by Kathleen Wallace Peine / March 26th, 2011
Rugged Individualism. The term became well known after Herbert Hoover delivered a 1928 speech cautioning the nation against shared response to national dilemmas. The term is entrenched as one of the myths that Americans cling to with white knuckles. Evidence wildly to the contrary doesn’t dissuade Americans of all social classes from believing in this core element they believe themselves to possess. This notion that the individual has worth, but the collective does not was peddled with great efficiency by author and theorist, Ayn Rand. Rand, certainly didn’t believe that rugged individualism was a common trait in all, just a select few, but the seed of this fabrication was firmly planted in the American psyche by the time her works came out, thus allowing her ideas to be utilized by the powerful and accepted by the many.
Though the vast majority of Americans do not recognize her name, Rand’s message dwells within many like an undiagnosed illness. The wildly improbable life Rand lived forms an almost too painful reflection of the basic natures that Americans don’t want to look into, mainly that of hypocrisy and entitlement. Rand advanced the absurd notion that selfishness truly is a virtue, a suggestion wildly contradictory to safe societal function. The other Randian mainstay involves that of artificial division in citizens, to that of “producers and parasites”. Her theories were advanced through massive (literally) novel publication as well as the mentoring of like minded followers. She delivered theory that justified delicious self interest, and her words were devoured by those who were drawn to the guilt free self agendas.
Much like the young United States, Rand began her life with great promise and resource. She had a bright mind, but was born to the world that was St Petersberg, Russia, 1905; a time of hardship for those of Jewish ancestry. She saw the work of her father literally given away when his pharmacy was reallocated to others during revolutionary activity. Rand took from this life experience an overwhelming hatred of those who did not in her mind “produce”. It is, of course, undeniable that this would breed a contempt for those taking these items, but Rand formulated a philosophy derived from a child’s lack of curiosity as to what spurred the unfair situation. Another ironic footnote is that the revolutions in progress allowed her to attend university, something not available prior to women. This was a trend that marked Rand’s life, the cynical use of collective resources all the while denigrating the processes that allowed them to exist.
Rand eventually made her way to America, and in keeping with the rags to riches plot she had created in her mind, she landed in Hollywood. She was determined to become a writer and for a time she resided at The Hollywood Studio Club, something of a sorority for women wanting to break into show business. Rand was working low level jobs , barely surviving , and for these reasons, she was deemed worthy of charity by other residents at the facility. They opted to give the hardworking Russian immigrant $50 in goodwill assistance. This largesse did not impress Rand, who accepted the money, but instead of paying debts, she utilized the sum to purchase black lingerie. This ridiculous moxie fit the times, the roaring 20’s prior to the crash. Rand never wavered in this core element of her personality.
An even more frightening trait emerged in Rand around this same time, that of glorifying any behavior which did not conform to the norms of society. She even went so far as to speak positively in her journal about a notorious kidnapper and child killer, William Hickman. She admired him simply because he didn’t observe conventional morality as others did. The pathological underpinnings were there in Rand’s persona but somehow in the improbable world of Hollywood, she thrived and eventually made a name for herself as a cutting edge author.
Rand’s self promoting schemes and philosophy of selfishness actually couldn’t have fit the times any better. America was emerging as a superpower and little concern was given to the ethics or the sustainability of it all. It was a time predicated on fossil fuel expansion, a notoriously untenable situation, but this was of no concern, much like the end result of advancing a philosophy of rampant selfishness.
Rand’s theories would merely be curiosity if so many now in power had not taken them to heart and found methods to advance her designs in concrete fashion. Alan Greenspan was a member of Rand’s inner circle of followers; he was able to advance many of her unfeasible socially disruptive tenets while Chairman of the Federal Reserve. Another vocal and noteworthy devotee of Rand is Supreme Court Justice, Clarence Thomas. The frightening implications from his subscribing to her theories are too numerous to mention. There is a (not so) silent army of admirers incongruously occupying many levels of government today, in the midst of the very systems they decry.
The recent resurgence of Randian philosophy is best be exemplified by The Tea Party. Undeniably the movement has followers who truly idolize Rand, some even going so far as to carry signs in reference to Rand protagonist John Galt. It’s likely that many aren’t directly familiar with her works, other than having a knee jerk positive reaction to a theory that fits nicely with branding certain segments of the society as “parasites”.
One delectable irony in regard to Tea Party policy is the fact that the followers have no idea how astutely they are emulating Rand. The group, often was seen last year advancing the “no socialist healthcare” dogma, all the while, many were served by one quite successful collective program, that of Medicare. It’s a common theme with the group, the concept that one is deserving of these types of programs, yet “others” do not merit the same protections .
When Rand became ill with lung cancer late in life, she was faced with a similar issue. She knew Oncology care could be expensive and although the years had been relatively kind to Rand in terms of ability to make a living from her words, she opted to forego her convictions. She went on the very same successful, but very socialist program called Medicare. And mind you, this was early 80’s dollars, well before the runaway costs we now face from this profit driven system. Rugged individualism turned as rancid as the cancer inside of her.
Rand’s convenient ideological amnesia did not represent a death bed conversion, but a measured casting out of principles for self preservation and gain. The ultimate unmasking of an unworkable theory. The simple fact that this woman, with the advantage of wealth and friends in elevated places would not shoulder the responsibility of her own health care, exposed the philosophy for what it was: impractical and brutal. Those Medicare recipients at current tea party rallies are her mirror image displaying toothless convictions and self serving entitlement.
All of this has not been enough to sully the growing reputation of this woman and her theories. Rand’s books continue to sell at a brisk pace even now, and there have been indications that a cinematic version of Atlas Shrugged will be offered to the public in 2011. One wonders if this film will be viewed at Tea Party rallies of the future. The advancement of ideas that promote eventual cruelty and systemic collapse continue unabated.
What is there to do for America? Is the nation doomed for allowing charlatan ideals to be ingrained in the national consciousness? The trajectory is not looking good, but a spreading awareness of the pathology that brought here would be a pragmatic first course of action. One must know exactly what the problem is before it can be solved.
We’ve become a nation addled by this rancid individualism. The question is do we continue to allow the bankrupt ideologies to color the end of Empire Americana? There is an opportunity to go down with something akin to dignity, to carve out a smaller, but equitable place in the world. A chance to realign with poise and empathy is possible, if improbable, but this will certainly never be the case until the disjointed, pathological theories of Ayn Rand are discarded once and for all.
Kathleen Wallace Peine is a registered nurse who has a special interest in producing works that encourage the strengthening and advancement of fairly latent populism which she feels has the potential to grow, especially in the United States. She has been writing as a hobby for the last 20 years and now wishes to find a broader audience than her desk drawer. Read other articles by Kathleen.
This article was posted on Saturday, March 26th, 2011 at 8:01am and is filed under
Philosophy,
Tea Party movement.
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