Ayn Rand on the Death of Innocents in War

[La_Serpiente]

I don't know much about her, but I don't like the ideas that I have seen. So here is what the people at the Ayn Rand Institute think.

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Inverview with Ayn Rand

Q: What should be done about the killing of innocent people in war?

AR: This is a major reason people should be concerned about the nature of their government. If by neglect, ignorance, or helplessness, they couldn't overturn their bad government and choose a better one, then they have to pay the price for the sins of their government—as all of us are paying for the sins of ours.

That's why we have to be interested in the philosophy of government and in seeing, to the extent we can, that we have a good government. A government is not an independent entity: it's supposed to represent the people of a nation.

If some people put up with dictatorship—as some do in Soviet Russia and as they did in Germany—they deserve whatever their government deserves.

The only thing to be concerned with is: who started that war? And once you can establish that it is a given country, there is no such thing as consideration for the "rights" of that country, because it has initiated the use of force, and therefore stepped outside the principle of rights.

Nations as such do not have any rights, governments have no rights, only individuals do.

more...

Death of Innocents in War

[alcuno]

1. I've found many people who, like me, went through an Ayn Rand

phase right out of high school. I remember thinking I was brilliant for reading "The Fountainhead." I may have even gotten through "Atlas Shrugged." Apparently some people never get past that phase of total self-involvement. The Ayn Rand Institute is full of them.

[RandomKoolzip]

2. Please, let Randianism/Objectivism burn on the scrap heap of history

Ayn Rand has nothing to teach us. And the Ayn Rand istitute is nothing but a front for extreme Zionism.

[Muddleoftheroad]

6. I'm curious

What is "extreme Zionism?"

[arcane1]

3. hmm, only individuals (like me) have rights... so...

If George Bush (an individual) starts a war, then I (an individual) deserve the pain of death?

am I missing something?


I realize it's Rand and thus there will be some oddity, but still... this is rational?

[GOPBasher]

10. Yeah, that's what I was thinking.

She doesn't make any sense. First, she says that "people deserve whatever their government deserves." Then, she she says, "governments don't have rights; only humans do." Hmmmm, yeah, ok

[Redleg]

4. She is a sick puppy. How the f@ck could she live with herself?

We deserve what we get? Well, perhaps to some extent, but when people try to revolt against the powerful they more often than not get the iron heel on their necks.

[arcane1]

5. yeah, I guess if you are unlucky to be born to poor parents

then you deserve to be poor?

Rand's so-called 'philosphy' is nothing more than a way for the rich and powerful to justify themselves.

[La_Serpiente]

7. I thought she lived in a bubble

and she doesn't really go into how the people of the state should take down the government. I mean, who is to blame for Iraq then? Is it the people of Iraq? Or was it the Americans who armed and supplied them? She is too vague.

[LawDem]

8. Ayn Rand

Ayn Rand is the very definition of overreaction. Horrified by the brutality of Soviet collectivism, she spent her life endorsing an equally brutal version of individualism. This left her writings morally bankrupt.

[bluestateguy]

9. Faulty logic on many levels

1. Does this logic apply to children? Should civilian children killed in war pay for their parents failure to overthrow their government?

2. In Iraq in 1991 the people did rise up and try to overthrow Saddam Hussien, but the regime, using chemical weapons provided to them by the US in the 1980's, gassed thousands to death. The US did nothing to provide assistance to the rebels. Do these people deserve to be killed if there are in the wrong place at the wrong time, just because they did not achieve their earlier attempt to overthrow their government?

[BeatleBoot]

11. She Never Answered The Question In My Mind

But I interpreted something difeerent than the other posts have stated when she said,

"If by neglect, ignorance, or helplessness, they couldn't overturn their bad government and choose a better one, then they have to pay the price for the sins of their government—as all of us are paying for the sins of ours."

I really do not think she means, "to pay the price" like its the people's fault and they deserve it. I take it as, "the people have no choice because they are helpless". Like we currently have no choice with the asshole in the WH because we are in effect, hopeless, since he stole the election.

I think the "hot button" here is that she states,

"If some people put up with dictatorship—as some do in Soviet Russia and as they did in Germany—they deserve whatever their government deserves."

As if the people have a choice at the point of a gun?

If that's what she means, then its total bullshit.

But I for one will not put up with this right wing crap that has taken over our country and I will do everything I can to vote Bush and his ilk out of office.

[bleedingheart]

12. I found an Ayn Rand book in my little library

don't know how it got there but I plan on reading it so I can understand that point of view...

The book is called The Virtue of Selfishness... now I was raised to view extreme selfishness as a sin so it should be an interesting read. I doubt I will change my socialist views but hey...wouldn't hurt to read about the other side.

[bpilgrim]

13. "The only thing to be concerned with is: who started that war?"

so de we now deserve to be NUKED... like Japan?

peace

[maggrwaggr]

14. yeah, according to her we all now deserve to die

because we've failed to kick Bush out of office.

Hmmmmmm.....

So who's gonna bomb us?

[WhoCountsTheVotes]

15. Ayn Rand is just Anne Coulter for college students

The common theme is selfishness and an inability to empathize with your fellow human beings. Think about it.