Books: Is Atlas Shrugged Still Relevant?

 (Drivebycuriosity) -  Some books don´t age. One of them is  "Atlas Shrugged" by Ayn Rand (amazon). The novel - published 1957 - is called dystopian science fiction but Rand described a world which might be just around the corner (driveby). It´s a world influenced by  powerful politicians & bureaucrats. 

Today many politicians and the majority of the journalists seem to favor the revival of centrally planned systems. The defaults of the defunct Soviet Union and her planets (East Germany, Poland, Hungary) seem to be forgotten. 

In the US left-leaning politicians like Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren, Amy Klobuchar and powerful bureaucrats like Lina Khan, chair of the mighty Federal Trade Commission (FTC), call for a strong government which takes controls of the economy. 

Unfortunately the majority of the journalists support them, especially New York Times, Washington Post, The New Yorker and even Bloomberg and Wall Street Journal.

 
Rand described a world which today would be called "woke". In "Atlas" a strong government destroys not only the economy, but also existences and lives. 

Powerful politicians replace self interest and the profit motive by "needs" and "social progressive ideas", exactly as the "woke" demand today. Entrepeneurs get replaced by bureaucrats, exactly as Biden protege Lina Khan aspires (drivebycuriosity ). 

 
Below an excerpt which describes perfectly today´s woke position and the ideology of Sanders & Warren: 

 

"Our plan? We put into practice this noble historical precept: From each according to his ability, to each acceding to his need. 

Everybody in the company, from chairwoman to president, received the same salary - the barest minimum necessary. 

Twice a year, we all gathered in a mass meeting, where every person presented his claim for what we believed to be his needs. 

We voted on every claim, and the will of the majority established every person`s need and every person´s ability. The income of the factory was diverted accordingly. 

Rewards were based on need, and the penalties on ability. Those whose needs were voted to be the greatest, received the most. Those who had not produced as much as the vote said they could, were fined and had to pay the fines by working overtime without pay. That was our plan. it was based on the principle of selfless. 

It required men to be motivated, not by personal gain, but by love for their brothers."

 

Rand also drew a precise picture of today´s mainstream media (newspapers) who focus on negative news and pessismist "experts" and polemize s against corporations & entrepreneurs (today for instance New York Times, Washington Post, Lost Angeles Times, New Yorker, Atlantic Magazine).
 

If Khan, Kanter, Warren & Sanders get their will we will approach a dystopian Ayn Rand society.