The Ominous Parallels, Book Report

[shmeebegek1]

Hey, keep it up man. We need more independent thinkers. You could use a tighter presentation, but at least you have the balls to put yourself out there. I can't say as much myself.

[olga2415]

The test of any philosophical premise is the result of its application. The proof is in the pudding. How does one express their philosophical premises in their private lives? (that's the "pudding")  It would behoove people to read more Biographies of famous people. Especially those who write about how you should live your life.

[DerPoltergeist13]

Next check I get i'm ordering that book.

[88ragtime]

The Scandinavian countries will eventuallly turn into banana republics if they continue their open immigration policy and liberal welfarism. Not only that, but many people that obtain wealth in those countries usually end up leaving because of the huge tax rates.

[DerPoltergeist13]

It's friggin cold there. I dont know why anyone would want to move there from a warmer climate unless you lived in the desert and it was super hot

[jmontars]

For a more informative and objective discussion of this subject matter, I recommend Bertram Gross' "Friendly Fascism:The New Face of Power in America," 1980. William Shirer (author of the Rise and Fall of Nazi Germany)wrote that Gross's book (the paperback edition)"This is the best thing I've seen on how America might go facist democratically. FRIENDLY FASCISM offers a very clear exposition of where America is and how we got there." See Naomi Wolf's "The End of America" Jude Montarsi.

[AynRandOeuvre]

"...As we said at the beginning, if Ayn rand's ideas were to take hold they would revolutionize the world. And to those who would reject her philosophy Miss Rand hurls this challenge: "For the past 2000 years the world has been dominated by other philosphies- look around you, consider the results." (psnl;ftnteMWIntIII/MW:AR\54AR­)

[Benjiko]

After viewing your videos I am seriously afraid for the students you'll be "teaching". You seem to think that a college dropout mouthing Randian platitudes is qualified to teach young children. You claim that universities are filled with Marxist dogma (to some degree they are), yet I suspect that is an excuse you use to cover up for your academic failings. If you ever do start your own school (which I doubt), I predict all your students will have left by the end of a month.

[cropperb]

We'll see....

[captainsurrey]

Oh dear, I *am* going to have to ask you to look up the word "platitude" in a dictionary.

[Benjiko]

Maybe if you had any objective achievements, e.g. being a chess master, having a college degree, scoring a 170 on the LSAT, etc etc, you would have room to talk, but from your posts, I see you have none at all (hoarding books doesn't count). Blaming all your inadequacies on "pervasive altruism in the US" or "socialism taking over our government and culture" is just a psychological tool you use to justify your current situation in life.

[loneRambler]

Benjiko, see my video which refutes your "judge all messages by their messengers (not their content)" notion. It's called "Re: Ayn Rand: An Insignificant Philosopher." And, as M. Adler said: philosophy is everyone's business" [college degree or not].

[Benjiko]

Wake up and recognize that Rand didn't have all the answers, and that simply regurgitating her writings word for word doesn't make you smart, or even wise. Maybe once you've done something noteworthy (like getting a teaching certificate) you can start your own school, but until then, a parent would have to be insane to send their child to some eccentric unknown dude on the internet with no degree, credentials, or even experience working with young children.

[AynRandOeuvre]

"Degrees of ability vary, but the basic principle remains the same: the degree of a man's independence, initiative and personal love for his work determines his talent as a worker and his worth as a man. Independence is the only gauge of human virtue and value. What a man is and makes of himself; not what he has or hasn't done for others. There is no substitute for personal dignity. There is no standard of personal dignity except independence. (HR:All\TF\AR)

[Benjiko]

"The money committee of the world" ? Dude, you have no clue about anything. "Anyways" isn't a word, and it's pronounced "Pay koff" not "Peekoff". Small wonder you failed out of school.

[cropperb]

He prononces it Peekoff in his lectures. Have you ever listened to any of his lectures? You wouldn't accuse him of mispronouncing his own name?

From Merriam-Webster:

Main Entry: any·ways

Pronunciation: -"wAz

Function: adverb

1 a archaic : ANYWISE b dialect : to any degree at all

2 chiefly dialect : ANYHOW, ANYWAY

[ElFrankus]

In that regard, any book that maintains that "marxism" is the same as Nazism is profoundly flawed. Now, you can compare "stalinism" to Nazism and, since both are allstate dictatorships, the comparison may be valid at some point. But, to say that the ideas of the philosopher Karl Marx are similar to the ideas presented in nazism, and that they are one and the same, or similar, is a demonstration of ignorance so big for an "Scholar" like Peikoff, that renders the book useless.

[cropperb]

Wow. All I can say is, read The Ominous Parallels, by Peikoff.

[hsfbunny]

@ElFrankus You are wrong about that. Watch "The Soviet Story".

[ElFrankus]

The biggest tragedy for the left has been Stalin. He called his failed, murderous regime "Marxism" and since then, people still believe that is the case.

[MetaMorphy]

Now, I can see your counter. But it is refuted thus: America has improved most when it has been most free. Marxist countries have been worst off when they have been least free. Marxist, go away: You people are polylogists anyway, so I won't be surprised when you don't understand my argument.

[MetaMorphy]

You have to prove that freedom is the origin of the problem: Once this is done, you must also be willing to give up on freedom as a principle. Even if---and this is a big, impossible if (as impossible as saying "if the best is the worst") freedom is worth "failure". Furthermore, why should I accept your definition of failure. If America has any problem you will say it is failure, but compare this "failure" with the failure of your Marxist regimes.

[MetaMorphy]

Everytime your methods are tried, you disown them and say, "That was not real communism." If it always fails in practice, it is hard to believe that what has happened is the longest string of bad luck in history---esp. if history and reality have a dia-mat (dialectical material) structure. Your double standard is most entertaining. Does America have failed economic system? Please show me this failure. Furthermore, America is not entirely free, so simply saying there are problems is not enough.

[predJonnyblaze420]

the glass is always half full, if hitler just would have made the right sacrafices... jazz sux m8, and jewish people, i know too many who dont even practice their corrupted religion, im also born and raised catholic soo heil hitler.

[AynRandMotor]

I'mportant and Aynformative: keep those young mAynds Reasonating- Take Her Ayntroductory allusion to "crystal" toward its proper trajectory and you'll reach "full sunlight" in 'know' time. "Here" where the word has a precise meaning. -N-52ii

[TakeAleft]

As an objectivist, one would think that you would want to admit to the "objects" that without a doubt exist (here a failed American economic-system) and not believe in the counsciouness of others (Rand, Greenspan and Peikoff)

[cropperb]

I'll reply in a video. look for the title "America's Economy"

[TakeAleft]

Im of course saying that Rand and Greenspan are the worse chosen critics... also, you fail to comment on my question from another video... why is it that the scandinavian countries have a greater economic growth, more welfare, and higher income for the lowest class with a tax procent of approx. 45 % ? ... obviously because Ayn Rand was wrong... lassie faire leads to a failed society...in 2050 America will qualify as an underdeveloped country due to the number of people under the poverty-line

[TakeAleft]

well, no point arguing that you are right, I should read the book in order to comment it as a hole, just ordered atlas shrugged for your pleasure, but this is why I have only commented on the issues that you bring the table...still you must admit that the ass-kissing between collegues is not a valid indicator as to the book´s quality

[cropperb]

Are you suggesting I am Dr. Peikoff's collegue? I am flattered. Thank you.

[cropperb]

No, sir, YOU need to look at why this book was written - and for that I recommend reading it. Then you will be able to give a reputable comment on its status as "propoganda".

[TakeAleft]

This book is obviously propaganda...marxism has unfortunatly been defined by its critics and this book goes further and simply lies about the matter... Both Nazigermany and the Sovjetunion where run by dictators but thats like saying that apples and bananas are the same cause theyre both fruits... its simply uneducated...you both really need to look at WHY this book was written and into what context... "Historiography", the reason that history is a science!

[MetaMorphy]

Amen, most people treat them like opposites, but they are not. The categorical imperative amounts to little more than whim worship when you really look at it.