I recently read (actually listened to the audio book) Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand. Apart from a painful 2 hour “lecture” contained within and a melodramatic ending, it was an entertaining way to fill some long car rides.
This work is an unabashed, passionate celebration of capitalism, disguised as a novel. Having been lulled into a kind of politically correct socialist daze over the last decade or two, it was a refreshing reminder of why I remain a capitalist at heart, though not to Rand’s extreme.
Rand published Atlas Shrugged in 1957. Society may have been a little more business-tolerant then, but there has always been a mistrust on the part of the “little guy” for the business “fat cats,” and today businesspeople are always the bad guys in movies and media. In Ayn Rand’s world, the only good guys are the capitalists, those few heroes who create wealth through effort, ingenuity and risk taking, and are misunderstood by everyone but their own kind.
Despite the over-romantic portrayal, aspects of these fictional characters appealed to me. They were invariably honest with themselves, never making excuses, entirely self-reliant and self-accountable. They lived by the precept that the only way to advance – whether in regard to material goods or personal relationships – is by providing something of value that others want. By pursuing their own happiness they create value for society – very much in keeping with Adam Smith’s “invisible hand” theory of economics.
In stark contrast to the capitalist heroes in the novel are caricatured bad guys, or “looters” who add no value to anyone – even though they constantly claim to be acting for the good of society. These characters live off the wealth created by the capitalists, through fraud, quotas, and legislation – in other words, Rand’s ultimate sin of getting something for nothing. The looters’ refrain, “No one could blame me for that,” reflects their victim mentality and lack of accountability.
The distinction between the active value creators and the whining looters holds resonance today, but for me there were a number of areas where the world Ayn Rand pushes is unsatisfactory. She never takes into account potential negative effects of unbridled capitalism on the environment (economic “externalities”). She might argue that the market would address those, but I got the sense that in her world any factory would be permissible no matter how much pollution it spewed.
Secondly, and this is a minor point, none of the capitalist heroes had a sense of humor or any sign of fun or lightheartedness. Their sense of joy and passion was only at a high level of achievement and overcoming adversity. You wouldn’t want to go have a beer together.
Most importantly, it seems to me you can carry this self-interest thing too far. I think it’s right and good to benefit by creating value in whatever you do, and I also believe in giving with no expectation of getting something in return. Building community, lending a hand, providing encouragement, contributing time or money – these provide at least as much personal satisfaction as creating value that you can trade.
