• paddirn@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    25
    ·
    1 year ago

    Her writing is simplistic, but conservatives and libertarians have pushed her as an “intellectual” because it gives them a well-known writer that supports their trash values. She was strongly against the welfare state and altruism, yet she herself received social security, so she was a bit of a hypocrite as well.

    • Hot Saucerman@lemmy.ml
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      5
      arrow-down
      1
      ·
      edit-2
      1 year ago

      She was also an unabashed atheist, which is why she was able to promote the idea of selfishness being good.

      What’s funny is it’s the mostly Christian right-wing which has embraced her.

      I guess they’re okay with atheism as long as its playing for the right “team.”

      • paddirn@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        5
        ·
        1 year ago

        I mean, they’ve elevated Trump as their God-Emperor and he’s very likely an atheist, had multiple affairs, and paid women to get abortions, but whatever, none of that matters when you’ve been conditioned all your life to believe impossible things. Next to Jesus walking on water and two of every animal fitting on a boat, the rest of it is child’s play.

      • richieadler@lemmy.myserv.one
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        4
        arrow-down
        1
        ·
        1 year ago

        She was also an unabashed atheist, which is why she was able to promote the idea of selfishness being good.

        What the hell is this non-sequitur?

        • Hot Saucerman@lemmy.ml
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          5
          ·
          edit-2
          1 year ago

          Nearly every religion preaches to be giving and kind to those in need. It’s absolutely not a non-sequitor to admit that a large number of atheists don’t believe there is any guiding morality to the universe and that we have to come to our own conclusions about morals and ethics. Moral relativism is a generally accepted thing among many atheists. This does not mean all atheists are selfish, I would classify most as Humanists. Rand was mostly an outlier.

          She was able to promote the idea that selfishness could be good because she didn’t ascribe to any religion that defined that as a sin.

          • richieadler@lemmy.myserv.one
            link
            fedilink
            English
            arrow-up
            2
            ·
            1 year ago

            She was able to promote the idea that selfishness could be good because she didn’t ascribe to any religion that defined that as a sin.

            So basically she profited from existing bullshit to promote her own brand of bullshit. That’s even worse.

          • pinkdrunkenelephants@sopuli.xyz
            link
            fedilink
            arrow-up
            1
            ·
            1 year ago

            I’m not an atheist and even to me, that’s a really transparent dig at people who believe something you disagree with. You don’t need religion to be altruistic as you are implying.

              • Hot Saucerman@lemmy.ml
                link
                fedilink
                English
                arrow-up
                2
                ·
                1 year ago

                I’m a fucking atheist and I think Ayn Rand was a loser sack of shit who leaned on every government assistance she preached against existing.

                So yeah, Rand was riding on it. I would like to think most fellow atheists reject her power-worship bullshit wrapped in “Objectivism.”