Every government interference in the economy consists of giving an unearned benefit, extorted by force, to some men at the expense of others.
Ayn Rand, Capitalism: The Unknown Ideal (1966).
2 replies on “Ayn Rand”
Profiting from the need of another is extortion. John Wesley would have benefited Miss Rand. She however was more fond of the tobacco industry because of the exactitude with which they produced identical cigarettes. Apparently she also likes Social Security and Medicare. And cigarettes.
One share of the political left attacks people who profit from serving needs; one share attack people who profit ostensibly without meeting needs. For the most part, it’s the same. You just reach for a formula of condemnation that sounds plausible in the moment, without concerning yourselves with logic. (You could have done rather better in the case of cigarettes.)
Rand was very plainly not fond of Social Security nor of Medicare, but many years earlier had taken a position that people could use such programmes to recover some of their losses in having been compelled to pay taxes.
2 replies on “Ayn Rand”
Profiting from the need of another is extortion. John Wesley would have benefited Miss Rand. She however was more fond of the tobacco industry because of the exactitude with which they produced identical cigarettes. Apparently she also likes Social Security and Medicare. And cigarettes.
One share of the political left attacks people who profit from serving needs; one share attack people who profit ostensibly without meeting needs. For the most part, it’s the same. You just reach for a formula of condemnation that sounds plausible in the moment, without concerning yourselves with logic. (You could have done rather better in the case of cigarettes.)
Rand was very plainly not fond of Social Security nor of Medicare, but many years earlier had taken a position that people could use such programmes to recover some of their losses in having been compelled to pay taxes.