The ARI's Yaron Brook:
“Unless Ayn Rand changes the direction of the world, we are doomed to suffer another dark ages...the next renaissance will begin when her books are rediscovered after 1,000 years of darkness.”
So how many great works of art, breakthrough scientific discoveries, or society-transforming inventions have Objectivists come out with in the last 50 years? What's that you say? Somewhere between zero and none...
Yep, plus according to objectivists no one understood how the stock market(s)worked before Ayn Rand did, she explained perfectly how they worked.
Though can you use this knowledge to make a killing on Wall Street? Did any objectivist predict that the economy was going to crash in 2008/09...what do you think?
The crash according to Objectivists: Anything bad that happens is because of the government. The Fed created way too much credit and those poor banks had no choice but to over leverage themselves. What's that you say? The banks also created a lot of complex, hard to understand financial instruments seemingly designed to scam people? Well if only the Fed had kept the credit flowing the bubble never would have popped on those perfectly moral, perfectly sound mortgage backed securities.
@Anon: Though can you use this knowledge to make a killing on Wall Street?
Of course you can -- Francisco d'Anconia did it. He played the market on the side while in college, and made enough money by graduation to buy a foundry to impress his father (in a selfish way of course). He said it was easy to predict which businesses would succeed.
But Francisco lives in the Randtopia of Atlas Shrugged. In the real world, it might not be so easy.
Case in point: Far from applying her superior philosophic acumen to the "simple" task of picking stocks, it seems that Rand pretty much limited her own investments to T-Bills (yep, government bonds, not gold!), apparently because she was convinced the government was on the verge of wrecking the economy and crashing the market for good.
I have heard that Peikoff was none too happy when he found out how much richer he could have been if Rand had just put her money in an index fund.
Perhaps Objectivists should stick to driving cabs or cutting hair, as any fule knows every cab driver and barber knows whats wrong with the world and how to fix it.
A 1000 years? I thought the World was turn Randian by 2212. At least that is what they say, that in 200 years time Rands philosophy will be dominant. Mind you, the details are sketchy...and you can never pin them down on the specifics. Though they do say that we live in a Kantian age and this shows that 200 years after Kant wrote his philosophy that became the domiant one. How his ideas became dominant (if indeed they are) is, again, sketchy and why this now means that Rands ideas will become dominant is anyones guess. But, if it get thems through the night...
> At least that is what they say, that in 200 years time Rands philosophy will be dominant.
Isn't a lot of her philosophy already dominant? In one sense Objectivism is a systematic form of Americanism. The average American has a lot in common with the average Objectivist: Protestant work ethic, materialism, technology solves all problems, money money money, slacking off is evil, American exceptionalism, transactional relationships are the norm. I could go on.
Well Tod, if you read any of the websites, the message is the same as it was in 1957 when AS was written: we are in the final days of the final days and only Objectivism can save us.
@Anon: the message is the same as it was in 1957 when AS was written: we are in the final days of the final days and only Objectivism can save us.
Yep. I was at Peikoff's final lecture on the "DIM Hypothesis" in 2010. He concluded by predicting that 25 years from now, the US will either have been saved by Objectivism or taken over by "M2" theocrats. He went so far as to say that if this does not come true, that would disprove his hypothesis. He didn't say whether it would disprove the more general notion that Objectivism is the only hope of preventing the collapse of civilization.
I don't know if this bold assertion made it into the book.
Pretty good trailer. Kind of weird to have a completely different cast from Part I. At least Part II offers more cinematic potential, what with the trainwreck, furnace explosion, and plane crash.
Most likely it'll bomb in theaters just like Part I, but maybe they're making back their investment on DVD sales.
I thought this trailer was way better than the first trailer. That Atlas 1 trailer tried desperately to conceal its generic look and dullard loyalty to the book but the varnish was thin. This seems to have a bit more energy and even rawness, which is the position you can actually win from if you've only got a small budget. Atlas is mostly pulp, so why not go roll around in it rather than try and make a sculpture out of it? Go 'They Live' or 'Escape From New York'-era John Carpenter with it.
The one problem I suppose is that what makes a good low budget flick is great dialogue and irreverent film-making, neither of which you're likely to get with this turkey.
Wait! I know! I have a great idea for promoting Atlas 2; enlist Ayn Rand enthusiasts to have quotes from the movie tattooed on their bodies! The most beautiful tattoo wins a cameo in Part 3 of this amazing trilogy.
The current tattoo craze is igniting imaginations of young people all over the country! And we know Rand's popularity among this demographic is solid. Quick! Somebody call the publicity department!
An Ayn Rand tattoo is surely the supremely rational act of a fully integrated Objectivist, signifying her triumph over the mind/body dichotomy. I'm surprised there aren't more.
So how many great works of art, breakthrough scientific discoveries, or society-transforming inventions have Objectivists come out with in the last 50 years? What's that you say? Somewhere between zero and none...
ReplyDeleteYep, plus according to objectivists no one understood how the stock market(s)worked before Ayn Rand did, she explained perfectly how they worked.
ReplyDeleteThough can you use this knowledge to make a killing on Wall Street? Did any objectivist predict that the economy was going to crash in 2008/09...what do you think?
The crash according to Objectivists: Anything bad that happens is because of the government. The Fed created way too much credit and those poor banks had no choice but to over leverage themselves. What's that you say? The banks also created a lot of complex, hard to understand financial instruments seemingly designed to scam people? Well if only the Fed had kept the credit flowing the bubble never would have popped on those perfectly moral, perfectly sound mortgage backed securities.
ReplyDelete@Anon: Though can you use this knowledge to make a killing on Wall Street?
ReplyDeleteOf course you can -- Francisco d'Anconia did it. He played the market on the side while in college, and made enough money by graduation to buy a foundry to impress his father (in a selfish way of course). He said it was easy to predict which businesses would succeed.
But Francisco lives in the Randtopia of Atlas Shrugged. In the real world, it might not be so easy.
Case in point: Far from applying her superior philosophic acumen to the "simple" task of picking stocks, it seems that Rand pretty much limited her own investments to T-Bills (yep, government bonds, not gold!), apparently because she was convinced the government was on the verge of wrecking the economy and crashing the market for good.
I have heard that Peikoff was none too happy when he found out how much richer he could have been if Rand had just put her money in an index fund.
"I have heard that Peikoff was none too happy when he found out how much richer he could have been if Rand had just put her money in an index fund."
ReplyDeletePoor Lenny! What's a no-talent, second-handing hack to do?
ECE:
ReplyDelete>He said it was easy to predict which businesses would succeed.
Never mind the prospectus, just check their epistemology!
Perhaps Objectivists should stick to driving cabs or cutting hair, as any fule knows every cab driver and barber knows whats wrong with the world and how to fix it.
ReplyDeleteI believe that George Reisman predicted the stock market and housing crashes.
ReplyDeleteI'd like to see one scientific achievement that was based on Rand's theory of concept formation.
-Neil Parille
> I believe that George Reisman predicted the stock market and housing crashes.
ReplyDeleteA lot of people did.
Sounds like the plot of Foundation... if Hari Seldon was clinically retarded.
ReplyDeleteA 1000 years? I thought the World was turn Randian by 2212. At least that is what they say, that in 200 years time Rands philosophy will be dominant. Mind you, the details are sketchy...and you can never pin them down on the specifics. Though they do say that we live in a Kantian age and this shows that 200 years after Kant wrote his philosophy that became the domiant one. How his ideas became dominant (if indeed they are) is, again, sketchy and why this now means that Rands ideas will become dominant is anyones guess.
ReplyDeleteBut, if it get thems through the night...
> Anonymous said:
ReplyDelete> At least that is what they say, that in 200 years time Rands philosophy will be dominant.
Isn't a lot of her philosophy already dominant? In one sense Objectivism is a systematic form of Americanism. The average American has a lot in common with the average Objectivist: Protestant work ethic, materialism, technology solves all problems, money money money, slacking off is evil, American exceptionalism, transactional relationships are the norm. I could go on.
Well Tod, if you read any of the websites, the message is the same as it was in 1957 when AS was written: we are in the final days of the final days and only Objectivism can save us.
ReplyDelete@Anon: the message is the same as it was in 1957 when AS was written: we are in the final days of the final days and only Objectivism can save us.
ReplyDeleteYep. I was at Peikoff's final lecture on the "DIM Hypothesis" in 2010. He concluded by predicting that 25 years from now, the US will either have been saved by Objectivism or taken over by "M2" theocrats. He went so far as to say that if this does not come true, that would disprove his hypothesis. He didn't say whether it would disprove the more general notion that Objectivism is the only hope of preventing the collapse of civilization.
I don't know if this bold assertion made it into the book.
no worries...Chuck & Gina are on the case:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?&v=7ud3pK5Wa90
... are you ready? Atlas Shrugged Part II: trailer
ReplyDeletePretty good trailer. Kind of weird to have a completely different cast from Part I. At least Part II offers more cinematic potential, what with the trainwreck, furnace explosion, and plane crash.
ReplyDeleteMost likely it'll bomb in theaters just like Part I, but maybe they're making back their investment on DVD sales.
I thought this trailer was way better than the first trailer. That Atlas 1 trailer tried desperately to conceal its generic look and dullard loyalty to the book but the varnish was thin. This seems to have a bit more energy and even rawness, which is the position you can actually win from if you've only got a small budget. Atlas is mostly pulp, so why not go roll around in it rather than try and make a sculpture out of it? Go 'They Live' or 'Escape From New York'-era John Carpenter with it.
ReplyDeleteThe one problem I suppose is that what makes a good low budget flick is great dialogue and irreverent film-making, neither of which you're likely to get with this turkey.
Wait! I know! I have a great idea for promoting Atlas 2; enlist Ayn Rand enthusiasts to have quotes from the movie tattooed on their bodies! The most beautiful tattoo wins a cameo in Part 3 of this amazing trilogy.
ReplyDeleteHere's an example.
The current tattoo craze is igniting imaginations of young people all over the country! And we know Rand's popularity among this demographic is solid. Quick! Somebody call the publicity department!
Oops! Here's the corrected link to this beautiful work of Ayn Rand Tattoo Art
ReplyDeleteAn Ayn Rand tattoo is surely the supremely rational act of a fully integrated Objectivist, signifying her triumph over the mind/body dichotomy. I'm surprised there aren't more.
ReplyDelete