The Resurgence of Big Government - Ayn Rand Center - 2 of 2

[IrminC]

A lot of the Ayn Rand cultists, economically their philosophy is sound, but their philosophy does not always hold their. A revolution is morality is rather crazy as altruism and being selfish is not always mutually exclusively. They disregard the biological undercurrents of social morality which allow freedom to exist. In many instances altruism can be a perfectly rational self-interest.

[MegaAvalonn]

I agree with the second half of the video more than the first:

A prophet once said, "martyrdom without cause is the act of the foolish." This is in reference to people who see sacrifice for sacrifice sake as something that's noble. I think the crowd who frequents this video may be surprised to learn who came up with this quote. While always striving to better oneself may seem on the surface narcissistic and selvish, you'll inadvertantly be far more capable of helping those around you.

[WoundedEgo]

Does Yaron distinguish between the virtue of self-actualization and the villainy of exploitation of others? I don't know.

[swu880]

@WoundedEgo

u apparently never studied any bit of objectivism. i suggest u first look into what is the virtue of "selfishness"

[JaysThoughts]

there's an ayn rand center???  =D

[caltrop69]

I don't post a lot of comments on Youtube, because Youtube doesn't let me.

this is one of those times.

[Johnnydmb23]

AYN RAND ROCKS

[Joe402]

Ayn Rand center for FUCK THE POOR

[stephleom]

capitalism has lifted more ppl out of poverty than u can imagine, idiot

[Joe402]

yes everyone is rich now, all 5% of them!!!!

[stephleom]

compare the living conditions of the "poor" today with the poor living in the precapitalist societies of the 18th ceturies, or even with the poor in the non-western countries of the world today

[Joe402]

the poor are still exploited

[stephleom]

Only if you follow the false economic principle of the classics, prices are a result of Supply and Demand, thus there can be no exploitation in a capitalist society

quoting Ayn Rand:

"That a businessmen pays a worker less wages than the worker feels he deserves is not exploitation, as the worker is free to leave his job and look elsewhere for a higher paying one, if he thinks that someone can give him a better job for a better wage.

[stephleom]

"Let any worker in Soviet Russia, Nazi Germany, or Communist China try to attempt such a feat as leaving his job without permission of the state, and he will soon find what exploitation really means."

[Entropy56]

The justification of self interested capitalism has nothing to do with how it serves others. Each individual is free to take care of himself. You have a right to exist for your own sake. One man's existence and pursuit of his life isn't based on how it serves the collective masses. Objectivism doesnt advocate looting other men in the name of self interest. Socialism by definition is stealing from one man to give to another. Robbery is built-in to the Socialist policy from the start.

[Joe402]

okay don't come crying to me when the country is a third world hellhole run by corrupt evil corporations

[Entropy56]

A corporation is evil when it breaks the law through fraud or abuse, etc. Providing jobs is not evil.

Alcoa created an aluminum plant just outside of Maryville, TN in Blount County, Tennessee, which was the biggest provider of aluminum in the South. The area needed housing for workers, so Alcoa built many houses. The area eventually turned into a city and decided to name itself after the company. Alcoa, Tennessee, was founded 1919.[

[Joe402]

You think those corporations would treat their employees fairly without regulations? How naive...

[Radeo]

The notion that only government can provide "regulations"is false.

[Joe402]

So you think corporations can do that by themselves? That's like expecting schoolyard bullies to come together and force themselves to not beat up other kids. IT IS NOT POSSIBLE.

[Radeo]

Good thing normal people are not helpless kids.

[Joe402]

Corporations are pretty much bullies. Bullies that bribe the teacher to give him immunity.

[lucentenor]

@Joe402

You point out the flaw in the system. They can be bullies because the teacher (government regulation/protectionism) allows them to be. If the teacher (government) did it's job (protecting individual rights) there would be no problem.

[ATubaPerson]

@Joe402

I will agree, that I do not like bigger business. But not because I think they limit our freedom or hurt us. More so, they go through the government to hurt their competitiors, whether it be small business or other corporations.

The thing is, if, "the teacher" can be bribed, then why would it be a good idea to give this teacher more power? Or we can take it even higher. Who is protecing this teacher? Why give them power?

The thing here is to not have favorites.

[ATubaPerson]

@Joe402

Because if the rule is favorites, not liberty, then everyone will be jumping for that favoritism. That applies both to business and government.

[HapaLife]

No no no, you're naive.

[Joe402]

Can't handle the truth huh?

The invisible hand of the free market...bitch slaps us.

[HapaLife]

Truth? What truth? You haven't debated anything, all you can do is make simplistic one sentence statements that hardly serve some higher argument. There is no truth to your statement just as there is no truth to saying "The world is flat because I say so". Where is your empirical analysis? Do you have a philosophical basis to at least provide you with principle? You are a child just complaining about your simplistic notions of a world you cannot understand.

[Joe402]

bootstraps

[lucentenor]

@Joe402

The corporations treat their employees unfairly with regulation.

[caltrop69]

Can I come to you laughing?

[carrollcrescent]

One problem that objectivism does not address is the" free rider" effect. Without government participation, who will provide goods and services that are essentially public in character?

[cubanoafuego]

oh, and also, for those who dont know, rand what she called a 'rational affair' with some guy who was also married, and when he called it off, she started calling him 'irrational' for not continuing their 'rational affair'. can someone justify this in any way to me, other than what i already know, which is that she is a nutcase?

[cubanoafuego]

lol, ayn rand is a total fucking psychopath, and that is in the literal sense, because psychopath simply means having no ability to empathise or think about others. 'objectivism' is a dangerous, but rational extension of libertarianism, which is why libertarianism is also bullshit. as if its even objective to say 'oh, look, i have lots of money, i 'objectively' think that it is ok... no, wait, JUST and MORAL for me to keep all of this money'. yeah, real objective.

[rseveran]

"Any rational person would make more than enough to live on for the rest of their lives, and spend the rest of their days enjoying their retirement."

Who are you to determine what anyone should do with their time? If someone has a incredible drive to make money in a legal and ethical way, that is their business.

The only OCD issue here is the desire by some in society to control what other people are doing -- and you appear to be suffering badly from this disorder.

[Nac117]

Since you refuse to read Rand, I'll just put it this way: Objectivists are not incapable of compassion. We simply believe we should be allowed to chose who we extend our compassion to, and not to simply have our "compassion" forced by the government to give to nameless faces we don't even know, much less care to help.

[Nac117]

If altruism is good, and giving things to others is good, then why aren't the people you give to evil for taking it?

[Nac117]

I'll just point out the obvious contradiction in your statement: If wealth wasn't created in the country, but only imported, where did those countries get that wealth from?

As for your 2x4 example, that's not miscalculating. It's worthless until a man of intellect comes along and develops it into something that I want to purchase and use.

[DantesObjective]

Seriously, go read some books before shooting your mouth off. You are just repeating the same tired bromides. Read some Rand, then you can be in a position to debate.

[saxman8888]

wealth cannot be created? are you saying the wealth in this country (the united states) has always existed?

[DantesObjective]

I just wish this guy was president. Now we have a total altruist, socialist looter as president. :(

[RodCornholio]

I knew Croatia wasn't communist, but I should have made it clearer (youtube restricts the number of characters too much). I was thinking more like China & Vietnam. The Vietnamese I meet here, HATE communism.

I am shocked that Rand's ideas were met with so much aggression. Strange how you and I see her ideas as a light in a dark world but others do not. I see their philosophy as a one of death, darkness, and oppression.

[RodCornholio]

If you know the Croatian language or someone who does, I STRONGLY encourage you to spread Ayn Rands ideas to make it accessible to those who don't understand English well.

I also believe we should smuggle Rand's writings (translated when necessary) into communist countries. I'm dead serious. I hate communism.

V for Vendetta, Ron Paul, & Ayn Rand taught me the power of ideas to create change.

[chopsky]

I second that.

Thanks ARI.

[philosophyarchitect]

Third.

Ignore the belligerent, misinformed (okay that one gives them too much credit) spammers. Many of us are learning from and loving these videos.

[raidon129]

Brook is absolutely right. We can see the results of attempting to advocate Capitalism politically without the moral base and it isn't pretty.

[Kurtyoungblood]

My class was issued the books today and I opened the front flap and a sticker was in there that said "This book was donated by the Ayn Rand Institute." !

[z2b]

interesting

[RodCornholio]

Ayn Rand for CHANGE!

[shovelcharge]

This is a message that must be spread

[Kurtyoungblood]

70 people are reading Anthem for the first time tomorrow, in my seminar class.

[RodCornholio]

Kurt,

At 17, you are extremely lucky to have been exposed to and taken Ayn Rand's ideas to heart. Some people live their entire lives without knowing and they end up having lived a politically confused, unhappy, and passionless life.

As the shadow of Obama/McCain is cast into the future, I argue that America has not hit rock bottom yet in terms of altruism and leftism. Times must become pretty bad before they realize Rand's wisdom.

Your generation has the opportunity to bring real change.