Ayn Rand is the most overrated "philosopher" although I wouldn't even call her a philosopher. That actually requires at least some careful thinking.
If that book is on the rise, then rationality is for sure on descend.
Sad
If that book is on the rise, then rationality is for sure on descend.
Sad
Look at Nietzsche. Absolutely pretentious, wrote his philosophy in semifictional narratives, made up ridiculous fantasies like eternal recurrence. But people don't dis Nietzsche like they do Rand, not even when his readers are more obnoxious and pretentious than even the most obnoxious of Objectivists, because Nietzsche at least hit the vein of being difficult and therefore respectable.
Give Rand credit for at least one thing: Her ideas are given to you so simplistically that it's very easy to build a counterargument against them. Would that most philosophers would do the same favor.
That said, this article shouldn't be here, and Objectivism debates are old and tired.
tl;dr Blasting Rand without balance is just as bad as worshipping her without balance, so if you're going to disagree with her be less of a jerk about it.
Otherwise it is her ideas.
(I'm in general agreement with Zimbabwe)
PS: A linkbait title. Suggesting Income Tax numbers are meaningful without including SS, or Medicare numbers is effectively a lie. Which is why I feel this is pure political spin and is not worth discussing.
By 2000, that 1 percent was paying 37 percent, and "Atlas Shrugged" sales were at 120,000. By 2006, the top 1 percent carried 40 percent of the burden.
Obviously, increased sales of "Atlas Shrugged" leads to legislation increasing taxes on the rich, because Randian lobbyists are at home, reading. Or -- just guessing, here -- this correlation is meaningless and should be omitted?
This one takes the cake:
Of all American governors, Arnold Schwarzenegger of California is the one who most resembles Rand’s outsized characters. [...] Yet Schwarzenegger seems to be missing the Rand gene. His policies are all pain and no growth.
Either he resembles something in the book or he doesn't. Why claim both?
Exeptions would be a law that is going into effect that chaning the rules for becoming startups or some such.
PS: Ok, talking about what exit number you need to retire based on X income tax would be a good and usefull article, linkbait that's talking about politics belongs somewhere else.