From an earlier page:

You are talking about derived characteristics, rather than underlying philosophy.
Marxist philosophy ignores the productivity of capitalists, and assumes all value comes from physical labor — Rand assumes physical labor is mostly irrelevant, and most value comes from the inspirations of capitalists. In that respect, they are mirrors of each other. Not that in Atlas, most of the would dies so that the capitalists can have their utopia in the end.

Count to 10 on November 2, 2009 at 1:16 PM

Rand spends plenty of time talking about the sweat off the brow of the industrialists as well. D’Anconia is a hero, as is Galt, as is Roark, because of their labor from the ground up. D’Anconia labored before he led, Roark built before he designed, and Galt was essentially a brilliant tinkerer.

They used their physical labor to build themselves up.

There are also minor characters – like Mike the foreman (IIRC the name) – from The Fountainhead – who are laborers and they are recognized as integral to building great works. Every one of Dagny Taggarts regional managers down to the brakemen and linemen are recognized for their labor. The only thing holding them back is their own aspirations – or in the case of those who’ve gone Galt, it’s specifically the reigning in of their aspirations.

There is no mirror at all. Marxism glorified Stalin, Mao, Lenin, and men who did nothing but terrorize others. Objectivism glorifies those who work for their own means. By their works, whether it be the steelworker next to the furnace who helps Reardon forge his metal, Mike the foreman/electrician who helps Roark build his buildings, or Eddie Willers who helps Dagny run her line – their labor is recognized as critical. Without the laborers, there is no Reardon Steel or Taggart Transcontinental, and there are no Roark buildings.

It is only the acquiesence to the villain looters/moochers/leftists who preach govt. control that is decried as evil, because it is submission to evil.

In Rand’s world, the only things holding someone back are their own ambitions (or their level of satisfaction, for those content to only work so hard and enjoy their lives – not everyone needs to be Galt) – and the looter/moochers in parasitical govt.

Keep in mind the history of the USSR, from the liquidation of the Kulaks to the purges of intelligensia and military, that are what she’s getting at.

Rand finds physical labor absolutely critical to building the dreams of those with great dreams. In Galt’s Gulch, great scientists and architects work manual labor for those who live alongside them. Rearden and Taggart are constantly searching for the best labor, and acknowledge it.

Perhaps most telling is that when the leaders of science and philosophy and government and labor gather to issue their final directives 10-238, IIRC, in AS – the labor leader explains that the lowest dockworker won’t be fooled by it – because that lowest man on the totem pole knows that his labor is his effort and is his life – and that it won’t be Galt that ruins them – it will be that one worker who knows what it is to be a man and earn his living.

Those who are critical of the book rarely get it. One set of strategic scale heroes does not mean there are no tactical scale heroes.

Though I’ll admit I got sick of reading the word “insolent” by about page 300.

CPL 310 on November 4, 2009 at 12:33 AM