In the essay “Antitrust,” which is contained in Ayn Rand’s “Capitalism: The Unknown Ideal,” Alan Greenspan, long before he became chairman of the Federal Reserve, discussed the emergence of antitrust legislation at the end of the 19th century.
In the early 19th century, railroads developed in the East among stiff competition, between different railroads as well as with older forms of transportation. By the 1860’s a political movement developed demanding that
Another quote from Ayn Rand’s speech “Apollo and Dionysus” that I linked to on Monday. This one deals with, in short, Ayn Rand’s view on America’s role in fighting for freedom around the world. This seemed a particularly relevant given the current concern over intervening in various areas around the world.
One thing that was not covered in this brief answer that would be extremely important, is what exactly is “freedom.” As I pointed out in an earlier
In listening to the speech by Ayn Rand I linked on Monday, she was asked during the Q&A session about the government’s prohibition of drugs. While this deals specifically with drug use, it is applicable to any sort of consumption, or action for that matter, a man can choose. (Any errors in the transcription are mine.)
I do not approve of any government controls over consumption generally of every kind. I would advocate that all restrictions on drugs be removed. I don’t believe
This morning of Facebook in the comment thread of a post by Yaron Brook, I came across a link to a recording of Ayn Rand’s speech titled “Apollo and Dionysus.” I had never listened to this before and it is a wonderful speech and as valid today as it was when she gave it.
In this speech she discusses the apparent dichotomy between reason and emotion. The title of the speech comes from Nietzsche, who uses Apollo to symbolize beauty, order, efficacy, and reason and Dionysus to
Still reading Ayn Rand’s “Capitalism: The Unknown Ideal” and a passage jumped out at me regarding price fixing and anti-trust. Given recent news regarding Apple’s supposed price fixing in e-books, the on going concerns about Obamacare, not to mention such government practices as; rent control, price controls in all manner of agricultural products, this quote jumped out at me.
By what conceivable standard can the policy of price-fixing be a crime, when practiced by businessmen,
I am still reading Ayn Rand’s “Capitalism: The Unknown Ideal” and I came across the following quote. The context is a discussion of anti-trust laws but it applies equally to thinking about government and business.
In the absence of any rational criteria of judgement, people attempted to judge the immensely complex issues of a free market by so superficial a standard as “bigness.” You hear it to this day: “big business,”
Once again Ayn Rand’s “Capitalism: The Unknown Ideal” is the source for today’s quote:
Whenever you buy one product rather than another, you are voting for the success of some manufacturer. And, in this type of voting, every man votes only on those matters which he is qualified to judge: on his own preferences, interests, and needs. No one has the power to decide for others or to substitute his judgement for theirs; no one has the power to appoint himself “the
It seems I can hardly open Ayn Rand’s “Capitalism: The Unknown Ideal” without finding quotes worth sharing. This time it is about the difference between economic and political power:
Now let me define the difference between economic power and political power: economic power is exercised by means of a positive, by offering men a reward, an incentive, a payment, a value; political power is exercised by means of a negative, by the threat of punishment,
Excellent talk by Don Watkins, co-author of “Free Market Revolution: How Ayn Rand’s Ideas Can End Big Government,” on the virtues of and values created by businessmen.
Two quotes jumped out at me recently and helped me get clearer about the proper role of government.
The first is from Ayn Rand in her book “Capitalism: The Unknown Ideal”
The only proper function of the government of a free country is to act as an agency which protects the individual’s rights, i.e., which protects the individual from physical violence. Such a government does not have the right to initiate the use of physical force against anyone-a right which the individual does