Thursday, March 5, 2009

Living Through "Atlas Shrugged," While Leftists Haven't Read It!

David Weigel reports that Representative John Campbell suggests that "People are starting to feel like we’re living through the scenario that happened in "Atlas Shrugged'" ...

John Campbell is my congressman (in Orange County's 48th Congressional District), so please forgive me for a little burst of pride amid all of the collectivist rage that's taking over this country. He's been a consistent small-government advocate, and he blogs at the Green Eyeshade.

"
Going John Galt" is turning out to be a big phenomenon on the right, although SOME leftists can't help but try to score some cheap points on all this - and they haven't even read the book!

See for example Matthew Yglesias: "
Rep. John Campbell Literally Taking His Policy Cues From Ayn Rand Novels":

I haven’t actually read the book but my understanding is that in Atlas Shrugged they’re actually building a high-speed rail link from Las Vegas to Disneyland.
That's quite revealing. It's a good bet Henry Farrell's never read it either, despite his new Facebook page snarking conservatives for their "going Galt" wingnuttery.

Gee, and that's coming from someone who's "
friended" Juan Cole? Wonders never cease!

3 comments:

nanc said...

it's back on the bestseller list - i'm waiting on a copy for our teens.

PRH said...

The lefties don't want to know what the policy gawds of The Messiah Administration are bringing to all of us.

shoprat said...

I have limited respect for Rand. I can't deny her logic, but I have problems with her principles. (I just can't bring myself to consider selfishness a virtue.) Her analysis of where the left is going to try and take America is flawless but I see individualism as a means to an end, while she seems to see it as an end in itself.