Reason Foundation Co-Founder Tibor Machan on Ayn Rand

[charlessmyth]

Good clip, in which Tibor comes across very agreeably :-)

[dantean]

Rand's call 2 reason would seem more plausible had she reasoned far enough to drop those things blocking successful conveyance of her message. Perhaps she didn't give a crap if the world was saved from totalitarianisms of various stripes. She had books to sell and the fate of the world--the ostensible subject not only of those books, but her entire career--couldn't quite compete w her interest in accumulating wealth. So she's saving the world or she could care less about saving the world--which?

[RatkoUSA]

All true and very well stated. I would however, without disagreeing with Tibor Machan, place even greater importance on Liberty. Freedom was never said to be safe, it can't promise that, there will be dangers it's part of the package, nevertheless, surrendering Freedom is far more dangerous making the rational choice obvious. I've gone out of my way befriending any who escaped communism, too bad Americans won't listen, their accounts are dire warnings for anyone not desiring Hell on Earth.

[platypusbarack09]

"These superifical people always have some cheap, sociological explanation for why she's so popular."

OK, let me give you one focusing on her ideas: she was so popular because she gave people unable to cope with life's complexities simple slogans they could repeat as a substitute for actually thinking.

[Beethovens7th]

God these "Reason" guys are just so wishy-washy. If you go listen to Ayn Rand talk for 6 minutes you will learn so much more than you will listening to this weirdo.

[emspeed1]

Splnnogov=Racist

[Yuki1meltingsnow]

Tibor Machan explains Ayn Rand so well. She tried. I think she did well considering the era she was living in. Much to learn from her.

Yuki Togawa

[grantsinmypants2]

Rand was Russian, Rand was a woman, Rand was a novelist, Rand couldn't fit in fully with the left nor the right, she looked unusual, etc, etc, etc...

These superifical people always have some cheap, sociological explanation for why she's so popular.

It's always anything and everything besides the fundamentality of her ideas.  The fact that she was the first to ever fully defend what the rest of us liked, but never knew why we did so.

[XCritonX]

Her biggest fault was keeping 50% of her former communist homelands ideas. In practice Communism is based on atheism and selfishness.

She was the epitome of damaged goods. Her past made her blind to the truth that pure selfishness is an empty and hollow way to live.

No one should be forced to give any one anything against their will. That is robbery or slavery. Still, as the wisest man to ever lived said, "There is more happiness in giving than in receiving." The key is voluntary giving.

[Wejer3]

@XCritonX

Clearly you do not know what you are talking about. However, that can be remedied. I suggest you read the following book:

Virtue of Selfishness, by Ayn Rand

[charlessmyth]

"There is more happiness in giving than in receiving." There is truth in that, and is an argument well developed in George Gilder's 'Wealth and Poverty' without detracting from Rand's rationale. Communism is atheist to the extent that the state has taken over the role of God. And selfish to the extent that the constructive selfishness of the individual, is subverted to the destructive selfishness of the collective.

[conradjulian]

Rand wasn't "treated well" in the late 1950's/early 1960's? Even with all the money she made back then from sales of her novels? I'd readily accept that kind of ill treatment as long as the checks keep coming in.

[asalmog]

Rand was interested in spreasing her ideas very much; getting money without achieving her ultimate goal would hardly satisfy her.

[Moragauth]

He means the NAP formulation of it. This was always implicitly but never explicitly a part of classical liberalism.

[averagejoe040]

This monologue hits some of the key reasons I love Ayn Rand.

She was a champion of the free society.

The free society is superior to any previous societal modes.

Ayn Rand quotes are a favorite of mine.

She inspires.

[787Bisurdaddy]

I'm not a fan of this Rand worship stuff. Reason is great because it talks about ideas, not people. You guys should be encouraging others to NOT mindlessly idolizing certain individuals and instead focus on the great ideas that matter.

[highonhayek]

I have no problem with them producing biographies from time to time.

[eksortso]

@787Bisurdaddy It doesn't seem worshipful, so far. Respectful, surely. It's valuable to measure her impact nowadays, since Atlas Shrugged's recent surge in popularity. Now is the best time to see how her ideas stack up.

We've all got our idols. I admire Hayek, because of his ideas. The thing about Rand is that she is polarizing, and even some libertarians may dismiss her out of hand, without even considering her ideas. So it's unavoidable to talk Rand without talking ABOUT Rand.

[Garboth]

They're talking about her influence on their ideals, and in this video he gives some criticism of the writing, and in a previous video in this series they talk about how Rand tried to sue them and how little they understood the rationale behind that, so they aren't saying she's perfect.

[Jitpring]

@787Bisurdaddy For a devastating take on Rand, google for this:

Ayn Rand: Engineer of Souls by Anthony Daniels

Also google for this:

The Greatly Ghastly Rand by Jason Lee Steorts

[noderunnermiles]

@787Bisurdaddy I'm not a fan of "worship" either. But how do you distinguish "mindlessly idolizing" Rand from recognizing her achievements and the impact they have had over the last fifty years? I didn't see anything in this video that I would characterize as "mindlessly idolizing."

[787Bisurdaddy]

@noderunnermiles

It's not so much the contents of this particular video, but the rash of videos in praise of Rand that Reason did almost simultaneously. Don't get me wrong, I like SOME of her ideas, but lets discuss them, rather than the person who promoted them.

Besides, if we're going to talk about capitalism, where are the videos about Rothbard? Spooner? Mises?

[LeGioNoFZioN]

keep going back to your founders and older members, I'm loving these videos. No disrepsect to Nick and the others.

[donotswallow]

I've enjoyed the past couple videos, but I'm just curious what's with Reasons sudden fascination with Rand?

[picapauengracado]

It must be some milestone anniversary I guess.

[ErikNikolai]

Atlas Shrugged has been shattering all earlier records this year (tripling in sales), two new books about Ayn Rand have been published very recently, and an Atlas Shrugged movie is likely to be produced next year.

[highonhayek]

whaaaaa?

Won't work. Too long.

[8LowRider2]

where have you been since last election? Shes pro Capitalism not socialists

[tsummerlee]

There's nothing sudden about it. :) The founders of Reason are old school Rand fans. Love it or hate it, Libertarianism wouldn't have existed without her.

[Signofthedollar]

If you want to sink the pink, read Atlas Shrugged!

[terpis]

Taibbi has a great take (11/4) on Randian "greed is love" mindpuke, tying it into the Goldman set:

"Some day, when historians [take apart & fully analyze] this financial disaster were living out right now, theyre going to find at the heart of it all this social Darwinist mantra wherein a very small group of overeducated twerps agreed to believe that stealing every last dime they could get their hands on was something other than what it looks and sounds like to the rest of us."

[donotswallow]

I have a hard time taking Taibbi or anyone who thinks he's a reliable source seriously. He writes about topics that he knows very little about and it shows.

[terpis]

Ironic, that.