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Ayn Rand fans in Australia

mike — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 03:27:57 GMT

Hi all... I live in Perth Western Australia. I'm 59 years old and have been a fan of Ayn Rand's writing for about 40 years. Would like to know if there's many other Rand fans in Australia (particularly Perth).

an old Rand fan...

galtsgulcher — Sun, 15 Mar 2009 17:57:08 GMT

Hello people,

I used to post here some years ago when the format was different from what it is now, and decided to visit again since Atlas Shrugged has now become a book of shockingly accurate prophecy of the recent economic apocalypse.

A bit of personal context...
I'm much more of a utilitarian mechanic than an theoretical intellectualist, and a doer rather than a thinker, so I'm afraid that I'll not add much to the depth of discussion here. Nevertheless I do enjoy the interactive participation of forums as an entertaining alternative to passively watching television.

Using Atlas Shrugged as an ethical business guidebook for over 30 years has made it possible for my wife and I to consistently do well regardless of economic cycles.

Having been laid off in the 1979 recession, I started my own business and worked and saved money over the years. When the opportunity presented itself, like Galt's Gulch neo-pioneers we bought some raw land, cleared it, and built our home debt free.

I believe that one of the finest uses of money is to buy your freedom with it. And I'm ever grateful to Ayn for having provided such an inspirational catalyst.

Greg

Where is John Galt?

BlackVelvetCat — Sat, 02 May 2009 07:09:54 GMT

Hello

I've read Ayn Rand off and on for years and her objectivism is the closest to how I think and view most things. I would rather say I am an Individulist, or a conservative without the neocon extremism. like the religious right, or an insular view. I do have my own religious and spiritual beliefs, but believe strongly in the seperation of church and state. Capitalist? With my goals and projections, heck yeah! To the ninth degree.

I came here after surveying the carnival of politics today. As I grow older I understand more and more what Ayn was saying.

Go on other sites and everyone is bickering from a Republican or a Democrat stance and repeating the same drivel over and over again. Democrats are stuck on bashing Bush and don't realize that many conservtives long left him and the GOP.

Either side is crazy now, and Obama is worrying me. Shades of socialism and even hints of communism. This man is not the moderate I hoped he would be.

Atlas is Shrugging.

I hope I do not offend anyone here with my observations. I don't believe in political arguments that fall into insults and rhetoric. I came here for rational discourse and I respect the views and opinions of those of other political parties. Heck, I'll hear out a communist as long as he or she is polite and well spoken. I've learned a lot from friendly discussions with liberals.

I want a return to a rational interpretation of the Constitution. But sites on the Constitution Party support religious views and oppose pro-choice, and I know that would lead to pointless arguments.

I want sanity. A is A.

Of course I love Ayn Rand's works and look forward to discussions about them. I had one old friend, more like a mentor, who loved Ayn and we spent many hours discussing her works and what was happening in this world. I miss that.

Forgive me if this appears as one block of words, It's not showing the paragraphs on the preveiw.

My Introduction

slacker00 — Sun, 08 Mar 2009 18:47:44 GMT

Hello all,

I'm new here, so I thought I'd post a little about myself and get a feel for the forum and the people here.

The reason I chose to join TAS forum versus other Objectivist forums is because this forum seems to be on the side of Kelley in the great Peikoff-Kelley Objectivism split. I'm still hammering out my understanding of Objectivism, but it's fairly clear to me already that I'm going to ask too deep of questions to be satisfied by the expected Peikoff school response.

I've read most of Rand's books, so I am very familiar with what Objectivism is all about. Lately, I've gotten back into the game, regarding Objectivism, and my mindset is to be a tough skeptic, especially about the finer points of any discipline. I'm a math-engineer-scientist type by training, so I do demand a certain amount of robustness when it comes to basic definitions, much less what some might want to call an axiom. As you can perhaps already tell, I'm going to be a challenge and a challenger of Objectivism, but I hope the outcome is to strengthen rather than topple a philosophy which I feel can ultimately be more constructive than destructive if I can just get to the bottom line.

I look forward to some eye opening discussion regarding Objectivism. Feel free to say hi or give me an idea of what I can expect on this forum as opposed to other Objectivist forums.

Hello.

Rahz — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 23:59:31 GMT

I would not consider myself an objectivist, but I am very interested in the ideas surrounding objectivism. I look forward to observering and sometimes contributing to discussions in this forum.

Hi

wombatron — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 19:39:40 GMT

I'm assuming that this is the intro board, so...

Hi. I'm 18 years old, and an avid Ayn Rand fan. I'm not an Objectivist (more an Aristotelian liberal/libertarian), but Rand is one of my favorite authors, and I agree with her in many areas. I also read science fiction, fantasy, and horror. I am looking forward to some interesting conversations!

Hello, hello, hello, is there anybody in here? Just nod if you can hear me ...

Jaq Phule — Wed, 15 Nov 2006 20:22:43 GMT

Is there anyone home?

There seems to be almost no activity on this board. Is it LIVE?

I read Ayn Rand a long time ago. It was a great way to start down the road of ideas. I wish I had dropped out of college and taken her stuff more seriously -- my education really didn't start until I was on my own.

In one essay, Rand led me to Ludvig von Mises, who led me to Murray Rothbard, who led me to Lew Rockwell, who led me to more thinkers than I will ever be able to fully assimilate. I'm not an Objectivist -- it amuses me no end how much Objectivists squabble and "break" with each other, and split hairs over stuff that frankly only interests academics, some of the very people AR seemed to loathe. I am however an admirer of Objectivist thought. By training I am a scientist, and by practice I am an engineer and an entrepreneur (not necessarily at the same time); like AR I believe that all work is itself an act of philosophy. Unlike her, I believe that ivory tower philosophy, separated too far from some other discipline, is the realm of what AR might call "floating abstractions" -- ideas with no concrete or logical connection to reality. When this happens, you end up with gross generalizations that kill vital concepts. I see someone on this board arguing about implicit sanctions of anything and everything a group stands for if you publically agree with them on a single point. That's nuts, but it is the chief problem with "closed-system" Objectivists that are tearing the movement apart and giving their brethren a bad name.

So if that is the case, why am I here at all?

I've recently become interested in intellectual culture, more so than ever before. I've spent some time out on youtube, watching people talk that can't argue properly, reading and responding to people who don't seem to be able to connect their mouths with their brains, or their brains to anything other than Sean Hannity (if even that). I'm curious about what makes people tick. And so I've come here, to what is supposed to be the last bastion of intellectual discussion on earth (at least, if you take certain Objectivist rhetoric seriously) to see what, if any, significant differences live here.

What constitutes intellectual self-defense from idiocy? Ignorance? Anti-conceptualization? Can such a skill be learned, and can it be taught? These are the questions that have put me here.

Those, and also "WHERE ARE ALL YOU PEOPLE HIDING? POST SOMETHING ALREADY!"

Salutations!

pariah — Mon, 24 Sep 2007 20:49:39 GMT

It is so refreshing to find a group of like-minded individuals!!

Donpeyote and his Remote Viewings

Donpeyote — Thu, 09 Nov 2006 02:19:17 GMT

I like New Places and People and a First Impression is a Terrible thing to waste!

hello, again

xerxes — Sat, 16 Sep 2006 16:29:29 GMT

So, I stop visiting the sight for awhile and everything changes. At least now it has a forum set up instead of that old style message board we had. Are any of the old posters still around? Is Biddianato(I'm sure that's not the correct spelling) still in charge?

Howdy

All Seeing Ear — Wed, 16 Aug 2006 07:33:38 GMT

My name is Amanda, I am twenty years old, and am relatively new to objectivism, though I would say that I've been leaning that way for several years, but didn't really know how to describe my beliefs other than "you mind your own business, and I'll mind mine."

I hope to post more in the future, and gain more insight into objectivism.

G'night.

-Amanda

hello, all

Daron — Wed, 22 Feb 2006 18:32:54 GMT

Hello, I go by the name Daron. I am a high school student searching for...well something. I came across objectivism and individualism when I read the book Anthem. I ahve become obsessed ever since. My teacher told me I was young to have an objectivist mind, but I disagree, I need to devlop into something. I've never met anyone that had beliefs similar to mine (save that teacher) and I wanted to learn from others.

Anyone?

Ronald — Tue, 04 Apr 2006 21:41:53 GMT

My name is Ron. I have been searching for a certain type of discussion base, but have been unsuccessful.

Ayn Rand had many things to say. Hell, she was the first to say them.... Many things are hard to digest, but never-the-less, cannot be disputed.

Does anyone have an opinion, on what this woman's greatest discoveries are?

Anyone?

Greetings!

backformystuff — Wed, 12 Jul 2006 22:52:42 GMT

Hi all,

My name is Peter Krembs, and I recently started re-reading Rand after a brief hiatus from Objectivism. I'm pleased to see that the AS/TOC is still around, and apparently thriving.

I look forward to becoming more involved, both in real life and on this discussion board!

Cheers,
Peter

'Who is John Galt?' grafiti--- Anyone take responsibility

knowahwall — Wed, 24 May 2006 18:32:32 GMT

On a sidewalk at the George Washington University, someone wrote "Who is John Galt?" in chalk (during a designated day for such an activity--it wasnt an act of vandalism) and then accredited it to my name. I had nothing to do with it (although I am honored), and wondered if another member of this society would take responsibility. Any takers? haha.. Let me know.