Wednesday, September 8, 2010

Capitalism: by Ayn Rand.

Expanded version of John Galt Speech from Atlas Shrugged, with the philosophy Ayn Rand expounds generally through her works. While her thinking is not complete, and does reflect partial nature of her knowledge and thought, it nevertheless is good at exposing altruism the veil over would be slavers' face and heart.

To begin with she goes into the question of what precisely is money, and how it is seen, in her work here as well as in Atlas Shrugged; how it is seen, and what is the real reason it was needed, what is its real nature. When seen so at a level exposed of all veils much becomes clear.

When you envision a society without money, any form of money, it is impossible to work out an exchange of worth, of work and of value, unless you are in a family situation where there is a parent or two providing everything and solving all disputes - and this can only be extended to a community larger than a family if such community consist of completely achieved spiritual mendicants with no concern about whether or not needs are provided for and whether or not there is an equal or even just distribution.

Money is that which represents the worth of work and value, it is value of one's work represented in coin or paper or promissory note. Whatever the representation, and however badly it is used or stolen, the best way still is to leave everyone to bargain freely and fearlessly for worth of one's work in market.

Thus far Rand, and it is undeniable. However -

The gaps in her logic and thought are not covered by her opposite but by a complementing of her gaps. Mothers, nurses, teachers are not paid well as are artists, scientists, and inventors generally, or great writers often enough. Sales and money earned during life of such a person does not in any way reflect their true worth as is equally true of great many of corporate overpaid darks suits.

There are many such anomalies, greatest ones being a comparison of Africa and Asia with their losses - former far more than latter, since the latter has to some extent recovered - and the western societies on the other hand that benefited from physically overpowering the people of other continents and robbing them, calling it taxation but in reality a loot since the tax brought no benefits to the people in general. Think diamonds, think coffee, think chocolates. Think how much royalty ought to be paid for them their real worth, and what the natives lose when land is used for western luxury rather than natives needs of food.

Capitalism leaves much unanswered, unless one believes in physical power and threat as justification for wealth, which Ayn Rand does not. She however prefers to keep it simple, complexity defies her and she ignores it.