There are two novels that can change a bookish fourteen-year old’s life: The Lord of the Rings and Atlas Shrugged. One is a childish fantasy that often engenders a lifelong obsession with its unbelievable heroes, leading to an emotionally stunted, socially crippled adulthood, unable to deal with the real world. The other, of course, involves orcs.
No particular reason, just felt in a Rand-bashing mood tonight.
What I learned from Atlas Shrugged:
– The world is great if there no women or children in it Dagny was almost a woman). The entire world is white.
– There’s never any sort of argument or disagreement among good guys. If you’re disagreeing with someone, he’s a bad guy.
– If you’re not extremely competent, you should kill yourself now. If not, you’ll just spend your life slowing down competent people.
– If you have angular face and a straight posture, you’re cool. Otherwise you’re a good-for-nothing collectivist moron.
Scott: next time, you can save yourself the trouble and go for the efficiently abridged version instead…