IDOAR #11: Damned to Repeat It, Pt. 3 - Voting

Part 3 of 3. A response to aaron0883's comments concerning Ayn Rand and her views on the Republican, Democrat, and Libertarian parties, and on voting.

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• Ayn
• Rand
• Objectivism
• Objectivist
• voting
• presidential
• election
• Obama
• McCain
• Goldwater

[PaulMcKeever]

Speaking for myself: if you can vote for a party the policies of which are committed to, and founded upon, a strictly rational consideration of the facts of reality, and a recognition that a person's own happiness is their own highest purpose, then, yes, vote for that party. Libertarian parties are NOT such parties.

[msdragonfly1]

where is part four??

[PaulMcKeever]

There is no part 4.

[PaulMcKeever]

A quick follow up: check out Dr. Leonard Peikoff's most recent podcast (#10), which I just finished hearing. The last question he answers deals with the Republican (religion) vs. Democrat (socialism) question (quite well, as usual). Dr. Peikoff's podcasts are at peikoff[dot]com .

[Vodka2389]

You said that the forces of mysticism currently have a greater momentum than socialism; I'm not so sure about that. Seems like the number of atheists are growing while the popularity of socialized health care and the left are worshiping Europe's socialistic policies.

[truthadvocate]

Just to add my two cents, I believe the Democrat socialist programs in the U.S. have an incredible amount of momentum, and represent the greater of two evils when compared to mystic Republicans, most of which don't even go to church. Entitlement programs have caused poverty, social pathologies, crime, dependence on government, unemployment, broken families, a violation of our private property, a permanent poor class, the enslavement of our workforce, and on and on.

[lukeev]

I can't remember the last time I voted. I'm sure I never will again.

[gtarmom]

I disagree with you. If it is best to vote against the greater of two evils, then you should never vote for a libertarian or any independent candidate who doesn't have a hope of winning against whichever of the two dominant political party happens to be the greater evil. Wouldn't you have to say that sometimes you should vote for the candidate with the best philosophy, even if that means you are "wasting" your vote with regard to who actually gets elected?

[grantsinmypants2]

Good video. I think another important distinction is that by voting one is voting for government and against anarchy. Sure, alot of what a Democratic government and/or a Republican government do are evil, but what either provides is still better than no one running the police, military, and court system.

[Oleksandr]

Very good stuff, thanks for all the work, Paul.

[FistsoFuckinFreedom]

Government is evil.

I think Ayn Rand had minor inconsistencies but I don't think that means we should throw away Objectivism and egoism all together.