Mark Olmsted on Ayn Rand

 Posted by on 24 May 2010 at 7:00 am  Objectivism, Politics
May 242010
 

My brain cannot plumb the depths of confusion in this criticism of Ayn Rand by Mark Olmsted:

The Rand (Paul or Ayn) philosophy, by putting private property rights at the same level of human rights, equates the status of things with the status of human beings. If property is considered equal to human beings, then it’s not a very big leap to considering human beings as property. I believe this country is already familiar with this philosophy, manifested 150 years ago as slavery.

Let’s be clear: To assert that property rights are essential is not to “equate the status of things with the status of human beings.” That’s because property is a right that people have over things: it’s not a right that things have over people! And respect for property rights cannot lead to the enslavement of other people for the simple reason that (1) people have rights and (2) people are not property. DUH.

Honestly, people like this shouldn’t be allowed out of third grade.

   
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