--- Jim Sharkey <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
<snip>
> Rush is a rock band from Canada. Their drummer and
> main songwriter, Neil Peart, is (or at least was) a
> great fan of Ayn Rand. At the time when I was a
> teenager, Rush was one of the ultimate geek bands,
> and if you were a fan, you felt obligated to hunt
> down the writer that influenced much of their music,
> especially the album from the mid-70's to the early
> 80's.
Hmm, so that's why I prefer their music from 'Grace
Under Pressure' and afterward? <evil grin> Actually,
I find their mixture of science themes and personal
responsibility rather 'Brinish'... ('Force Ten' and
'Presto' albums, frex)
> >>S'anyway, I'd love to hear from some of you what
> it is about her
> >>that engenders so much fanaticism...
<snippage>
> But what is so heinous to some people
> about her philosophy? And, for that matter, what is
> so appealing to others?
I took more of a visceral dislike to the themes and
attitudes in _Atlas Shrugged_ (and read nothing
further by her after that), rather than a
philosophical disagreement. But I will try to dissect
my opinions:
1] Very Black And White-- either you're a driven,
self-
made, hard-edged no-holds-barred uncompromising
man,
or a lazy, sponging, a**-kissing parasitical sheep.
2] Bizarre view of the relationship between the sexes,
and maybe a touch (or hammer-blow) of self-
hatred/misogyny. I personally find the idea of
love-
making that leaves big bruises abhorrent (seduction
is just fine, but not physical abuse!). I don't
know if she herself had been abused in some
fashion, but from this one sample I would guess so.
And as with most of the Harlequin Romance-type
stories, I am always saddened/appalled that the
'heroine' seems to be unable to have genuine
friendships with other women, but must derive 'all'
her self-worth from her relationships with men.
4] Lack of community - at least to me, those who lived
in the secret valley were kind of travelling in the
same direction, but not as a true group/team.
5] Presumption - arrogance is expected in anyone who
excels, but to dismiss all who do not hold your
views as weak-minded or stupid is excessive.
6] Nature as that-which-must-be-conquered -- the world
has no value in itself, only for what Man can do
with it. There was *no* sense of wonder, except
for
the creations of Man. (I'll chalk up her ignorance
of the environment's importance to the era in which
she grew up - but that's perhaps overly generous.)
I do agree that personal responsibility and
willingness to take (some) risks are admirable
qualities.
She-Who-Has-No-Opinions Maru ;)
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