Atlas Shrugged in Jacksonville FL

Yay! There is much rejoicing here as the BruHa.  It has finally been announced that the Movie Atlas shrugged part one will be showing.  But this also conflicts with the third annual Tea-party at the Jacksonville Landing.  If you are looking to see if Shrugged is playing in your area check this link http://www.atlasshruggedpart1.com/theaters

And here is a tidbit to get you in the mood:

Atlas Shrugged

Atlas Shrugged Movie Pondering

In my world , the recent buzz caused by the upcoming release of the movie Atlas Shrugged has had me thinking;  Why did the book influence my thought process so much?  Well the answer is it did not.  It only clarified it.  Rand merely stripped away the veneer of politically correct thinking, peer pressure group think and irrational theory that was clouding otherwise rational thought. I have to admit, this didn't happen all at once for me.  Three things happened.  The most obvious is I was pulled into the story because it's well... a good story.  It's compelling.  The characters are very easy to  like, hate, cheer for and despise. 

Second: I came to realize is that I was rooting for the "wrong guys" from today's politically correct template.  OK not a big stretch for me, but no one has ever said it that loud.  It reminded me of when I first started listening to talk radio in 1990.  At this time in my life I had just left the military and was working in a field that required lots of driving.  The gulf war had just started and I found myself listening to the news every chance I could.  As the war went on there was less reporting and the only person talking about it was Rush and I found myself tuning in.  I thought I was the only person in the world that listened to the guy.  I mean holy shit! "He's saying all the things I already knew (for the most part), just more clearly.  And it kinda scared me.  It scared me because i thought I was the only one. 

Well as it turned out I was not the only one.  I remember one day a subcontractor showed up on my work site and overheard Rush's program I had playing on the radio. "You listen to that guy?  Thought I was the only one"  So what did Rush and rand do to me?  They made me think,  they made me realize I'm not alone in my thinking.  And while I may not agree with  all their ideas, they have thrust critical thinking and rational thought to the forefront despite harsh opposition.

Third was that the book is not just about the strengths of the characters, but their weakness as well.  It's sobering when you think about it.

A lot of people have had reservations about the movie.  Many fear that it won't  be any good and Hollywood will only F-it up.  Is this a possibility?  You bet.  I read a comment from someone that stated, and I'm para phrasing "I learned my lesson when Hollywood Fucked up Star Ship Troopers"  Well Is the question is did Hollywood F-up Star-ship Troopers (book)?  The answer is no!  A book is not a movie and a movie is not a book.  If you look at the movie on it's own,  it's a fun/good movie.  Not the best, but fun never the less.  Because of the movie, I was able to get my son  to read the book, and he loved it.  He loved it enough that at this very moment he is reading The Cat who Walks Through Walls.

My point is that the movie, will never be the book, but may become a catalyst or even an advertisement for the book.  The moral/philosophical story of Atlas Shrugged will effect you on a personal level.  If you have not read it, please do.  (It's time for me to re read it myself)  And demand the truth......

“People think that a liar gains a victory over his victim. What I've learned is that a lie is an act of self-abdication, because one surrenders one's reality to the person to whom one lies, making that person one's master, condemning oneself from then on to faking the sort of reality that person's view requires to be faked.”

— Hank Rearden

  

Just a thought. An Ayn Rand quote.

The only power any government has is the power to crack down on criminals.

Well, when there aren't enough criminals, one makes them. One declares so many things to be a crime that it becomes impossible for men to live without breaking laws.

Ayn Rand

 

Ayn Rand - Rationalization Catch Phrases

The Swiss, Guns, Genocide, and the right to defend oneself.

'Nuff Said.......

What Is the First Amendment For?

I have always advocated that freedom of speech is freedom of all speech, particularly political speech.  Let the good ideas as well as the bad compete unfettered by particularly the government.

Good read, especially if you consider yourself a conservative.

Story: What Is the First Amendment For?

"Citizens United v. Federal Election commission — the recent case in which the Supreme Court invalidated a statute prohibiting corporations and unions from using general treasury funds either to support or defeat a candidate in the 30 days before an election, and overruled an earlier decision relied on by the minority — has now been commented on by almost everyone, including the president of the United States in his state of the union address." 



"Only Thomas has the courage of the majority’s declared convictions. Often the most principled of the judges (which doesn’t mean that I always like his principles), he is willing to follow a principle all the way, and so he rebukes his colleagues in the majority for preferring the value of more information to the value the First Amendment mandates — absolutely free speech unburdened by any restriction whatsoever including the restriction of having to sign your name. Thomas has caught his fellow conservatives in a consequentialist moment."

Are you rational ?

"When opposite basic principals are clearly and openly defined, it works to the advantage of the rational side; when they are not clearly defined, but are hidden or evaded, it works to the advantage of the irrational side." --Ayn Rand

Or shut up:

Directive 10-289

In Ayn Rand's Book Atlas Shrugged, at about at the halfway point as the US economy is collapsing do to excessive government meddling. Directive 10-289 is issued for the "Common Good"; to save the economy, ensure equity, and protect the peoples stability and security. 

(Sound familure?)

Directive 10-289

Point One. All workers, wage earners and employees of any kind whatsoever shall henceforth be attached to their jobs and shall not leave nor be dismissed nor change employment, under penalty of a term in jail. The penalty shall be determined by the Unification Board, such Board to be appointed by the Bureau of Economic Planning and National Resources. All persons reaching the age of twenty-one shall report to the Unification Board, which shall assign them to where, in its opinion, their services will best serve the interests of the nation.

Point Two. All industrial, commercial, manufacturing and business establishments of any nature whatsoever shall henceforth remain in operation, and the owners of such establishments shall not quit nor leave nor retire, nor close, sell or transfer their business, under pentalty of the nationalization of their establishment and of any and all of their property.

Point Three. All patents and copyrights, pertaining to any devices, inventions, formulas, processes and works of any nature whatsoever, shall be turned over to the nation as a patriotic emergency gift by means of Gift Certificates to be signed voluntarily by the owners of all such patents and copyrights. The Unification Board shall then license the use of such patents and copyrights to all applicants, equally and without discrimination, for the purpose of eliminating monopolistic practices, discarding obsolete products and making the best available to the whole nation. No trademarks, brand names or copyrighted titles shall be used. Every formerly patented product shall be known by a new name and sold by all manufacturers under the same name, such name to be selected by the Unification Board. All private trademarks and brand names are hereby abolished.

Point Four. No new devices, inventions, products, or goods of any nature whatsoever, not now on the market, shall be produced, invented, manufacturerd or sold afer the date of this directive. The Office of Patents and Copyrights is hereby suspended.

Point Five. Every establishment, concern, corporation or person engaged in production of any nature whatsoever shall henceforth produce the same amount of goods per year as it, they or he produced during the Basic Year, no more and no less. The year to be known as the Basic or Yardstick Year is to be the year ending on the date of this directive. Over or under production shall be fined, such fines to be determined by the Unification Barod.

Point Six. Every person of any age, sex, class or income, shall henceforth spend the same amount of money on the purchase of goods per year as he or she spent during the Basic Year, no more and no less. Over or under purchasing shall be fined, such fines to be determined by the Unification Board.

Point Seven. All wages, prices, salaries, dividends, profits, interest rates and forms of income of any nature whatsoever, shall be frozen at their present figures, as of the date of this directive.

Point Eight. All cases arising from and rules not specifically provided for in this directive, shall be settled and determined by the Unification Board, whose decisionswill be final."