Who is John Galt

Man oh man. I read Atlas Shrugged when I was in my early forties. I read that book and had to put it down with 100 pages left of the novel. I realized I hated these people -- John and Dagny -- and what they represented. There was absolutely no redeeming Christian values about them. And I -- even though a liberal -- am a Christian.

BearMtnHIB wrote: Oh just lookie here at all the socialists all with their panties in a bunch over a few books that expose a morality in opposition to their own prejudice.

I'm getting so tickeled over all your responses. Maybe you all just didn't get it- maybe Rand was writing in terms above your heads. Your so used to being the sheep that you are- you can't even open your mind to an alternative, even on paper.

It reminds me of what one of my mentors taught me decades ago- beware of those who attack style over substance, for it is the substance they are most afraid of.

Then again there is one more possibility- the mediocre mind. I'm sure the same people would have the same reaction to another writing - The theory of relativity. Instead of understanding the concept- you all would complain that it is a difficult read!

So it's probably one or the other- you are capable of understanding the concept- and choose to attack style over substance out of fear, or your single digit IQ's and prejudice prevent you from understanding- and your only defense is to attack the messenger.

Reminds me of another great quote.....

"Great spirits have always encountered violent opposition from mediocre minds. The mediocre mind is incapable of understanding the man who refuses to bow blindly to conventional prejudices and chooses instead to express his opinions courageously and honestly."
Albert Einstein.

Well - whichever it is - I'm impressed that your bothered by it.

Hardee, har, har, har. Oh BMHIB you make me chuckle.

There should be a 285bound law much like Godwin's Law, only it is invoked when the scary word SOCIALIST is brought to the topic.

I love it. You actually compare Einstein's Theory of Relativity to Rand's Objectivism? Seriously? And you actually call Rand's view an alternate morality. Wow. Amoral perhaps but nothing that resembles any moral belief system I can think of. The fact that I may find the 700 to 1000 page epics (but I could only stomach the first chapter or so of whichever monstrosity I started-I really can't remember) to selfishness and arrogance couched in some some sort of pseudo-intellectual gobbledygook, rubbish; somehow that is threatening to you. Interesting. You must know that it really isn't all about you, right? Oops, I forgot, according to Randroids everything is ALL about them, all the time.

I have never and will never find selfishness, self-absorption, egotism as virtues. I would not want to read something that extols those character flaws as the main plot driver. Especially when it is such overwrought writing. I prefer to read the subject matter as satire much along the lines of Tom Wolfe's Bonfire of the Vanities. Now that was an entertaining read. Substance and style.

How is Atlas Shrugged about arrogance or vanity? Wasn't it about that people will not produce if government over regulates?

Cat Crap Hill wrote: Man oh man. I read Atlas Shrugged when I was in my early forties. I read that book and had to put it down with 100 pages left of the novel. I realized I hated these people -- John and Dagny -- and what they represented. There was absolutely no redeeming Christian values about them. And I -- even though a liberal -- am a Christian.

No possible - all liberals are pagan atheists.

Isn't 'pagan atheist' somewhat tautological?

Ohhhh, and 'liberal' too?


<evil grin>

poubelle wrote: [Hardee, har, har, har. Oh BMHIB you make me chuckle.

The fact that I may find the 700 to 1000 page epics (but I could only stomach the first chapter or so of whichever monstrosity I started-I really can't remember) .

You make me chuckle too. Please name a 700 to 1000 page epic of Rand's that is not titled "Atlas Shrugged".

neptunechimney wrote:

poubelle wrote: [Hardee, har, har, har. Oh BMHIB you make me chuckle.

The fact that I may find the 700 to 1000 page epics (but I could only stomach the first chapter or so of whichever monstrosity I started-I really can't remember) .

You make me chuckle too. Please name a 700 to 1000 page epic of Rand's that is not titled "Atlas Shrugged".

The Fountainhead.... 752 pages

archer wrote:

neptunechimney wrote:

poubelle wrote: [Hardee, har, har, har. Oh BMHIB you make me chuckle.

The fact that I may find the 700 to 1000 page epics (but I could only stomach the first chapter or so of whichever monstrosity I started-I really can't remember) .

You make me chuckle too. Please name a 700 to 1000 page epic of Rand's that is not titled "Atlas Shrugged".

The Fountainhead.... 752 pages

Thanks, I will put it on my reading list. Any others?

I guess if Rand made such an impression on you in the first place, you wouldn't need help from someone else putting together a reading list?

People are so offended by support for unbridled capitalism in the book they forget that Rand, like Adam Smith, also warns against crony capitalism in the book, where corporations will get together to destroy their competition, often through goverment legislation, or conspire to set prices.

Praising the elite? Actually for the time period, there appears to be a lot of classic literature that is class based, Orwell's 1984 had the proles and the elites, Huxley's Brave New World, even gave the classes letter rankings. Yet those aren't reviled for their class distinctions.