I recently discovered the philosophy of author, cinematographer, philosopher Alisa Zinov’yevna Rosenbaum, better known and despised by socialists as Ayn Rand.
Ayn Rand is known as the greatest promoter of capitalism in history, with total sales of her books approaching 40 million copies. Not bad, as most of her works were published decades ago in the 1940s to 1950s.
“Capitalism has never found its ideology. . . But the time has come for it to speak, to formulate its own faith and its own ideal. It is time for us to say that capitalism is not a system of greed, money-grabbing and low materialistic pursuits. It is time to stop cringing, evading, apologizing and ascribing idealism to any system but our own, while mumbling feebly that ours is a ‘practical’ system. It is time to say that ours is the noblest, cleanest and most idealistic system of all. We, its defenders, are the true liberals and humanitarians. We ask nothing of men and offer them nothing — save freedom. But when that is given — everything has been given.” — Ayn Rand papers 1941.
Russia, Cuba, and China have flourished, under even limited capitalism, compared to the decades of economic disasters, causing more than 45 million starvation deaths. Under a more traditional socialist system, private ownership and reward for effort have transformed their economies and made the people more prosperous. Socialism always fails and leaves death and destruction in its wake; however, many good folks in our nation want to see our nation adopt an economic system that is like an illegal drug — it feels good at first, but over time has horrible consequences.
The thing that tells us the most about the socialist movement is that they attack anyone who dares point out how asinine the socialist system is; names like heartless, racist, sexist and anti-everything are used liberally. If you do not like socialist doctrine, you want to see old people die, children starve and become ill, you want to enslave the “under class,” whatever that is, and you are heartless when you extol the virtues of hard work and success over collectivism.
Ayn Rand further stated speaking of her critics, “Their story consists of the claim that it is a necessary evil. ‘You’re right,’ they’ve told the critics, Capitalism does exploit the needy and reward the greedy. But unfortunately it works and socialism doesn’t, so while we need to limit capitalism, we mustn’t go too far.”
Ms. Rand lived under communism in the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics and fled to our country, becoming an unapologetic champion of our economic system. Seven movies were produced based on her many books, Atlas Shrugged 1,2 and 3 among them.
Loved and hated, she dared to extol the virtues of capitalism at a time like today when the best economic system known to history is vilified as a model for oppression and greed. Support our capitalistic system and the loving kind caring folks on the socialist/progressive side will call you “Der Fuhrer;” strange, as Adolph Hitler was a socialist, his party was the National Socialist German Workers Party (later changed to drop the “worker,” as it sounded too communistic). Fascist nations on the Italian model, followers of socialism that allows nationalism and religion as developed by Benito Mussolini. A journalist and teacher’s concept of fascism, some existing until 1986, were dyed-in-the-wool socialists.
Research socialist movements and you will find many of them downplayed nationalism until they took control of the nation, then they touted the glories of radical nationalism. Ask a socialist/progressive to explain the difference between their movement and fascism/Nazism and they will say they are not nationalist. OK, they are or will become nationalists, not flag wavers out of the box, but very rapidly all of them wrap themselves in the flag and become radical socialist and nationalists no different from the fascists.
Why do people who tell us they are the paragons of intelligence and that they are historians who have learned from history fail to understand the unvarnished history of socialist/fascist/progressive movements ending in dictatorship and economic disaster? Socialism, from a commune of a dozen to a nation of 1.402 billion, always fails and turns to capitalism.
My opinion.
Postscript: The critics of this column will say I am obsessed with socialism; they are correct. We as a nation cannot be destroyed from outside our borders but can be destroyed from within. Our Constitution is designed to limit the power of government and if we follow it, we will remain free and prosper, private ownership and limited government is the bedrock of our nation. Again, my opinion.
