I had never heard of John Galt before this article either.

News Flash for you libs, Ayn Rand and Atlas Shrugged has more of a cult like following among your degenerate crowd than us ” real ” Americans.

You see there is a novel concept, although foreign to the stoners, hipsters and older deviants and perverts that make up your rank ( what stinks in here ) s. It’s called critical thinking, you know taking it all in and developing your own opinion of things past, present and what can be expected so we can prepare for the future.

This as opposed to your ( lib ) way, where you cower under the bed and wait to get a text from one of your peeps telling you todays talking points and surreal PeeWee Herman like Obama word of the day. Can you say long form birth certificate girls & boys?

Stop the presses!

Who in the hell is John Galt??

Barack Must Go said:
I had never heard of John Galt before this article either.

News Flash for you libs, Ayn Rand and Atlas Shrugged has more of a cult like following among your degenerate crowd than us ” real ” Americans.

You see there is a novel concept, although foreign to the stoners, hipsters and older deviants and perverts that make up your rank ( what stinks in here ) s. It’s called critical thinking, you know taking it all in and developing your own opinion of things past, present and what can be expected so we can prepare for the future.

This as opposed to your ( lib ) way, where you cower under the bed and wait to get a text from one of your peeps telling you todays talking points and surreal PeeWee Herman like Obama word of the day. Can you say long form birth certificate girls & boys?

You don’t believe a word you just typed and, unfortunately for you, stoners and hipsters (who are and are capable of being very intelligent, cultured people) will be around in abundance as the decades roll on. Well, hipsterism might die as a subculture but something will replace it.

Meanwhile, you and your ilk will slowly disappear as succeeding generations lean progressively more to the liberal side. It’s going to be great.

And let’s not kid ourselves; I’m sure you’ve done and thought many perverted things in your lifetime and likely still do. In fact, the people who go on tirades about the “deviants” and the “perverts” are usually the most deviant and perverted of all.

Are you a Christian? If so, you should know all about perversion; your entire faith relies on it. Have a good day!

I’m not sure what the point of this article is, other than to claim that O’Reilly’s ignorance with regard to Ayn Rand is a signal of some sort of rift in the Republican party. To the contrary, it goes to show that there is a wide swath of people who vote Republican, including social cons, libertarians, and everything in between. And I don’t believe that familiarity with the works of Ayn Rand is generational, either. In the fifty-plus years since Atlas Shrugged was published, millions of people of all ages have read it. Not terribly surprising, though, that O’Reilly (who seems to be out of touch about a lot of things) hasn’t.

HateTheGOP said:
You don’t believe a word you just typed and, unfortunately for you, stoners and hipsters (who are and are capable of being very intelligent, cultured people) will be around in abundance as the decades roll on. Well, hipsterism might die as a subculture but something will replace it.

Meanwhile, you and your ilk will slowly disappear as succeeding generations lean progressively more to the liberal side. It’s going to be great.

And let’s not kid ourselves; I’m sure you’ve done and thought many perverted things in your lifetime and likely still do. In fact, the people who go on tirades about the “deviants” and the “perverts” are usually the most deviant and perverted of all.

Are you a Christian? If so, you should know all about perversion; your entire faith relies on it. Have a good day!

I don’t hate stoners and hipsters. I’m just concerned I’m going to have you as a dependent, without the deduction, for the rest of my life, that’s all.

Believe it or not I was you , sort of ( I’ve always been a Republican ) back in my youth. I had hair down to my ____, Wore bell bottoms and clogs and drove my MGB-GT all around the country sleeping wherever I could.

My favorite band was ‘ TEN Years After ‘ . Listen to this song from the band from back in 1971 . It’s title is ‘ I’d Love To Change The World “, and explains exactly what your generation is feeling today. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EPEWwZ7o57I

HateTheGOP said:
You don’t believe a word you just typed and, unfortunately for you, stoners and hipsters (who are and are capable of being very intelligent, cultured people) will be around in abundance as the decades roll on. Well, hipsterism might die as a subculture but something will replace it.

Meanwhile, you and your ilk will slowly disappear as succeeding generations lean progressively more to the liberal side. It’s going to be great.

And let’s not kid ourselves; I’m sure you’ve done and thought many perverted things in your lifetime and likely still do. In fact, the people who go on tirades about the “deviants” and the “perverts” are usually the most deviant and perverted of all.

Are you a Christian? If so, you should know all about perversion; your entire faith relies on it. Have a good day!

Well, Hell!
There ya’ go right there!!

Barack Must Go said:
I had never heard of John Galt before this article either.

News Flash for you libs, Ayn Rand and Atlas Shrugged has more of a cult like following among your degenerate crowd than us ” real ” Americans.

You see there is a novel concept, although foreign to the stoners, hipsters and older deviants and perverts that make up your rank ( what stinks in here ) s. It’s called critical thinking, you know taking it all in and developing your own opinion of things past, present and what can be expected so we can prepare for the future.

This as opposed to your ( lib ) way, where you cower under the bed and wait to get a text from one of your peeps telling you todays talking points and surreal PeeWee Herman like Obama word of the day. Can you say long form birth certificate girls & boys?

Your post makes no sense whatsoever. First of all Ayn Rand’s “philosophy” which she tries to weave into her books with the subtlety of a jackhammer, is that the captains of industry are the true American heroes and those who benefit from their intellect without contributing themselves are leeches. In a nutshell, “Atlas Shrugged” is a nearly unreadable mess about a bunch of rich A*hole capitalists disappearing and ****spoiler alert**** starting their own secret society somewhere in the Rocky Mountain region without any “leeches” (which would presumably include children or the disabled, who seem to be entirely non-existant in the book). It’s a bloated, boring POS with an endless monologue near the end by the aforementioned John Galt, who, from the book description, is a blond-haired, blue-eyed Aryian who won’t shut up.

Does this sound at all like something that would appeal to “libs”?

How true, how true! There is a schism in the conservative movement. That’s because of the legacy moniker “Grand Ole Party” and “Big Tent,” which for better or for worse has stretch the meaning of conservatism to thin. On the other hand, the Democrats have become more refined toward progressivism . Those legacy Democrats of the JFK era and Republicans of Nixon era are now independents.

HateTheGOP said:
Meanwhile, you and your ilk will slowly disappear as succeeding generations lean progressively more to the liberal side. It’s going to be great.

Only 20 percent of people consider themselves to be liberal. Good luck on waiting for all the others to “slowly disappear”, or to put it like you really mean it…die off.

The theory put forth by many libs/progs that only the older generation are conservative, and when they all die the younger libs will be in charge and everything will be rosy…is not even worthy of being called a theory. It is pure and simple wishful thinking…and bullsh*t.

What a way to be left in charge. Instead of trying to change hearts and minds, libs/progs are just waiting for people they disagree with to die.

Let me be clear (h/t BO), Conservative thinking is contagious and once the younger endoctrinated generation are exposed to it, they will catch it. That will happen sooner though if they try to become an entrepreneur, or get robbed. Both of these happened to me but I was already a Conservative. My business is fairly successful, and the thief didn’t get a damn thing thanks to my 2 friends…Mr. Smith and Mr. Wesson.

Levin said:
Your post makes no sense whatsoever. First of all Ayn Rand’s “philosophy” which she tries to weave into her books with the subtlety of a jackhammer, is that the captains of industry are the true American heroes and those who benefit from their intellect without contributing themselves are leeches. In a nutshell, “Atlas Shrugged” is a nearly unreadable mess about a bunch of rich A*hole capitalists disappearing and ****spoiler alert**** starting their own secret society somewhere in the Rocky Mountain region without any “leeches” (which would presumably include children or the disabled, who seem to be entirely non-existant in the book). It’s a bloated, boring POS with an endless monologue near the end by the aforementioned John Galt, who, from the book description, is a blond-haired, blue-eyed Aryian who won’t shut up.

Does this sound at all like something that would appeal to “libs”?

No because they are the leeches, who by the way murder their children before they even get a chance to be born, that will just stay put screeching like baby birds till they drop dead of starvation.

To my way of thinking you’re both nuts, but honestly if it came down to having to choose between them or you, your ______ed BIG TIME.

Never heard of him.

Barack Must Go said:
I don’t hate stoners and hipsters. I’m just concerned I’m going to have you as a dependent, without the deduction, for the rest of my life, that’s all.

Believe it or not I was you , sort of ( I’ve always been a Republican ) back in my youth. I had hair down to my ____, Wore bell bottoms and clogs and drove my MGB-GT all around the country sleeping wherever I could.

My favorite band was ‘ TEN Years After ‘ . Listen to this song from the band from back in 1971 . It’s title is ‘ I’d Love To Change The World “, and explains exactly what your generation is feeling today. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EPEWwZ7o57I

Me as a dependent? It’s likely my salary is enough to pay for you to retire comfortably and take care of myself, old man.

Furthermore, you were never like me. I can pretty much guarantee you of that. Unless, of course, you grew up in central Siberia for the first decade of your life, resided in Moldova, then lived in England for six years, then made your way to the West Coast, then to Washington D.C., and graduated from U Penn and became an EE.

Of course, how could I ever have ended up a Republican having experienced so much? Nobody would. A provincial, narrow view of the world and a rejection of other cultures and its people is a staple of right-wing ideals. As they love to say, “God and country!”

The tendency of societies to learn progressively more to liberalism is a wind and you’re pissing into it, my friend; you’re a dying breed.

Enjoy the rest of your weekend.

HateTheGOP said:
Me as a dependent? It’s likely my salary is enough to pay for you to retire comfortably and take care of myself, old man.

Furthermore, you were never like me. I can pretty much guarantee you of that. Unless, of course, you grew up in central Siberia for the first decade of your life, resided in Moldova, then lived in England for six years, then made your way to the West Coast, then to Washington D.C., and graduated from U Penn and became an EE.

Of course, how could I ever have ended up a Republican having experienced so much? Nobody would. A provincial, narrow view of the world and a rejection of other cultures and its people is a staple of right-wing ideals. As they love to say, “God and country!”

The tendency of societies to learn progressively more to liberalism is a wind and you’re pissing into it, my friend; you’re a dying breed.

Enjoy the rest of your weekend.

After all you claim to have been through and you’re still just an angry douchebag. Somehow that doesn’t surprise me in the least. If you’re not happy with us ” real ” Americans and how we live our lives in OUR, not your country, then I suggest you go the _____ back to whereever your ungrateful ____ came from.

edisciple said:
How true, how true! There is a schism in the conservative movement. That’s because of the legacy moniker “Grand Ole Party” and “Big Tent,” which for better or for worse has stretch the meaning of conservatism to thin. On the other hand, the Democrats have become more refined toward progressivism . Those legacy Democrats of the JFK era and Republicans of Nixon era are now independents.

Don’t kid yourself there. Independents are Republicans too afraid to say so because some liberal might call them a bad name.

HateTheGOP said:
Meanwhile, you and your ilk will slowly disappear as succeeding generations lean progressively more to the liberal side. It’s going to be great.

Just as those who support Communism, it just hasn’t been done right. Dream on.

He’s a made-up character in a fictional book.

Like Boo Radley .

So Billdo ‘murka’s #1 Culture Warrior has never heard about John Galt?

LOL!

It is OK, Billdo!

That flop in theathers is going to make up the loss in the DVD market.

Glackin said:
Couldn’t find “endoctrinated” in the English dictionary, should I try the Palinesque one?

Oh My God!! Call the Real Royal Spelling Czar. I typed an e when I should have typed an i.

Glackin said:
I believe in conserving resources, wildlife, energy, and lots of other things.

Too bad you didn’t believe in conserving brain cells. Or is that too cliche for you.

You sound like another RRK alias…gotcha didn’t I? You betcha’!

Why would he care when he knows Larry ‘Lonesome’ Rhodes is sitting across from him.

Huh?

Probably NOT wrong said:
Who in the hell is John Galt??

Might as well ask “who is Harry Potter? “

Dem4Ever said:
Huh?

May I say that with this post I see a great improvement in the quality of your posts.

Well, don’t we know all know who Frank Marshall Davis is!

because he didn’t read a book?

Judge Mental said:
I’m not sure what the point of this article is, other than to claim that O’Reilly’s ignorance with regard to Ayn Rand is a signal of some sort of rift in the Republican party. To the contrary, it goes to show that there is a wide swath of people who vote Republican, including social cons, libertarians, and everything in between. And I don’t believe that familiarity with the works of Ayn Rand is generational, either. In the fifty-plus years since Atlas Shrugged was published, millions of people of all ages have read it. Not terribly surprising, though, that O’Reilly (who seems to be out of touch about a lot of things) hasn’t.

there’s really only two types of republicans: social and fiscal. Anything else is just a combination of the two.

Atlas needs to do a bit more than shrug. Perhaps go into a fit.

I wonder how beck liked the atheist and feminist overtones of atlas shrugged. Of course, they may have excluded them in the movie, and who knows if he knows how to read.

It is understandable O’Reilly is not familiar with Ayn Rands writing, It wasn’t his. He and Beck also were not envited to the Royal wedding, so , of course, it was a flop.Goodbye Peck and Bill.

Ben Pratt said:
there’s really only two types of republicans: social and fiscal. Anything else is just a combination of the two.

There’s really only two political philosophies: libertarianism and totalitarianism.

And there is no combination of the two. There is no Third Way.

They should just change the name of that propaganda channel to Fox Comedy for Reactionaries and Conservatives. Beck is soooo, funny. He adds “666 Muslim St.” to the president’s BC because he’s, you know, sooooo funny.
http://www.sharethisurlaboutglennbeck.com/2011/04/becks-version-of-presidents-birth.html

He wanted to kill M. Moore with a shovel because he’s, you know, sooooo funny.

He wanted to assassinate the Speaker of the House because he’s, you know, sooooo funny.

If I joked about killing Beck the way Beck “jokes” about killing people he disagrees with, his reactionary double digit IQ flock would be screaming at me for such dangerous rhetoric because, you know, it’s NOT funny to express Islamophobia and joke about killing people.

More on Beck later today on http://www.wicb.org at 7:30 p.m. EST, 4:30 p.m. PT. Click on “Listen Now” to hear interview discussing Beck’s bald-faced lie about his slogan “truth has no agenda.”

Beck lied about writing his truth slogan because, you know, he’s suuuuuch a liar.

Personally, I think O’Reilly knows exactly who John Galt is, and was just playing dumb to distance himself from the folks that do.

Who is John Galt? He’s the next Conservative boogie man for the MSNBC intelligentsia to savage. The “leaning forward folks” have been excoriating the book for months in preparation of the release to the film.

Given that the Harvard Literary Society named “Atlas Shrugged” the most important book of the 20th century, it still amazes me at the number of people who still haven’t read it.

GlennBeckReview said:
Beck lied about writing his truth slogan because, you know, he’s suuuuuch a liar.

Still full of crap I see.

June Stevenson said:
It is understandable O’Reilly is not familiar with Ayn Rands writing, It wasn’t his. He and Beck also were not envited to the Royal wedding, so , of course, it was a flop.Goodbye Peck and Bill.

Who envited you here?….change your name again ellie.

Amazing that a supposedly informed person can not know at least the reference to John Galt, but that’s the state of cable news. My guess is that you would get a blank stare on the leftist side too.

The idea that anyone would seriously support Ron Paul for president when there is any reasonable alternative seems to me insane, and Gary Johnson is a very reasonable alternative, as is Rand Paul. It’s like a Leftist taking a Ralph Nader candidacy seriously; both are really too old to be anything but symbols. Paul is 75, Nader is 77, and you just don’t elect a septuagenarian to one of the world’s most stressful positions.

O’Reilly has developed into a total loon as far as I’m concerned. I used to be a fan, but lately his actions such as this has caused me to think he’s turned into a total tool and only interested in selling his books and to get Obama in for a interview on “HIS” show.
I’ve written him as much and told him the reasons why. He’s completely irrelevant any more IMHO. I watch other commentators that are more informative: Cavuto, Varney & Co,, Lou Dobbs, Judge Napolitano, Stossel,Tom Sullivan, and Charles Payne.

GlennBeckReview said:
“Beck lied about writing his truth slogan because, you know, he’s suuuuuch a liar.”

The reactionary defender of America’s liar-in-chief says:
“Still full of crap I see.”

Pull your head out of your butt and look for yourself:

http://dailycaller.com/2011/04/18/thedc-exclusive-conservatives-hit-beck-for-taking-content-without-attribution/4/

Ayn Rand’s ideas sound good in a book form but wouldn’t work well in the real world. However she did identify the problems of welfare leeches early on, along with incompetent leadership. Where her ideas fail first is in the realm of infrastructure, and then in law enforcement/military. Her utopia could not handle outside attack and there is no realistic method for infrastructure construction and maintenance. Her social collapse theories though are much better thought out, with Greece about to be a modern day example.

Helix said:
Where her ideas fail first is in the realm of infrastructure, and then in law enforcement/military. Her utopia could not handle outside attack and there is no realistic method for infrastructure construction and maintenance.

You are correct insofar as her writings did not specifically address these issues, but could it be there was no need or opportunity in her writings to do so? The obvious answer is that we shall never know, but it’s still an intriguing thought to ponder how she might have addressed these items.

Helix said:
Ayn Rand’s ideas sound good in a book form but wouldn’t work well in the real world.

I’m not entirely sold on that notion because I believe if her ideas “were” used as a societal framework, everyone would know and therefore accept that freeloading would not be tolerated or enabled, and thus get off their asses and strive to make their own way in the world.

One thing a LOT of people misunderstand is Rand’s views on charity and religion: On the former, she believed that giving charity was noble until people were forced to do so; on the latter, she was expressly against those religious doctrines that used guilt as a basis for control of individuals. True, she was an atheist, but I think she held the human spirit in high esteem.

Thanks for your post.

We certainly don’t need anymore comments from Bill O’Reilly — who is IN THE TANK for Obama. Don’t believe this?? Just watch him support and defend Obama CONSTANTLY on FOX. There is a new vid also on this subject — which is sooo funny! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ROsLAKq1xBs
Watch and laugh!!

Judge Mental said:
I’m not sure what the point of this article is, other than to claim that O’Reilly’s ignorance with regard to Ayn Rand is a signal of some sort of rift in the Republican party. To the contrary, it goes to show that there is a wide swath of people who vote Republican, including social cons, libertarians, and everything in between. And I don’t believe that familiarity with the works of Ayn Rand is generational, either. In the fifty-plus years since Atlas Shrugged was published, millions of people of all ages have read it. Not terribly surprising, though, that O’Reilly (who seems to be out of touch about a lot of things) hasn’t.

IMO it is generational. I read the book when I was in my early 20s. I liked it. I tried rereading it recently and couldn’t get into it. All I remember of it was flipping past a 100 page speech by John Galt. I’m not surprised it’s been picked up by another generation of young men, mostly, who have been fooled by the right into voting against their own best interests, because some day assuredly, they too will be rich.

X-3 said:
You are correct insofar as her writings did not specifically address these issues, but could it be there was no need or opportunity in her writings to do so? The obvious answer is that we shall never know, but it’s still an intriguing thought to ponder how she might have addressed these items. I’m not entirely sold on that notion because I believe if her ideas “were” used as a societal framework, everyone would know and therefore accept that freeloading would not be tolerated or enabled, and thus get off their asses and strive to make their own way in the world. One thing a LOT of people misunderstand is Rand’s views on charity and religion: On the former, she believed that giving charity was noble until people were forced to do so; on the latter, she was expressly against those religious doctrines that used guilt as a basis for control of individuals. True, she was an atheist, but I think she held the human spirit in high esteem. Thanks for your post.

In what framework do you believe her idea of cheating on one’s spouse with a friend’s husband, right in front of both their faces, would succeed?

Actually, there is a scene in Galt’s Gulch (the Rocky Mountain region mentioned) that features several children. (I actually read the book, so I know!)