Cathy Young on What Liberals Don’t Understand About Ayn Rand

Ayn Rand, the Russian-born writer and
self-styled philosopher who died three decades ago, is back in the
news as a favorite author of Republican vice presidential candidate
Paul Ryan. In recent years, the passionately individualist,
pro-capitalist Rand has been embraced as a champion of freedom by
many conservatives and libertarians, and denounced as a prophet of
greed and narcissism by many liberals. Yet, if Rand admirers tend
to ignore the flaws of her vision, her detractors reduce her to
grotesque caricature—and invoke her popularity as proof of
right-wing nuttiness.

One major misconception, writes Cathy Young, is that Rand
worshipped the rich and saw moneymaking as life’s highest goal. In
fact, most wealthy characters in her novels are pathetic,
repulsive, or both: businessmen fattened on shady deals or
government perks, society people who fill their empty lives with
luxury.

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2012-08-23 15:17:02

Source: http://reason.com/archives/2012/08/23/what-liberals-dont-understand-about-ayn