January // 2012 // New Face of the GOP

I often like to point out the hypocrisy of the left. Of course, that would include most things the left preaches, and that would keep me far too busy. I could point out such inconsistencies ad nauseam. But to save on time, I will keep my observations brief.

It occurred to me this morning while taking a shower (a good place to do some thinking; not quite as good as the toilet, but still rather useful) that the left believes that man (sorry…don’t want to be politically incorrect), or rather, humankind, is essentially good. They believe that a utopian society is possible. They believe that a whole nation, and even a whole world, can exist peacefully in a communal, one-world, borderless, open society.

This idealistic way of thinking, however, quickly falls apart because at the same time the left preaches this childlike fantasy nonsense, they also admit that if only the greedy, corrupt, evil corporations and billionaires would give up their imperialistic power, a beautiful world of peace and harmony and dolphins and unicorns would open up to us all. While they believe people are naturally good, they acknowledge that there are people who are not.

The left thinks that man, oops, I mean, humankind, cannot be trusted to be good on their own. They must be monitored and regulated by the government to make sure they are good. The left believes that if left to our own devises, we would all be greedy, heartless, brutes who don’t care about other people, who won’t help other people.

So which is it? You can’t have it both ways. Either man is capable of a harmonious communal society (man is good) or there are evil, corrupt people who oppress the rest of us (man is bad). If you say that’s much too black and white, then ask yourself what it is you believe. Do you believe that man should be free to be good and bad, that he should be free to fail?

If goodness can only be achieved through governmental regulation, then it’s not really goodness. And if bad exists and cannot be avoided or snuffed out completely, then a utopian society is not possible. And if you don’t want utopia, if you don’t want a one-world, borderless, open society, then what the hell are you doing on the left?

Tonight I went to the Arclight in Hollywood for a special screening of “Ayn Rand and the Prophecy of Atlas Shrugged.” The documentary, although falling short, in my opinion, artistically and in editing, was food for my soul (despite the fact that Ayn Rand was a strict objectivist and atheist and may not have believed in the concept of a soul).

One of the best treats of the evening (other than a packed, large theatre, in the middle of Hollywood of all places!) was that Chris Mortensen, the director, and Yaron Brook, the president of the Ayn Rand Institute, were there for the screening and held a Q&A session after the film. I raised my hand. They called on me. I cleared my throat, leaned forward, took a breath, and asked, “Do you think, or do you think Ayn would think, that it’s too late, that we can’t come back from this, that we’ve gone too far?”

Silence. “Well…” Mr. Brook began, “I think it will have to get a lot darker before it gets better.” I agree. If it is possible to come back from this, it will not happen anytime soon, and certainly not under Romney’s watch or Gingrich’s, let alone Barak Obama’s. “Atlas Shrugged” is prophetical, but all of it will have to come true, not just the decline of society, not just the all controlling, ever-present government, not just the loss of freedom, enterprise, and private property, but the very lights of New York City will have to go dark in order for us to turn around, wipe the slate clean, and start over. I pray that I will not have to see this, and at the same time, hope that I do.

The tiny silver lining that Brook offered was that “as long as there is free speech, there is hope.” No matter how dark it gets, if there is even a dim, little light, a tiny spark of truth and reason, it may, one day, have the power to overcome the darkness and cover the world in its bright, glorious light. There can be no light without dark, so although I fear it, I want us to fall, if only so we can climb and rise back up and triumph once again.

You knew the truth, Ayn. You knew it all too well. I wish you were here to see us now. You would be devastated to see how far we have fallen, and yet, you would not be in the least bit surprised.

the hypocrisy of the left

if ayn could see us now