A Liberal Reads Ayn Rand

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Political Culture: The Rapture of Ayn Rand, Part Two

Jon Cummings January 14, 2010 35

Thanks for sticking with me after the first half of this monstrous column wrapping up our series on Ayn Rand and her overlong orgy of Objectivism, Atlas Shrugged. I realize you could have ditched

Political Culture: The Rapture of Ayn Rand, Part One

Jon Cummings January 14, 2010 14

“We do not tell – we show.” So says the mentor of Atlas Shrugged‘s three key “strikers,” philosopher Hugh Akston … on page 735 of a 1,168-page novel, in a passage that precedes by

Political Culture: Ayn Rand’s Shangri-La of Self-Interest

Jon Cummings January 7, 2010 26

I tried. I tried so hard. You’ve gotta believe me when I tell you how I tried and tried to finish Ayn Rand’s oversize chronicle of obsessive-compulsive capitalism, Atlas Shrugged, over the holidays so

Political Culture: Maybe Ayn Rand Needed a Little Christmas

Jon Cummings December 24, 2009 17

I have to admit, I’m a bit conflicted this holiday season. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve been going through the motions — spending lots of time at home with my family, plotting how I’m

Political Culture: Ayn Rand’s Polemical Porn

Jon Cummings December 17, 2009 19

Here’s the thing about reading Ayn Rand: She forces you to think the way she does. Once you’ve immersed yourself in her black-and-white worldview — and once you’ve adjusted your expectations to accommodate her

Political Culture: Ayn Rand Takes a (Midas) Mulligan

Jon Cummings December 10, 2009 17

When I was a senior in college, instead of prepping for a career as a Rand-ian Master of the Universe with high-level courses in economics or engineering, I chose a pair of classes in

Political Culture: I’ve Been Ayn Randed!

Jon Cummings December 7, 2009 24

A homework pass to the first commenter who can identify what inspired this column’s headline – without resorting to the Google (honor system!) – and can tell us why The Man is so unhip.

Political Culture: A Liberal Reads Ayn Rand

Jon Cummings December 3, 2009 24

Objectivism is back, baby! Don’t take my word for it – just check out this cover of the libertarian monthly Reason, which offers up a freaky old Audrey Hepburn-meets-the-wicked-witch photo of the philosophy’s founding