The age of Objectivism?

[musashi]

I ask many questions in this Deep Thoughts section. I’d like to get a clear picture of what an Objectivist society might look like and I think these are some key questions to sort out.

History provides a reference point for this type of social transformation. I am considering the rise of Socialism. It seems that Marx and Engels originated a theory. But it took about 50 years for Lenin and the Bolsheviks to begin to cobble together a functioning prototype.

Interesting that Atlas Shrugged is now been in publication for 52 years. Are we entering a new age of opportunity for these ideas?

[redhotrebel]

I realize that this is a very old topic but it warrants a response. Although history does tend to follow certain patterns in regards to societal norms, political ideology and expectations, you are starting from a false premise. Communism is extremely easy to convince people to follow because it fulfills our fundamental desire to be lazy. Socialism, communism etc... all play to the desire to do the least amount of work while getting the most out of it. It would not take me more than 2 seconds to convince a person to stay home and paint pretty pictures because people SHOULD like their artwork. It is harder to convince someone to hold down a real job and do art as a side project until they can make money off of it and thus support themselves financially.

Societies belief in an egalitarian system is harder to break because the more people that are consuming “free goods” in a Democratic society will have a mob rule over those who are producing for them. In Atlas Shrugged it didn’t matter that hard working people were setting an example or speaking out against “moochers” their only recourse to change the way their society was run was to “...stop the motor...”.
With Universal Healthcare pending it greatly affects me as a healthcare provider. I see myself having 2 black and white choices:
1) Continue working as a nurse to support myself thus sanctioning the “moochers” to continue their theft of my life and liberty or
2) I can, for all intense and purposes, stop my "motor".

The problem with either outcome is I will lose my livelihood. Both would be a sacrifice on my behalf and completely against my nature to not work against myself. However, of my two presumable choices (with a great attempt on my part to not create a false dichotomy) option 2 would have a greater benefit in the long run.

So to completely answer your question, although I want to believe that their is a great change coming to our government and to our society I cannot logically deduce that objectivism or true freedom will occur in my lifetime.