copy-paste, and right at the top of the pile is

Originally Posted by NonCon

So, as many of you likely know, I am a fan of Ayn Rand, and love Capitalism, and am not the biggest fan of Communism/Socialism/Whateverthesimilarism. However, I realized today, that Capitalism can't work as well as my idealism would like to believe in the current world, especially not the sort of Free Market that I would really like. I still feel that Capitalism is the best currently available system, but it's flaws exist in people. Not just Big Evil Corporations, but also in us, as customers. I will use video games for most of my examples, as they play a large role in my life, my free time at least.

One of the problems I see is that too many companies try and make money, or take money, rather than earning it. Make a cheap video game that will make you money in spite of how bad it is because you threw Barbie, Sonic, or Mario on the end of it or something similar. Many companies just see people as a way to make money, and put out less than stellar games that we as consumers buy because of it's EPIC STORY involving a spiky haired protagonist, or because it has Sonic and we long for the days of yore when Sonic games kicked ass, or because it's a football game, and we love football, but we just aren't any good at it. A non-game example is smoking. I am not trying to condescend or anything, as it is your choice and I have nothing to do with it if you smoke. Smoking is bad for your health, but companies still make money knowing it's killing their customers, and customers still buy them because they want to look cool, they want something to help them relax, or because they're addicted and even if they wanted to quit they can't, and probably more reasons I can't think of cause I don't smoke. Whatevs.

On to something else. The reason I like Capitalism, or at least the ideal of how it SHOULD work, is part of my view on life. I believe that a person's first priority should be their long-term happiness and well-being. Not their only priority, but their first. Also, note long-term. I think that helping others, doing good things for your family and loved ones, etc. is crucial to to long-term happiness. You can call it selfish, but I think that if you are able to think actual long-term and see how the way you interact with others can affect that, you are more likely to treat others with kindness and respect. I think that earning money for your benefit and the benefit of those you care for can also bring happiness, and satisfaction from work is also key. But if you don't actually EARN your money, it has no meaning to you, and can thus, obviously, bring no happiness.

Expounding a little more about work. I love working. Even if my day sucks or people are frustrating or whatever, I am much happier with how I spent my day if I worked. I earned money and I did something worthwhile. I feel that work, specifically, what you do, how hard you work, and if you enjoy your work, defines a person, or at least plays a role in it.

Finally, Communism v. Capitalism. Both would require ideal people for the system to work. Communism requires people who's first priority is the health and welfare of their fellow man and people using that as motivation for work. Capitalism, at least as I see it, requires people who's first priority is themselves, and they use that as motivation for making quality products, working hard, and treating each other well. It would also require customers who only bought quality products. They both require ideals, it's just that Capitalism requires the ideals I believe in. Sadly, neither can work perfectly, mostly due to human flaws.

Before I conclude, I am one of those people who doesn't like the government spending my tax money on the less fortunate. I would spend my money on the less fortunate if I could afford to, but my problem is just that I wish I could judge whether or not the people needed and deserved my money. Who am I to judge? Well, it is my money, and I would like a bigger say in how it is spent. HOWEVER, I can't truly argue against it, because the governments job is to represent, protect, and serve the needs of ALL it's people, and though I might disagree, this is part of that function, and one that is necessary that institution.

Don't ask my why I went off on this really, really long thought bubble. It came to me at work and I thought I'd share it. I'd also like to see others' opinions and whatnot. This might belong in the discussion thread, but I figure it was better to put something in the General thread that belonged in the Discussion thread than vice-versa.

Oh man, good times.

[Funka Genocide]

I always find humor in poor people supporting hard line capitalism. Because that 2000 dollars a year they borrow from you is really going to get you that Lamborghini.

[Viridis]

Libertarian philosophies, as argued to me, sound like they were devised by an unfeeling robot. This is my entire opinion and I now walk out of this thread because political and economic philosophy makes me go 'guh' and leave the room.

[Osterbaum]

I think Ayn Rand is great.

[The Artist Formerly Known as Hawk]

Who the fuck is Ayn Rand anyway??! And what the fuck kind of name is Ayn Rand??! Seriously how the fuck do you even pronounce that??!

[Professor Smarmiarty]

Originally Posted by Osterbaum

I think Ayn Rand is great.

Do oyu also like living in caves and slaughtering children?

Originally Posted by Viridis

Libertarian philosophies, as argued to me, sound like they were devised by an unfeeling robot. This is my entire opinion and I now walk out of this thread because political and economic philosophy makes me go 'guh' and leave the room.

This only works if the CPU of the robot is a C64.

[Viridis]

I always pronounced it 'An', but the true answer is "The stupidest way possible"

How do you pronounce “Ayn”?

“Ayn” rhymes with “mine.”

Seems she made it herself.

[Green Spanner]

Objectivism is why we can't have nice things.