Actually, I didn't intend to discuss Rand. I just wanted to use an example of some characters that she created. I'm surprised people get immediately worked up once Ayn Rand gets mentioned.
A lot of people who read and talk about her works turn in to (or reveal themselves as) babbling idiots, so it's easy to mistakenly associate the babbling idiocy with her. From what I've read, she was much more pragmatic than the angry anti-government types who glom on to objectivism.
Yes, I am shocked, shocked! that Ayn Rand gets people worked into a lather. How could we have ever predicted this?????