- Hot
- New
- Categories...
- Producer's Lounge
- Producer's Vault
- The Gulch: Live! (New)
- Ask the Gulch!
- Going Galt
- Books
- Business
- Classifieds
- Culture
- Economics
- Education
- Entertainment
- Government
- History
- Humor
- Legislation
- Movies
- News
- Philosophy
- Pics
- Politics
- Science
- Technology
- Video
- The Gulch: Best of
- The Gulch: Bugs
- The Gulch: Feature Requests
- The Gulch: Featured Producers
- The Gulch: General
- The Gulch: Introductions
- The Gulch: Local
- The Gulch: Promotions
- Marketplace
- Members
- Store
- More...
I have another brother who called his apartment complex manager a snowflake and smiled when he told me the man did not like it.
It's kinda like an extension of Alabama with Panama City, FL, nicknamed "the Redneck Riviera," though Florida has a legal state lottery and no state taxes.
http://www.conservapedia.com/John_Galt
My brother and I haven't spoken in years, and it has nothing to do with political views. I had to learn, the hard way, just how toxic a person he is, extremely narcissistic, ruthless, and lazy. After being around me, my wife's unattached friends over the years would pose the traditional question, "Does he have a brother?" My wife's response would be "Honey, my husband is Dr. Jekyll, and his brother is Mr. Hyde."
2. No AR characters are Libertarian
3. Same in most families
Without spending the time to spell it out, I will just say that her characters were definitely not "libertarian". But as you mis-defined the term, you are correct.
The author is being didactic rather than naturalistic.
Her point is to show the importance of taking a person as an individual, by who he/she is, by achievements and values rather than by who the parents are, their class or inheritance.
Now question 1 and 2, Who is John Galt? He is the inventor of a device with profound implications for energy users, and he explains a set of values derived from first principles on how individuals should run their lives. The implication of the question is- what breakfast cereal does he eat?
You say, " different people can find different expressions ..", definitely.
I find AS not naturalistic, and yes there is a strong romantic feel , but it is mainly a warning - go 'that' way and this will happen, explanations are given. The plot develops exactly as the explanations foretold.
'We' were warned, 'we' chose exactly 'that' direction, the result is as predicted, the only difference is in the time scale, in AS it takes a year or so, in life the result is spread over decades.
The OP says we are given very little of the background of John Galt. I think this is deliberate, it prevents the reader judging on that background rather than on achievements. Rand's plot uses identity politics only to condemn the concept.
(Rational limits on weapons ownership and objective vs subjective morality being two important ones.)
All the heros in AS are Obj's of course.
(That doesn't mean I can't be wrong but, in this case, I am not.)
She did not support private ownership of military grade weapons.
I'm not talking hand guns and rifles. I'm talking tanks and missiles.
Libertarians believe you should be able to buy nukes. Anarchists insist on it.
Ayn Rand did not.
I could point you to the relevant passages, but in light of your discourtesy I'll simply say, "Look it up."