If You Like Rand, You'll Like...

Paleolibertarian Theorists

Jaq Phule — Wed, 15 Nov 2006 20:28:46 GMT

http://www.mises.org

http://www.lewrockwell.com

http://www.antiwar.com

http://www.garynorth.com

No guarantees on any of those, but AR did fully endorse Ludwig von Mises.

The Yakuza - Sydney Pollack

danconia76 — Sat, 04 Apr 2009 19:10:57 GMT

I cannot say enough good things about this film starring Robert Mitchum and the greatest of all Japanese actors - Takakura Ken. It is quite likely my favorite film. If you can put aside the face-value conception of "Giri" or "obligation/duty" that the film centers on, and understand it for what it is - that being the implementation and execution of justice in one's life and actions - you will be able to truly appreciate this stunning work of art that shockingly pays perfect homage to Japan's most pro-American, pro-individualist film genre - Ninkyo Eiga.

This is a film about what it means to "owe someone something" and the why of it. What do we owe? Where does obligation come from? Why is it important? The Japanese characters in the film are bogart-like in their closed mouth explanations. No need. Their faces say it all. They are the last knights of the round table. Living in a dying world where friendship, honor, love and truth are replaced by something unholy and evil. This is the ultimate swan song to the lone wolf, standing sword in hand, against the barbarians - in our lives and out there.

The enemy is this film is that monster which Toohey feeds upon in The Fountainhead but did not create. It is not an individual or group. It is that lacking of ethics, of integrity, in so many people, that one does not always know where to strike out first.

KEN (The Sword) - Film by Kenji Misumi, based on the book by Yukio Mishima

danconia76 — Sat, 04 Apr 2009 18:59:17 GMT

It was Jeff Britting, producer of Ayn Rand's Sense of Life, that turned me on to Japanese author Mishima. Like most Japanese artists and thinkers, Mishima masks many pro-individualists leanings within the context of traditional Japanese arts and philosphies (bushido, etc.). In fact, Mishima's works often touch, sentence by sentence, much of what we love of Ayn Rand as do the majority of pre 1970 screenwriters in Japan.

In stark contradiction to what we often hear of Japanese culture, authors like Mishima attack the "group-think" mentality and often advocate a very subtle and then again not-so subtle form of hero worship.

In the film KEN, which is available in some spots online, we find a young Roarkish Kendo student who is solely interested in his art and perfection of self, to the annoyance of his corrupt family, his fellow students, and one particularly nasty (social)kend-climber a la Peter Keating. This is not an Objectivist work like King Rat (novel only) but touches so many of the ideas and principles of Objectivism, that anyone who is a fan of Ayn Rand should enjoy it.

The Sand Pebbles

danconia76 — Mon, 31 Mar 2008 04:30:43 GMT

Steve McQueen - The Sand Pebbles. Another great film of strong interest to fans of Ayn Rand.

Blake's 7, Leiji Matsumoto, etc.

danconia76 — Fri, 13 Jul 2007 02:14:28 GMT

Blake's 7: Another good pic for fans of Rand. Group of individualists take on a fascist state somewhere in the distant future. From the most famous of the Doctor Who writers - Terry Nation (also creator of the Daleks). Pay special attention to the cynicism turned to idealism of one of the main characters, Kerr Avon. Another show creator says of Avon - "Whether through self-interest or honor, (Avon's) actions come out to the same result".

Anything by Leiji Matsumoto, in particular, Captain Harlock, Arcadia of my Youth, Galaxy Express 999 - but only the pre-1985 work. Matsumoto is totally Objectivist/Individualist in outlook and philosophy. His most famous creation, Space Pirate Captain Harlock, has been compared to another well-known pirate in Atlas Shrugged in at least 2 published works on Japanese Pop-Culture. Heavily influenced by Fritz Lang (he has discussed this in numerous interviews)

Kenneth Clark's Civilisation (spelled with an "S") series. 13 parts covering the history of Western Civilization. Exceptional documentary although be prepared for a man who can find greatness and beauty in more subject areas than Ayn did (or at least admitted to). Michelangelo is covered extensively as are all of the heroic individualists of the Renaissance. Oh, and he hated bloody Marxists, going so far as to completely debase a group of French University students in the course of the documentary (politely of course).

Jean Luc Godard's film - Alphaville (similar to Anthem). If you know the complete context behind Alphaville, you will be even more impressed that a supposed Marxist himself would create a dystopic tale of an American secret agent taking on a fascist dictatorship with Communist overtones.

James Clavell

gonzo — Tue, 27 Mar 2007 07:33:19 GMT

His books tend to share some of the basic underlying virtues of objectivism, such as individualism and laissez-faire capitalism, especially in his main heroes Dirk Struan (Tai-Pan) and The King (King Rat) - the latter has been compared to Rand's Howard Roark by some critics. Clavell seems to have been influenced to some extent by Ayn Rand and has acknowledged this in the past.

Regards,
Gonzo

The Sandbaggers, Callan

danconia76 — Sun, 27 May 2007 22:33:18 GMT

I would like to recommend the ITV television series recently released on DVD called The Sandbaggers to anyone who is a fan of Ayn Rand. With episode titles like "Decision by Committee", "First Principals", etc., you may already be getting the drift of what this brilliant, pro-individualist, anti group-think series was all about. Plot: Small band of crack British Spies defend and attack Communism along with their own inept Govnt, led by a glorious egoist Director of Operations. This show has been called the greatest Spy program ever made, and as a fan of Fleming, Le Carre (only his early work) and James Clavell, let me say that this title rings true. I blew through all 20 episodes of the series. The series creator, an ex Royal Navy officer, sadly died half-way through the 3rd season and in Howard Roark-colors, ITV ended the show citing that no one could have done it better than the person who created it.

Also, Callan is another fantastic series and a wonderful choice for fans of Ayn Rand if you can get your hands on it. Callan is a secret agent/hitman that needs to first identify if his prey is indeed guilty of their crime, and then exacts his own measure of justice on them - sometimes quite different than what his masters would have liked.

Most of LeCarre's early spy novels are excellent and the two movies featuring Alec Guinness are great. Just don't look at his recent anti-western, anti-American garbage. Let's be happy that he was who he was when it mattered. (the cynicism of his work is well noted and for the most part, the criticism is a load of bs)

Terry Goodkind

Trelane — Fri, 16 Feb 2007 01:06:56 GMT

If you enjoyed the likes of Atlas Shrugged or The Fountainhead, and you like stories that take place in the fantasy genre, take a look at the Sword of Truth series by Terry Goodkind.

Terry Goodkind has written a highly entertaining series based on the Objectivist philosophy.

Rush (not Limbaugh)

Brad Reddekopp — Mon, 19 Dec 2005 07:28:54 GMT

Obviously, the veteran rock band Rush must be mentioned in this section of the forums. I'll throw out a few bits of information, many of which will already be familiar to seasoned Rush fans.

Rush drummer/lyricist Neil Peart does not self-identify as an Objectivist but as a "left-wing libertarian" (yeah, I know -- self-contradiction). However, many of his songs display an understanding and appreciation of Rand.

One of the most obviously Rand-inspired Rush songs is "Anthem" from their 1975 album, Fly By Night. (To the best of my understanding the album title is a reference to their very heavy touring schedule.) Here are the last two verses:

Live for yourself -- there's no one else
More worth living for
Begging hands and bleeding hearts will only cry out for more

Well, I know they've always told you
Selfishness was wrong
Yet it was for me, not you, I came to write this song

The liner notes of their 1976 album, 2112, tells us that the album is "dedicated to the genius of Ayn Rand". The title track is roughly the length of one side of a vinyl LP and tells the story of an idealistic and individualistic young man who runs afoul of the collectivist priest caste of his society. Commercially, 2112 was the real breakthrough album for Rush and it followed a low point in their career. Their previous album, Caress of Steel, and the following tour did poorly. That album had included some experimental long compositions and the band was under pressure to compose shorter, more radio-friendly songs for their next album. According to guitarist Alex Lifeson, the band's response to that pressure was, "Screw you, we're going to do what we want." They did just that and it turned out very well for them. One of the songs of more "normal" length on the album is "Something For Nothing" and it urges the listener not to be satisfied with dreaming and longing but to work to achieve those dreams and desires.

One of the images from the 2112 album art became an enduring symbol for the band. It shows a man shielding himself from a red five-pointed star, in a stance that says to me that he is fighting against it. That star was the symbol of the collectivist society in the title track's story so, for those who know the story, the "starman" image is a strongly individualistic symbol. Peart explains the "starman" as follows, according to Wikipedia: "All it means is the abstract man against the masses. The red star symbolizes any collectivist mentality." (from here -- scroll down a bit to see the starman)

"Freewill" from the 1980 album Permanent Waves conveys a message that is strong and clear:

You can choose a ready guide in some celestial voice.
If you choose not to decide, you still have made a choice.
You can choose from phantom fears and kindness that can kill;
I will choose a path that's clear
I will choose freewill.

There are more Rush lyrics that fans of Ayn Rand should appreciate but I'll stop there for now. It isn't only the lyrics that are of interest, though, but also the music. For the most part, the music of Rush is complex and unique. They have conciously chosen not to aim for the lowest common denominator they have proven themselves to be both intelligent composers and tremendously skilled instrumentalists, gaining a solid fan base and the respect of their peers. Rush has never had a number one pop radio hit (a consequence, I think, of not caring too much about what is currently popular) but their strong performances both in live shows and albums have created such a loyal audience that they still sell out major stadiums three decades after their first album.

VNV Nation

Andy_X69 — Wed, 14 Dec 2005 19:05:50 GMT

This thread is for discussing the Electro/Industrial/EBM/Goth/Trance band VNV Nation.

The reason for this is that many reviewers compare the lyrics to the writings of, you guessed it, Ayn Rand. I recently attended their concert held in Brisbane, Australia, and afterwards I got to talk with the frontman Ronan Harris, who noted the Rand phenomenon (he knows his philosophy too, and given he was 'amazed' that people likened his lyrics to Ayn Rand's writings, we can safely assume he has grave disagreements with Objectivism (on the recent album, he claims to have derived some inspiration from (shudder) Kant)).

Either way, I wish to post the lyrics of two VNV Nation songs, both of which mean very much to me (I consider these songs to be #3 and #1 in my 'favorite songs of all time' list). The first is to a song called "Joy," which is essentially about the battle for control of one's own life. To me, its the Electro-Industrial version of Halley's Fourth Concerto.

JOY

Have I no control, is my soul not mine?
Am I not just man, destiny defined?
Never to be ruled nor held to heel.
Not heaven or hell just the land between.

Am I not man, does my heart not bleed?
No Lord, no God, no hate, no pity, no pain, just ME.
Comprehend and countermand.
Synchronous guidance. I choose my way.
Never to be ruled nor held to heel.
Not heaven or hell just the land between.

and am I not man?

So why do I love when I still feel pain?
When does it end, when is my work done?
Why am I lone and why do I feel
that I carry a sword through a battle field?
So why do I love when I still feel pain?
When does it end, when is my work done?
Why do I fight and why do I feel
that I carry a sword, that I carry a sword?

Like the path to heaven or the road to hell
our choice is our own consequences bind.
We are the kings of wisdom, the fools as well.
We are the gods to many, we are humble men.

We who build great works just to break them down.
We who make our rules so we never fail.
So why do I love when I still feel pain?
When does it end, when is my work done?
Why am I lone and why do I feel
that I carry a sword through a battle field?
So why do I love when I still feel pain?
When does it end, when is my work done?
Why do I fight and why do I feel
that I carry a sword, that a carry a sword?

The next song is Darkangel, and about its meaning I am much less certain. Although for me it is similar to the above, a cry of defiance, an impassioned declaration of absolute indomitability.

DARKANGEL

In your dream you see me clear
I have no restraint, no fear
Powerless I watched from faces I'd assumed.
My purpose set. My will defined.
Caress the air.
Embrace the skies.
Escape the sorrow and restraint of mortal cities.

So many years I stood among
the thoughts and tears of those I served.
Among my own I was alone through my own doing.
All the years I walked unknown behind the faces I assumed.
Powerless to clear your mind of what you'd suffered.

They fall again.
They fall again.

Give me time I will be clear.
Given time you'll understand
What posesses me to right what you have suffered.
I'm in this mood because of scorn.
I'm in a mood for total war.
To the darkened skies once more and ever onward.
There is no faith in which to hide.
Even truth is filled with lies.
Doubting angels fall to walk among the living.
I'm in this mood because of scorn.
I'm in a mood for total war.
To the darkened skies once more and ever onward.

I'd only come here seeking peace.
I'd only come here seeking me.

It seems I came to leave.

If the lyrics have gained your interest, you may want to purchase this. I recommend Metropolis Mail Order (faster and cheaper than Amazon.com), and the first CD to get as "Empires" (their best album). Be warned, its heavy going and not happy (well it IS goth music, so that is to be expected), and some consider it quite harsh at first. However, if you like electronic music with good lyrics, VNV Nation never disappoint.