From: frode@toaster.SFSU.EDU (Frode Odegard)
Date: Tue, 1 Mar 94 11:43:20 PST
To: cypherpunks@toad.com
Subject: It's the philosophy, stupid!
Message-ID: <9403011941.AA17409@toaster.SFSU.EDU>
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It's now quite a while since I promised to write something about how
the U.S. is starting to look more and more like the Weimar Republic
just before Hitler came to power.  However, I am simply out of band-
width, and will try to get away with recommending the book where I
first picked up this idea:

	"Ominous Parallels" by L. Peikoff

The book reveals the philosophical premises of today's Liberals *and*
Conservatives and shows how they would fit right into Weimar.  In the
end, Hitler was the man who promised to implement the ideals of both
the right (order, restraint of workers etc.) and the left (social
programs, restraint of businessmen.)  Both the Protestants and the
Catholics praised Hitler, for "increasing the moral standard" of
the country.

Finally, Ayn Rand's "Atlas Shrugged" is a novel which offers a
rather stunning commentary to the words of both Bush and Clinton.
Indeed, it was "Atlas Shrugged" which finally prompted me to abandon
the super-socialized Norway and move to the U.S.; and here I am
watching it grow ever-more statist. :-)   As for anyone already
aware of / curious about Rand's philosophy, Objectivism, I'll be
happy to (per email) answer questions, point them to discussion
lists and so on.


Frode Odegard