Punish the Rich, Subsidize the Poor
“Punish the Rich, Subsidize the Poor” – I have heard this dangerous theme a few times in the last week … I would like you to examine this thought in great depth. Here are some pointers:
* The Historic Significance of Atlas Shrugged
* Ayn Rand’s Literature of Capitalism
And if you have not read it, I beseech you, go read the book.
Some quotes:
“If you ask me to name the proudest distinction of Americans, I would choose–because it contains all the others–the fact that they were the people who created the phrase ‘to make money.’ No other language or nation had ever used these words before; men had always thought of wealth as a static quantity–to be seized, begged, inherited, shared, looted or obtained as a favor. Americans were the first to understand that wealth has to be created. The words ‘to make money’ hold the essence of human morality.”
“Until and unless you discover that money is the root of all good, you ask for your own destruction. When money ceases to be the tool by which men deal with one another, then men become the tools of men. Blood, whips and guns–or dollars. Take your choice–there is no other–and your time is running out.”
Read the book, and judge for yourself, but please do not rant until you have read the book.
ah … the joy of philosophizing! I remember reading the book at least 15 years back during my undergraduate studies and in my youthful zeal defending her “virtue of selfishness” with a fellow classmate. But to be honest, I think I need to refresh my mind. Thanks for the pointers. Greenspan influenced by Ayn Rand? Did not know that.
i’ll bite on this one… what were the bonuses paid to directors and ceo’s of american financial institutions in december, how many billions? and what is happening to them this month, (and has been underway for years) and who is paying for those bailouts? even ayn rand wouldn’t go for that, though she was mighty vindictive about her failed love affair with nathaniel brandon, she definitely didn’t believe in getting rich at the expense of the poor.
we are finding out how much our financial system is based on greed, manipulation, distortion, lies, military intervention, avoidance of responsibility, and watching it fall in the next months and years will be very interesting…. ayn rand, i think, would celebrate the “corrections”. she hated avarice, usury, and dishonesty.
and i don’t think “bail outs” was in her vocabulary
is this the capitalism you tout?
http://www.wsws.org/articles/2008/jan2008/bonu-j21.shtml
why focus on the negatives?
why not focus on well-deserved successes like Gates, Jobs, Narayen Murthy, etc.? None of them got rich by exploiting the poor.
i really don’t waste my time worrying about those who are making money by chance. there are many. that’s what the current system has created.
i don’t care to be someone who doesn’t “earn” money against “value”.
Well, Sramana, you hooked a collectivist. Gregory probably hasn’t read the book but he’s quick with a mainstream diatribe.
Yep
As if socialism never goes awry …