The only proper purpose of a government is to protect man's rights, which means: to protect him from physical violence. A proper government is only a policeman, acting as an agent of man's self-defence, and, as such, may resort to force only against those who start the use of force. The only proper functions of a government are: the police, to protect you from criminals; the army, to protect you from foreign invaders; and the courts, to protect your property and contracts from breach or fraud by others, to settle disputes by rational rules, according to objective law. But a government that initiates the employment of force against men who had forced no one, the employment of armed compulsion against disarmed victims, is a nightmare infernal machine designed to annihilate morality; such a government reverses its only moral purpose and switches from the role of protector to the role of man's deadliest enemy, from the role of policeman to the role of a criminal vested with the right to the wielding of violence against victims deprived of the right of self-defense. Such a government substitutes for morality the following rule of social conduct: you may do whatever you please to your neighbor, provided your gang is bigger than his. ~John Galt
Thursday, February 18, 2010
A Quote from "Atlas Shrugged"
I've been working my way through Atlas Shrugged, by Ayn Rand, for nearly the last year. I made the decision to read it back in March of 2009, after attending a Tea Party in my hometown. I had been hearing people make reference to the book for some time before that, but the Tea Party clinched it. It has taken so long because the content is so pithy that I have to pace myself to be able to absorb it all. And let's be honest, also because cross-referencing the events in the book with current events in real life has proved scary--so much so that I can only take small amounts at a time. But I'm within 90 or so pages of finishing it now, and hope to make it by the one-year mark (there are 1084 pages total in the book). So here's a quote from the book's most famous character:
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8 comments:
No excess profanity? Oh, poo! :)
But seriously, that quote is spot on.
"Excess" is a relative term... ;)
It's mostly meant to keep those with a limited vocabulary on their toes...
I read all of Ayn Rand's novels and nonfiction when I was in my 20's and have re-read several of them. Also subscribed to The Objectivist, co-published with Nathaniel Branden, for several years and have read several books about her. It was a big deal when Johnny Carson devoted an entire show to her as the only guest.
I'm sure you know she was 12 during the Bolshevik Revolution when her family left Russia. This experience helped form her philosophy. I suppose you Teabaggers are interested in her writing because of the Libertarian aspects.
Yes, we people who attend Tea Parties resonate with the Libertarian aspects of her writings, as well as the vivid portrayal of what happens to a society when merit becomes irrelevant.
That wasn't meant as an insult. That's what the group is called - Teabaggers. Why do you get so defensive? You said you attend meetings and are influenced by them, which is why I included you. Calm down. I'm agreeing with you.
I was merely stating that I thought Libertarian aspects of her philosophy are part of the appeal. Ellsworth Toohey's speeches toward the end of the novel epitomize praising mediocrity and quashing excellence. That made a huge impact on me that's lasted the rest of my life. It's a powerful novel which is why I've read it and others by her several times - not for quite a while but they stay with you.
For the record, that is NOT what the group is called. We called the gatherings Tea Parties after the original Tea Party in Boston at the start of the Revolutionary War. The only people who calls us Teabaggers are liberals who use it as a derogatory term, meant to invoke images of a sex act. It's nearly as offensive to us as the "F" word would be to a homosexual, or the "N" word would be to an African American.
Not to be pedantic, but Ellsworth Toohey is a character in The Fountainhead, not Atlas Shrugged. I haven't read that one yet, but I hear it's a very good book. It's on my list.
It's been at least 30 years since I've read them, so that was an easy mistake. At least it never took me a year to read Atlas Shrugged or any other novel for that matter. All of hers are good.
I'm glad of the recommendation. Thanks.
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