Conservative hates Ayn Rand

[CID1990]

http://m.theweek.com/article/index/2650 ... s-love-her" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

i enjoyed this article and the following passage really jumped out at me:

"I was amused when the blogosphere collapsed in a heap of disbelieving LOLs when it was revealed that Paul Ryan (also frequently indicted for his love of Ayn Rand) loves the band Rage Against the Machine. I too love RATM. Tom Morello is a musical genius, and Zack de la Rocha indisputably has a gift from God.

To grow up as a conservative with an omnivorous yet discerning aesthetic palate is to get a never-ending, and I mean never-ending, education in the sometimes-difficult process of appreciating works whose political (if not metaphysical) worldview is deeply at odds with your own. This is an education that progressives (especially if they don't study the classical liberal arts) by and large don't get.

I think the shock that so many progressives experience when they find out a conservative can love RATM and, conversely, the implicit notion that if someone likes Ayn Rand that automatically makes them a Randbot, is due to this form of privilege. There remains a deep strain in left-wing aesthetics of judging a work's value by the politics it promotes. (Case in point: the Academy Awards.)"

It also struck me as a little bit funny how progressives snickered at Paul Ryan's admission to liking RATM as if he was too dumb to realize what RATM was all about. It was like a Reagan "Pink Houses" moment. I remember thinking that the entire campaign against Ryan and Romney had this undercurrent of condescending populist amusement that was too sure of itself to consider points such as- maybe Ryan is sophisticated enough to separate politics from aesthetic enjoyment.

None of my hardcore conservative redneck friends I grew up with ever questioned my love of jazz music. Not in the way the way my liberal acquaintances are constantly bemused by my tastes in musicians who most certainly do not align with me politically or ideologically. it is an alien concept to most of them

There is really no deeper point here, I was just struck by the above section and it really hit home for me..... in a broader sense than just over musical tastes- rather, in my
liberal friends' ability to be as doctrinaire as they would accuse me of being solely because of my political beliefs.

The main concept here- that of the privilege of existing in a world that does not frequently question your own view of it (or motivate you to question it yourself) is in fact a privilege that i think very few liberals realize they have

[SDHornet]

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3L4YrGaR8E4[/youtube]

[Chizzang]

WTF

"There remains a deep strain in left-wing aesthetics of judging a work's value by the politics it promotes. (Case in point: the Academy Awards.)"

The Academy awards is a douche display and any half wit knows that
Because: Any industry that so gratuitously awards itself should be embarrassed

Regarding this self congratulatory Author:
Who's does he think he's talking to..?
The equally self impressed savvy conservative (BFD) who's simultaneously down to earth and cool as a hipster all at the same time... (He must be reading his own article to himself and looking in the mirror) like Ron Burgundy



Where's the eye-roll meme and and hand-job machine for this dude...

[travelinman67]

Faux Christian.

Completely ignores the essence of Randism (that individuals reap the rewards of their toil)

Contradicts himself at every turn.

Jacks off in front of a mirror.

Next.

[SDHornet]

No one else with a RATM vid bump? What a disappointment.

[Ibanez]

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w211KOQ5BMI[/youtube]

[Ibanez]

My favorite

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bWXazVhlyxQ[/youtube]

[Pwns]

One question I always love is "OMG stoopid right-winger, Orwell is a socialist, why are you quoting him?!?!". The concept of judging an actor's, author's, or musician's works on merit and not holding their politics against them seems foreign to some liberals.

It was also interesting watching all of the liberal gushing over Kurt Vonnegut when he died about 7 years ago like he was some kind of Hemingway or Mark Twain. If he weren't a flaming liberal they wouldn't have been enthusiastic about him. Ironically, Vonnegut wrote Harrison Bergeron, which is an dystopic story about liberal egalitarianism run amok that's pretty hokey and not as believable as Atlas Shrugged.

[Baldy]

WTF

"There remains a deep strain in left-wing aesthetics of judging a work's value by the politics it promotes. (Case in point: the Academy Awards.)"

The Academy awards is a douche display and any half wit knows that
Because: Any industry that so gratuitously awards itself should be embarrassed

Regarding this self congratulatory Author:
Who's does he think he's talking to..?
The equally self impressed savvy conservative (BFD) who's simultaneously down to earth and cool as a hipster all at the same time... (He must be reading his own article to himself and looking in the mirror) like Ron Burgundy



Where's the eye-roll meme and and hand-job machine for this dude...

Damn Chizz...that passage must've hit close to home.

[AZGrizFan]

It also struck me as a little bit funny how progressives snickered at Paul Ryan's admission to liking RATM as if he was too dumb to realize what RATM was all about. It was like a Reagan "Pink Houses" moment. I remember thinking that the entire campaign against Ryan and Romney had this undercurrent of condescending populist amusement that was too sure of itself to consider points such as- maybe Ryan is sophisticated enough to separate politics from aesthetic enjoyment.

A condescending approach that has continued with the current occupant of the White House.

[kalm]

It also struck me as a little bit funny how progressives snickered at Paul Ryan's admission to liking RATM as if he was too dumb to realize what RATM was all about. It was like a Reagan "Pink Houses" moment. I remember thinking that the entire campaign against Ryan and Romney had this undercurrent of condescending populist amusement that was too sure of itself to consider points such as- maybe Ryan is sophisticated enough to separate politics from aesthetic enjoyment.

A condescending approach that has continued with the current occupant of the White House.

I honestly wonder if Paul Ryan is curious enough to take Rand's conclusions to their logical end or contemplate the meaning of RATM's lyrics. (Hint, stick with instrumentals)

[kalm]

I like Bruce Willis and Ron Silver movies, and that Kryptonite song by Three Doors Down was a real rocker.

[kalm]

One question I always love is "OMG stoopid right-winger, Orwell is a socialist, why are you quoting him?!?!". The concept of judging an actor's, author's, or musician's works on merit and not holding their politics against them seems foreign to some liberals.

It was also interesting watching all of the liberal gushing over Kurt Vonnegut when he died about 7 years ago like he was some kind of Hemingway or Mark Twain. If he weren't a flaming liberal they wouldn't have been enthusiastic about him. Ironically, Vonnegut wrote Harrison Bergeron, which is an dystopic story about liberal egalitarianism run amok that's pretty hokey and not as believable as Atlas Shrugged.

Pretty sure Twain was a flaming liberal...probably Hemingway too.

[Baldy]

One question I always love is "OMG stoopid right-winger, Orwell is a socialist, why are you quoting him?!?!". The concept of judging an actor's, author's, or musician's works on merit and not holding their politics against them seems foreign to some liberals.

It was also interesting watching all of the liberal gushing over Kurt Vonnegut when he died about 7 years ago like he was some kind of Hemingway or Mark Twain. If he weren't a flaming liberal they wouldn't have been enthusiastic about him. Ironically, Vonnegut wrote Harrison Bergeron, which is an dystopic story about liberal egalitarianism run amok that's pretty hokey and not as believable as Atlas Shrugged.

Pretty sure Twain was a flaming liberal...probably Hemingway too.

You're probably right. Twain went bankrupt and Hemingway blew his head off.

[CID1990]

A condescending approach that has continued with the current occupant of the White House.

I honestly wonder if Paul Ryan is curious enough to take Rand's conclusions to their logical end or contemplate the meaning of RATM's lyrics. (Hint, stick with instrumentals)

You don't read stuff before you post, do you?

[kalm]

I honestly wonder if Paul Ryan is curious enough to take Rand's conclusions to their logical end or contemplate the meaning of RATM's lyrics. (Hint, stick with instrumentals)

You don't read stuff before you post, do you?

You mean there's even more hidden gems in the rest of the article?

[CID1990]

WTF

"There remains a deep strain in left-wing aesthetics of judging a work's value by the politics it promotes. (Case in point: the Academy Awards.)"

The Academy awards is a douche display and any half wit knows that
Because: Any industry that so gratuitously awards itself should be embarrassed

Regarding this self congratulatory Author:
Who's does he think he's talking to..?
The equally self impressed savvy conservative (BFD) who's simultaneously down to earth and cool as a hipster all at the same time... (He must be reading his own article to himself and looking in the mirror) like Ron Burgundy



Where's the eye-roll meme and and hand-job machine for this dude...

No, not just any half wit knows that, and the Academy Awards (of the last ten or so years) actually is a pretty good example of what the author was getting at, albeit a somewhat simplified one. A beautifully made, artful movie that leans pro-life would NEVER get an Academy Award under ANY circumstances, and that is not just because the Academy Awards are some grotesque parody of liberal thought. The Academy is fairly mainstream albeit a bit insular.

I agree with you though, I thought the author was a little smarmy but the one point about liberal perceptions about conservatives was what caught my eye.

I didn't really expect you to like this article and was not surprised that you commented in the way you did, but that is actually a compliment to you- you're a pinko commie fag but you're a thinking one.

[CID1990]

You don't read stuff before you post, do you?

You mean there's even more hidden gems in the rest of the article?

No, just that you did EXACTLY that which the author talks about.

I think you need to go read the article and maybe I'll mark you up to a C+ from the F you just made.

[Chizzang]

No, not just any half wit knows that, and the Academy Awards (of the last ten or so years) actually is a pretty good example of what the author was getting at, albeit a somewhat simplified one. A beautifully made, artful movie that leans pro-life would NEVER get an Academy Award under ANY circumstances, and that is not just because the Academy Awards are some grotesque parody of liberal thought. The Academy is fairly mainstream albeit a bit insular.

I agree with you though, I thought the author was a little smarmy but the one point about liberal perceptions about conservatives was what caught my eye.

I didn't really expect you to like this article and was not surprised that you commented in the way you did, but that is actually a compliment to you- you're a pinko commie fag but you're a thinking one.

Firstly:
Any Conservative bemoaning Hollywood's lack of affection for "all things right wing" is largely ignorant
Hollywood has been under attack from the right since the McCarthy era goon squad was telling congress the Hollywood TEN should all be in jail... that situation built up more than a little animosity

It's been a long running war of words ever since (going on for over 60 years) and they've NEVER let it go...
neither side and NEVER will - the right wing talk machine positions itself against Hollywood as a simple measure of "matter of fact" and not a day goes by that Hollywood isn't reference in some demeaning snarky way by the Rush or Hanity FOX crew

So....
This idea that "things should be different" in Hollywood is so short sighted and uninformed it should be embarrassing for one to write in an article and know nothing at all about it...

and 1/2 of Hollywood is gay (seriously) so ask D-back how he feels about the Right Wing thing

[kalm]

You mean there's even more hidden gems in the rest of the article?

No, just that you did EXACTLY that which the author talks about.

You noticed that did ya ?

[CID1990]

No, not just any half wit knows that, and the Academy Awards (of the last ten or so years) actually is a pretty good example of what the author was getting at, albeit a somewhat simplified one. A beautifully made, artful movie that leans pro-life would NEVER get an Academy Award under ANY circumstances, and that is not just because the Academy Awards are some grotesque parody of liberal thought. The Academy is fairly mainstream albeit a bit insular.

I agree with you though, I thought the author was a little smarmy but the one point about liberal perceptions about conservatives was what caught my eye.

I didn't really expect you to like this article and was not surprised that you commented in the way you did, but that is actually a compliment to you- you're a pinko commie fag but you're a thinking one.

Firstly:
Any Conservative bemoaning Hollywood's lack of affection for "all things right wing" is largely ignorant
Hollywood has been under attack from the right since the McCarthy era goon squad was telling congress the Hollywood TEN should all be in jail... that situation built up more than a little animosity

It's been a long running war of words ever since (going on for over 60 years) and they've NEVER let it go...
neither side and NEVER will - the right wing talk machine positions itself against Hollywood as a simple measure of "matter of fact" and not a day goes by that Hollywood isn't reference in some demeaning snarky way by the Rush or Hanity FOX crew

So....
This idea that "things should be different" in Hollywood is so short sighted and uninformed it should be embarrassing for one to write in an article and know nothing at all about it...

and 1/2 of Hollywood is gay (seriously) so ask D-back how he feels about the Right Wing thing

I read the short sentence as more of a "here's a small example" rather than a "I am bemoaning Hollywood's leftist reputation"

That really wasn't the larger point though- which was that creativity largely has to pass political muster, or have some "larger" truth to it to be legitimate to most progressives.

Right or wrong- it was a contrasting example to Ryan's love for RATM - and I identified with it because I have a similar love - of Miles Davis and Mingus and others - and that I am fully aware of their politics and really could care less.

[Skjellyfetti]

That really wasn't the larger point though- which was that creativity largely has to pass political muster, or have some "larger" truth to it to be legitimate to most progressives.

But, what's the basis for that. I listen to a lot of music that was written by conservatives. I've been playing bluegrass music for 10 years... and, almost all the groups I jam with have always been overwhelmingly conservative.

Yeah, the "Academy Awards" tends to reward other liberals... but, I also don't think the Academy represents most liberals in any way, shape, or form.

I like a lot of folk art as well. And, a whole lot of folk artists are conservatives that wouldn't be able to make a living without very liberal people buying their art.

[kalm]

Firstly:
Any Conservative bemoaning Hollywood's lack of affection for "all things right wing" is largely ignorant
Hollywood has been under attack from the right since the McCarthy era goon squad was telling congress the Hollywood TEN should all be in jail... that situation built up more than a little animosity

It's been a long running war of words ever since (going on for over 60 years) and they've NEVER let it go...
neither side and NEVER will - the right wing talk machine positions itself against Hollywood as a simple measure of "matter of fact" and not a day goes by that Hollywood isn't reference in some demeaning snarky way by the Rush or Hanity FOX crew

So....
This idea that "things should be different" in Hollywood is so short sighted and uninformed it should be embarrassing for one to write in an article and know nothing at all about it...

and 1/2 of Hollywood is gay (seriously) so ask D-back how he feels about the Right Wing thing

I read the short sentence as more of a "here's a small example" rather than a "I am bemoaning Hollywood's leftist reputation"

That really wasn't the larger point though- which was that creativity largely has to pass political muster, or have some "larger" truth to it to be legitimate to most progressives.

Right or wrong- it was a contrasting example to Ryan's love for RATM - and I identified with it because I have a similar love - of Miles Davis and Mingus and others - and that I am fully aware of their politics and really could care less.

I think Larry Miller, Penn Gillete, and Dennis Miller are funny.

[CID1990]

That really wasn't the larger point though- which was that creativity largely has to pass political muster, or have some "larger" truth to it to be legitimate to most progressives.

But, what's the basis for that. I listen to a lot of music that was written by conservatives. I've been playing bluegrass music for 10 years... and, almost all the groups I jam with have always been overwhelmingly conservative.

Yeah, the "Academy Awards" tends to reward other liberals... but, I also don't think the Academy represents most liberals in any way, shape, or form.

I like a lot of folk art as well. And, a whole lot of folk artists are conservatives that wouldn't be able to make a living without very liberal people buying their art.

I'm not saying that liberals monolithic on this- and I dont think the author suggests that, either. But I don't think that if Obama had come out during the elections and claimed to be a fan of Lynrd Skynrd (and been sincere about it like I assume Ryan was sincere about RATM) that there would have been this condescending snickering on the right- as if Obama was too dumb to realize that he shouldn't like Lynrd Skynrd.

Overall, the impression I get from the article (and I tend to agree) is that progressives EXPECT conservatives to be more doctrinaire than they are, and have much more incredulous reactions to learning that this is not necessarily the case (and assume that because a conservative can like RATM must mean that the conservative just is not smart enough to realize exactly what it is he is enjoying)

Again, this is a very narrow part of the article, but I thought it was a much more interesting concept imbedded in what is a largely unrelated topic.

[kalm]

But, what's the basis for that. I listen to a lot of music that was written by conservatives. I've been playing bluegrass music for 10 years... and, almost all the groups I jam with have always been overwhelmingly conservative.

Yeah, the "Academy Awards" tends to reward other liberals... but, I also don't think the Academy represents most liberals in any way, shape, or form.

I like a lot of folk art as well. And, a whole lot of folk artists are conservatives that wouldn't be able to make a living without very liberal people buying their art.

I'm not saying that liberals monolithic on this- and I dont think the author suggests that, either. But I don't think that if Obama had come out during the elections and claimed to be a fan of Lynrd Skynrd (and been sincere about it like I assume Ryan was sincere about RATM) that there would have been this condescending snickering on the right- as if Obama was too dumb to realize that he shouldn't like Lynrd Skynrd.

Overall, the impression I get from the article (and I tend to agree) is that progressives EXPECT conservatives to be more doctrinaire than they are, and have much more incredulous reactions to learning that this is not necessarily the case (and assume that because a conservative can like RATM must mean that the conservative just is not smart enough to realize exactly what it is he is enjoying)

Again, this is a very narrow part of the article, but I thought it was a much more interesting concept imbedded in what is a largely unrelated topic.

But you do see the irony in Ryan liking them right? I mean it's kind of funny, right. Btw, why do you think he likes them?