Ayn Rand Versus James Joyce: The Divorce of America from Europe
Posted by overmanwarrior 10 years, 9 months ago to Culture
I don't mean to pick on this Robert Nielsen fellow from the other day, but he brought up some good points which needed to be answered based on the below comment from his posting about Atlas Shrugged.
http://robertnielsen21.wordpress.com/201...
“All of the heroes have this absurd element to them. They don’t stop to eat or rest a single time in the book and it is casually thrown in that they haven’t slept for two or three days as though that would have no effect on them. They have no hobbies or interested (sic) outside work. Even when they are bleeding they don’t feel any pain. In other words they are soulless robots, machines good for working and nothing else. Atlas Shrugged bears a strong resemblance to Fascist propaganda in its treatment of heroes. There is a strong emphasis on the cult of personality, of worshipping men of action in contrast to the masses who are too stupid and cowardly to achieve greatness. Democracy destroys accountability whereas dictatorship is the only system where anyone is responsible. All of the best firms in the book are named after their owner and collapse without them.”
That deserved a more detailed answer/response.
http://robertnielsen21.wordpress.com/201...
“All of the heroes have this absurd element to them. They don’t stop to eat or rest a single time in the book and it is casually thrown in that they haven’t slept for two or three days as though that would have no effect on them. They have no hobbies or interested (sic) outside work. Even when they are bleeding they don’t feel any pain. In other words they are soulless robots, machines good for working and nothing else. Atlas Shrugged bears a strong resemblance to Fascist propaganda in its treatment of heroes. There is a strong emphasis on the cult of personality, of worshipping men of action in contrast to the masses who are too stupid and cowardly to achieve greatness. Democracy destroys accountability whereas dictatorship is the only system where anyone is responsible. All of the best firms in the book are named after their owner and collapse without them.”
That deserved a more detailed answer/response.
Monkey Island at Riverbanks Zoo
and watched all 1:54 of it, a monkey does what monkeys do, and doing it very well at full noise. That monkey earns his keep, and enjoys it, as well as giving pleasure to us who watch. ( I hope when old he gets a pension.)
After watching, I feel impelled to ask, What do humans do? Watch the footie, drink beer, and smoke is what many seem to be satisfied with. A set of occupations that exclude productive work and is growing in popularity,
but not just in Europe.
There is a story, by HG Wells, The Time Machine. In the far future the human race has split into two- hunched coarse workers who live underground and work machines, and the elegant dainty creatures who only play. There is no proper end to the story except to leave the reader with ominous foreboding.
For us the message is we are going that way, or towards the play only option, HG Wells did not give the option of combining, or of work only (or predominantly) with work fulfilling our aspirations as well as physical needs. Rand, and others, have developed that theme. Much more may be said.
Hey, you mention Robert Pirsig, Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, I read it many years ago. An important book. I remember the incident of the expert welder, no background music played in his shop. When he worked he was fully absorbed, his experience and judgment, and concentration, coordination of hand and eye and machine produced impeccable work, much of his work could not be replicated by others -presumably the people that Nielsen admires.
There are still people like that welder in trades and the arts, professions and business.
The rest of Europe, is a toilet.