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The Ominous Parallels - Tranche Ground Zero

Posted by mshupe 7 months ago to Culture
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Eighty years and six months ago today, The Fountainhead was published by Ayn Rand. Ninety years ago today, Ayn Rand’s intellectual heir, Dr. Leonard Peikoff was born. His first book, titled The Ominous Parallels (explicitly endorsed by Ayn Rand) was published in 1982. Its subtitle reads (in part), “America Today and the Chaos of Pre-Hitler Germany.” As Ms. Rand writes, “Dr. Peikoff shows to their mangled victims what philosophy is, what it does, and how to recognize its influence.”

Three days ago, the National Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP), the American heirs of the National Socialist German Workers Party, helped organize Hamas’ Day of Rage. It was a celebration of brutality and a call for jihad - armed struggle against “non-believers.” In the case of National SJP, a call for arbitrary violence to “liberate” their mystical homeland of Turtle Island (the US and Canada). Why? The existence of America benefits the entire world. The God of the Machine series illustrated that.

In contrast, the SJP Values reads, “We seek a political framework that addresses collective liberation from Palestine to the Rio Grande. We believe the struggle for a free Palestine is also the struggle for Black liberation, gender and sexual freedom, and a livable planet. All pursuits for freedom, justice, and equality are materially connected.” Political means force. Collective liberation means force. The other platitudes are stolen concepts. The Ominous Parallels series will help explain today’s SJP death cult.

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  • 1
    Posted by term2 7 months ago in reply to this comment.
    If we get trump next year, things will stabilize for ; years. If we continue with a size Biden I think the country will crumble by 2029
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  • 3
    Posted by tutor-turtle 7 months ago in reply to this comment.
    I'm 65, yet I see extreme hardship in my immediate future.
    I didn't bust my balls working for 50 years to see it come to this.
    Not without a fight.
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  • Posted by mshupe 7 months ago in reply to this comment.
    Most ideologies are not based on reality, meaning the primacy of existence. They are based on subjectivism, meaning the primacy of consciousness. The non-reality based rely on dogma. The rare, reality-based ideologies rely on a structure of knowledge linked to the structure of conceptualization and the universe. Those are Aristotelian and Objectivism.
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  • 4
    Posted by mshupe 7 months ago in reply to this comment.
    For what its worth, its seems that all of Western Civilization gave up the philosophy of reason and individualism with World War I. In America, the Wilson administration set the course whose consequences continue to unfold. The financial caboose follows the philosophical engine.
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  • 2
    Posted by term2 7 months ago in reply to this comment.
    I dont think nuclear war is a likely scenario either. More likely is a self inflicted financial disaster caused by the destruction of the doctor.
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  • 3
    Posted by mccannon01 7 months ago in reply to this comment.
    Being 71 I can say I've enjoyed life in the best civilization earth has had to offer to date and hope it holds on for a while longer. It's crumbling, but the worst I figure will happen in my remaining time is another "Great Depression", which my parents, grandparents, and great grandparents lived through so I figure I will, too. Nuclear war and massive natural disaster are possible but not likely, IMHO. The biggest wild cards are the USA could slide into full commie mode or wake up. We'll see.
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  • 4
    Posted by term2 7 months ago in reply to this comment.
    I have become quite concerned about where things are headed. I am 78 so I probably wont see the end result of collectivism in the USA (fortunately), but its going to get very ugly now that the USA has given up its strong financial and philosophical position in the world.
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  • 6
    Posted by mshupe 7 months ago in reply to this comment.
    An incredibly accurate prophecy. Ms. Rand's understanding of natural law and human nature was an amazing her achievement. Her solution? There are no conflicts of interest among rational men.
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  • 6
    Posted by term2 7 months ago
    Atlas Shrugged, although it may have been written as a novel, has turned out to be a documentary.
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  • Posted by mshupe 7 months ago in reply to this comment.
    And religion is often simplified philosophy. Christianity was simplified from Plato and several other mythologies including Greek Orphism.
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  • Posted by Aeronca 7 months ago in reply to this comment.
    Ideologies are often simplified religions. A religion tries to genuinely (when it is genuine) grapple with the nature of existence, while an ideology is a cheap simple imitation usually borne out of anger fear and resentment.
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  • Posted by mshupe 7 months ago in reply to this comment.
    Oh yes, a system of ideas and ideals. They can be political, economic, social, a combination of those, and usually include a philosophical foundation. However, a leap of faith is easy compared to thinking for oneself and willingness to consider better ideas when long-held propositions turn out to be flawed or false. The religious types refuse to think about the nature of existence in rational terms.
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  • Posted by Aeronca 7 months ago in reply to this comment.
    I never thought of Christianity as an ideology. I guess it is, but it's also deep and complex...a leap of faith is not easy...jumping up and down and waving a sign on the sidewalk...that's easy. Instant virtue just add water.
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  • Posted by mshupe 7 months ago in reply to this comment.
    You're right, they are cowards. Intellectual cowards and social cowards. Christianity is an ideology. It's not always easy, but faith and prayer and submission are easier than independence and pride. An ideology can fall into one of many different grades of difficulty.
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  • Posted by mshupe 7 months ago in reply to this comment.
    Yes, well worth it. One purpose for this new series is my opportunity to study it a second time. Welcome aboard!
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  • Posted by mshupe 7 months ago in reply to this comment.
    Yes, the hallmark of an ideology, but all of these are stolen concepts. Their concept freedom, justice, and equality are not connected to reality. And what does 'materially' connected mean?

    None of these terms mean much of anything to these little turds. As we'll see from this book, the meaning of all of them are fluid in their mindset. It's called pragmatism.

    Also, easy is not a hallmark of ideology. Again, it depends on the ideology. Objectivism is an elegant and rational ideology that requires great effort to know, understand, and live.
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  • Posted by mccannon01 7 months ago
    I read the "Ominous Parallels" back in the mid '80s. It had a great effect on how I viewed historical events. I can't find it in my library so I figure I loaned it out years ago and never got it back. Time to read it again.
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  • Posted by Aeronca 7 months ago
    "All pursuits for freedom, justice, and equality are materially connected.”

    This is the hallmark of an ideology. ALL are connected. ONE WAY of viewing all problems. (Some) of the problems are real, but they have one and only one low-resolution solution.

    They get to feel virtuous and do nothing to be virtuous. Another hallmark of ideology: it's easy.
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