Flexmoney Posted January 2, 2009 Share Posted January 2, 2009 The spread of evil is the symptom of a vacuum. whenever evil wins, it is only by default: by the moral failure of those who evade the fact that there can be no compromise on basic principles. Ayn Rand, Capitalism: The Unknown Ideal, 1966 I've been defining aspects of leadership in a similar manner recently, then saw the above Ayn Rand quote in shooterchef's sig line. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ashman627 Posted January 2, 2009 Share Posted January 2, 2009 The spread of evil is the symptom of a vacuum. whenever evil wins, it is only by default: by the moral failure of those who evade the fact that there can be no compromise on basic principles. Ayn Rand, Capitalism: The Unknown Ideal, 1966 I've been defining aspects of leadership in a similar manner recently, then saw the above Ayn Rand quote in shooterchef's sig line. We would be much better off as a country if Ayn Rand was taught in schools.I think shooters understand objective values,but it seems very few others do and it sure no one is being taught the idea above Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Burtchell Posted January 4, 2009 Share Posted January 4, 2009 Atlas Shrugged and the Fountainhead should be required reading in High School. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dfwmiket Posted January 4, 2009 Share Posted January 4, 2009 +1000. I have Atlas Shrugged in .pdf. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
el pres Posted January 4, 2009 Share Posted January 4, 2009 always great stuff !! You might remember this one :quote from Edmund Burke, Irish statesman from the 1700s: "Evil triumphs when good men do nothing." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
j1b Posted January 4, 2009 Share Posted January 4, 2009 Atlas Shrugged and the Fountainhead should be required reading in High School. Agreed. Though many have never even heard of the books. Crazy! Atlas Shrugged is an all time favorite! Though I'll admit I discovered both books after College. If not mandatory in high school, shouldn't it be at least in college? Jack Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catfish Posted January 4, 2009 Share Posted January 4, 2009 +1000. I have Atlas Shrugged in .pdf. DAMN! That's got to be a huge file. She was rather prophetic, wasn't she.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
j1b Posted January 4, 2009 Share Posted January 4, 2009 +1000. I have Atlas Shrugged in .pdf. DAMN! That's got to be a huge file. She was rather prophetic, wasn't she.... In ways words can hardly describe. It honestly amazes me how prophetic she was . . . particularly when you think about how long ago she wrote. And what country she was from . . . J Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shootingchef Posted January 4, 2009 Share Posted January 4, 2009 At a match today, I saw a bumper sticker on a ammo can; "who is john Galt?" I teared up. I studied philosophy as an objectivist at Texas Tech. I was UN-welcome in those parts. LOL. I still pass out "atlas Shrugged" to those whom I think are ready to open their eyes and ears. Glad to see there are some informed people on enoverse. Great place to hang out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SiG Lady Posted January 4, 2009 Share Posted January 4, 2009 I read her classic offerings as a very young person then re-read them as an adult just within the past few years. Still satisfying, to say the least. And YES, INDEEDY, some of it should be required reading in school!!! Now, then, her shorter (somewhat sci-fi) novel entitled Anthem is worth reading, too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Moneypenny Posted January 5, 2009 Share Posted January 5, 2009 nice words. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SiG Lady Posted January 5, 2009 Share Posted January 5, 2009 I have a full-size, hardbound, "35th Anniversary Edition" of Atlas Shrugged that weighs a ton (1,168 pp.), has a lovely Art Deco designed dust jacket, and a special introduction. I got it for a song a couple or so years ago and plan to keep it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vlad Posted January 5, 2009 Share Posted January 5, 2009 Now, then, her shorter (somewhat sci-fi) novel entitled Anthem is worth reading, too.[/color] Anthem was required reading when I went to high school. I was only in the US for about a year when I had to read it, and I came from ex-commie lands and it was a delightful surprise for me. I was shocked when I found that my class mates were either bored or completely confused by it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SiG Lady Posted January 5, 2009 Share Posted January 5, 2009 I'm actually looking for another copy of Anthem. My copy disappeared and I'd like to re-read it... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vlad Posted January 5, 2009 Share Posted January 5, 2009 I'm actually looking for another copy of Anthem. My copy disappeared and I'd like to re-read it... Amazon? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SiG Lady Posted January 5, 2009 Share Posted January 5, 2009 ...and there are some on eBay, too. I checked. Heck, I know of a certain used book store in town that I could call tomorrow and they'll tell me whether or not they have it in stock. It's not exactly a 'rare' little book. I just don't happen to see it in thrift stores as such. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redmanfixit Posted January 8, 2009 Share Posted January 8, 2009 I think I still have the "Who is John Galt" T-shirt I had made after I read it. A bumper sticker seemed too....distant. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shootingchef Posted January 8, 2009 Share Posted January 8, 2009 Received this as a email. It's so sad that the lazy, do nothings will win;at least until the breadlines form, gas is gone, and unemployment reaches 20%. Then I think things will change. " Hoping" for a great 2009. To All My Valued Employees, There have been some rumblings around the office about the future of this company, and more specifically, your job. As you know, the economy has changed for the worse and presents many challenges. However, the good news is this: The economy doesn't pose a threat to your job. What does threaten your job however, is the changing political landscape in this country. However, let me tell you some little tidbits of fact which might help you decide what is in your best interests. First, while it is easy to spew rhetoric that casts employers against employees, you have to understand that for every business owner there is a Back Story. This back story is often neglected and overshadowed by what you see and hear. Sure, you see me park my Mercedes outside. You've seen my big home at last years Christmas party. I'm sure; all these flashy icons of luxury conjure up some idealized thoughts about my life. However, what you don't see is the BACK STORY: I started this company 28 years ago. At that time, I lived in a 300 square foot studio apartment for 3 years. My entire living apartment was converted into an office so I could put forth 100% effort into building a company, which by the way, would eventually employ you. My diet consisted of Ramen Pride noodles because every dollar I spent went back into this company. I drove a rusty Toyota Corolla with a defective transmission. I didn't have time to date. Often times, I stayed home on weekends, while my friends went out drinking and partying. In fact, I was married to my business -- hard work, discipline, and sacrifice. Meanwhile, my friends got jobs. They worked 40 hours a week and made a modest $50K a year and spent every dime they earned. They drove flashy cars and lived in expensive homes and wore fancy designer clothes. Instead of hitting the Nordstrom's for the latest hot fashion item, I was trolling through the discount store extracting any clothing item that didn't look like it was birthed in the 70's. My friends refinanced their mortgages and lived a life of luxury. I, however, did not. I put my time, my money, and my life into a business with a vision that eventually, some day, I too, will be able to afford these luxuries my friends supposedly had. So, while you physically arrive at the office at 9am, mentally check in at about noon, and then leave at 5pm, I don't. There is no "off" button for me. When you leave the office, you are done and you have a weekend all to yourself. I unfortunately do not have the freedom. I eat, and breathe this company every minute of the day. There is no rest. There is no weekend. There is no happy hour. Every day this business is attached to my hip like a 1 year old special-needs child. You, of course, only see the fruits of that garden -- the nice house, the Mercedes, the vacations... You never realize the Back Story and the sacrifices I've made. Now, the economy is falling apart and I, the guy that made all the right decisions and saved his money, have to bail-out all the people who didn't. The people that overspent their paychecks suddenly feel entitled to the same luxuries that I earned and sacrificed a decade of my life for. Yes, business ownership has is benefits but the price I've paid is steep and not without wounds. Unfortunately, the cost of running this business, and employing you, is starting to eclipse the threshold of marginal benefit and let me tell you why: I am being taxed to death and the government thinks I don't pay enough. I have state taxes. Federal taxes. Property taxes. Sales and use taxes. Payroll taxes. Workers compensation taxes. Unemployment taxes. Taxes on taxes. I have to hire a tax man to manage all these taxes and then guess what? I have to pay taxes for employing him. Government mandates and regulations and all the accounting that goes with it, now occupy most of my time. On Oct 15th, I wrote a check to the US Treasury for $288,000 for quarterly taxes. You know what my "stimulus" check was? Zero. Nada. Zilch. The question I have is this: Who is stimulating the economy? Me, the guy who has provided 14 people good paying jobs and serves over 2,200,000 people per year with a flourishing business? Or, the single mother sitting at home pregnant with her fourth child waiting for her next welfare check? Obviously, government feels the latter is the economic stimulus of this country. The fact is, if I deducted (Read: Stole) 50% of your paycheck you'd quit and you wouldn't work here. I mean, why should you? That's nuts. Who wants to get rewarded only 50% of their hard work? Well, I agree which is why your job is in jeopardy. Here is what many of you don't understand ... to stimulate the economy you need to stimulate what runs the economy. Had suddenly government mandated to me that I didn't need to pay taxes, guess what? Instead of depositing that $288,000 into the Washington black-hole, I would have spent it, hired more employees, and generated substantial economic growth. My employees would have enjoyed the wealth of that tax cut in the form of promotions and better salaries. But you can forget it now. When you have a comatose man on the verge of death, you don't defibrillate and shock his thumb thinking that will bring him back to life, do you? Or, do you defibrillate his heart? Business is at the heart of America and always has been. To restart it, you must stimulate it, not kill it. Suddenly, the power brokers in Washington believe the poor of America are the essential drivers of the American economic engine. Nothing could be further from the truth and this is the type of change you can keep. So where am I going with all this? It's quite simple. If any new taxes are levied on me, or my company, my reaction will be swift and simple. I fire you. I fire your co-workers. You can then plead with the government to pay for your mortgage, your SUV, and your child's future. Frankly, it isn't my problem any more. Then, I will close this company down, move to another country, and retire. You see, I'm done. I'm done with a country that penalizes the productive and gives to the unproductive. My motivation to work and to provide jobs will be destroyed, and with it, will be my citizenship. So, if you lose your job, it won't be at the hands of the economy; it will be at the hands of a political hurricane that swept through this country, steamrolled the constitution, and will have changed its landscape forever. If that happens, you can find me sitting on a beach, retired, and with no employees to worry about.... Signed, THE BOSS Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MichiganShootist Posted January 8, 2009 Share Posted January 8, 2009 Heart breaking!!!!!!! And the story is being repeated a thousand times over every day. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark K Posted January 8, 2009 Share Posted January 8, 2009 I have always wanted to read Atlas Shrugged, but also knew I would not slog through it. So a couple years ago, I bought it on CD (like 50 hours) and listened to it while working around the shop/yard/reloading room. A life changer. I knew that someone 80 years ago was thinking right, had witnessed communism and wanted to explain what freedom was really about. I am 90% of the way though Fountain Head. (both books on tape were unabridged) My 23 yr old daughter has listened to both, and my 18yr old son has listened to Atlas Shrugged. It is so gratifying, when they are watching the current news, when one of them will look at me and say "have these people never read Atlas Shrugged"? I have gotten a very lukewarm reception from the (conservative) private school that the both attend(ed). The word is "Kids don't want to read that big of a book. AGHUUUUH Mark K Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SiG Lady Posted January 8, 2009 Share Posted January 8, 2009 A lot of young people would read the book if it were handed to them. And other worthwhile books as well. They just need ACCESS to these resources. And they DON'T need namby-pamby teachers telling them (or us) the kids are soft in the head when they're NOT!!!! I bet a talking book of Rand's stuff would be exceptional! Her works do tend to go on a bit, but still... the substance. My God, I inhaled books all my life and read voraciously as a child and young adult... and continue to do so. I hated kindergarten because I thought it was unsophisticated as hell. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fiddler Posted January 13, 2009 Share Posted January 13, 2009 My kid read Atlas Shrugged last year in English as a High School Sophomore. She enjoyed it and, I think, got alot out of it. Of course she has been hearing that kind of stuff from me for years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shootingchef Posted January 13, 2009 Share Posted January 13, 2009 I found that folks have to be ready for the knowledge, otherwise your wasting your time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bofe954 Posted January 13, 2009 Share Posted January 13, 2009 Supposed to be a movie soon...Not sure if it will be 5 hours long or what. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shootingchef Posted January 13, 2009 Share Posted January 13, 2009 a 2011 release. A. Jolie is still slated for the Dagny Taggart role. I hope she understands the role. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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