Here are some challenges Mr. Hari ought to be man enough to face: 1) Provide the proof the Ayn Rand was addicted to amphetamines, or furnish a public retraction of the claim. 2) Provide the proof that Ayn Rand wrote "sub-Dan Brown potboilers" (which requires publishing and proving your theory of the aesthetics of novel writing), or publish a statement admitting that your assessment is purely a personal, unsubstantiated assertion. 3) Provide proof that Ayn Rand "wrote lavish torrents of praise for serial killers and the Bernie Madoff-style embezzlers", or furnish a public retraction of the claim. BTW - If I were you, I would be very worried about being rightfully sued for libel on this one. 4) Provide the proof that Ayn Rand "... opposed democracy on the grounds that 'the masses'—her readers—were 'lice' and 'parasites' who scarcely deserved to live", or furnish a public retraction of the claim. These are just four challenges facing Mr Hari - and they are merely from the first three sentences of a pages long article. Among other things, the rest of the piece is filled with quotes attributed to Ayn Rand which did not come from her, filled with venom in no way justified or backed up by facts, and filled with what is essentially total ignorance of what Ayn Rand actually wrote and stood for. Ayn Rand was an infinitely better human being than Mr. Hari could ever hope to become.

mapeters:

Here are some challenges Mr. Hari ought to be man enough to face: 1) Provide the proof the Ayn Rand was addicted to amphetamines, or furnish a public retraction of the claim. 2) Provide the proof that Ayn Rand wrote "sub-Dan Brown potboilers" (which requires publishing and proving your theory of the aesthetics of novel writing), or publish a statement admitting that your assessment is purely a personal, unsubstantiated assertion. 3) Provide proof that Ayn Rand "wrote lavish torrents of praise for serial killers and the Bernie Madoff-style embezzlers", or furnish a public retraction of the claim. BTW - If I were you, I would be very worried about being rightfully sued for libel on this one. 4) Provide the proof that Ayn Rand "... opposed democracy on the grounds that 'the masses'—her readers—were 'lice' and 'parasites' who scarcely deserved to live", or furnish a public retraction of the claim. These are just four challenges facing Mr Hari - and they are merely from the first three sentences of a pages long article. Among other things, the rest of the piece is filled with quotes attributed to Ayn Rand which did not come from her, filled with venom in no way justified or backed up by facts, and filled with what is essentially total ignorance of what Ayn Rand actually wrote and stood for. Ayn Rand was an infinitely better human being than Mr. Hari could ever hope to become.

Are you serious? Or is this an especially good parody of a Randite?

You've got the pompous jackass act down pat.

I think the term "Randroid" is more descriptive.

Having said that, I'd love to see any substantiation of Hari's absurd claim that Rand ever praised Madoff-style embezzlers. I read enough Rand years ago to know that she would never have said that fraud or stealing was OK.

Incidentally, in most if not all states there is no tortious cause of action for libelling a dead person.

There has to be a course mandatory for all leftists on how to be a "foul mouthed moron." It's really become the essence of what the left is today. No thought, just spew vitriol and you're good to go.

Make a valid point, and there are usually hundreds of these little twerps in the woods willing to jump out with a snarky comment or two.

See, this is why conservatives, as a rule, are better people. They are more reasonable and thoughtful, and rarely foul mouthed.

How about this: You're an objectivist. Get off your ass and do it yourself. Amphetamines - <link> Non-political writing - <link> Praise for serial killer William Hickman- <link> Maybe instead of writing some diatribe about how "biased" the author is, you could have done twenty seconds of research before you came across as a pseudo-intellectual sociopathic fanboy. And I'm sure you're in the tiny minority of people, those "Supermen" who do't need to bother with other people for anything, ever. People without emotion or consideration for anybody but themselves. Another name for this is Sociopathy, and it's what Rand specifically praised in Hickman.

What the fuck do you expect but a "personal assertion" with respect to a subjective assessment in an opinion piece written by -- duh -- a person, halfwit?

****It's really become the essence of what the left is today. No thought, just spew vitriol and you're good to go. *** Yeah, jackass, that's why Fox and talk radio do so well. Oh wait, they're right wing. So I guess you're a tool after all. **** Make a valid point, and there are usually hundreds of these little twerps in the woods willing to jump out with a snarky comment or two. **** Strictly hypothetical at this point. A "valid point" would need to be made first.

*** BTW - If I were you, I would be very worried about being rightfully sued for libel on this one. *** Yes, but that's only because you're too fucking stupid to know that you can't libel a dead person. In addition to the other thing you're too fucking stupid to know about that keep you from writing for Slate.

*** Ayn Rand was an infinitely better human being than Mr. Hari could ever hope to become. *** Ayn Rand was the scum of the earth. The world would be far better off if Lenin had lined her whole family up against the wall and shot them before she escaped.

Good links. Of course now it's incumbent on the OP (based on his own standards) to "publish a statement" outlining what a gigantic tool he is. But for some reason I'm not holding my breath.

Dude, you are a rage-aholic. You wonder why you live alone and can't hold down a job?

jj64:

Ayn Rand was the scum of the earth. The world would be far better off if Lenin had lined her whole family up against the wall and shot them before she escaped.

Dude, you need to take some time off. You hate her THAT much because she... what? Wrote a book? Yeah, compared to Tojo or Stalin, that Rand is pure evil!

Lighten up, Francis.