tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4471540085069522287.post7505023320129950546..comments2022-11-24T05:40:01.167-05:00Comments on Superhero Babylon: Show and Tell: RorschachJoe Mauronehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07598213543612872498noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4471540085069522287.post-69060858251241572992009-03-13T01:23:00.000-04:002009-03-13T01:23:00.000-04:00I saw that and left a comment at another site who ...I saw that and left a comment at another site who thought it was "awesome". I have to agree, Colbert seems to have no real understanding of what Rand is attempting to teach. As I mentioned on that site, in my experience, there are two kinds of people who react poorly to her ideas - those who have little to no genuine understanding of what she supports and opposes AND those who genuinely believe they have a right to the property of others without just compensation on the mere basis of personal want or need. If I had to guess, the numbers of the former are outnumbered by those of the latter kind. You'll probably agree - "Need" is insufficient warrant to take what does not belong to you.RichardBarneshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17185784949325429557noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4471540085069522287.post-27480858850345793302009-03-13T01:17:00.000-04:002009-03-13T01:17:00.000-04:00Thanks, Michael. If you think Moore's bad (and he ...Thanks, Michael. If you think Moore's bad (and he is), you should have seen Stephen Colbert's Toohey-esque performance last night. Goddamn bastart just proves he hasn't actually READ the book...Joe Mauronehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07598213543612872498noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4471540085069522287.post-22697703756520492352009-03-13T00:45:00.000-04:002009-03-13T00:45:00.000-04:00EXCELLENT work, Joe! You've outdone yourself! Su...EXCELLENT work, Joe! You've outdone yourself! Summed up my own thoughts about Moore and the Watchmen (and V for Vendetta- much more my thing than the Watchmen) very nicely. Can't stand that people like Moore... still... mistake Rand for fascism. Annoys me to no end.Mike Vardoulishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09002753248712603084noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4471540085069522287.post-52446737260926931212009-02-08T13:15:00.000-05:002009-02-08T13:15:00.000-05:00Thanks, Landon and Naumadd. Naumadd, the actual qu...Thanks, Landon and Naumadd.<BR/><BR/> Naumadd, the actual quote from Moore re Rand and fascism:<BR/><BR/> "I have to say I found Ayn Rand's philosophy laughable. It was a 'white supremacist dreams of the master race,' burnt in an early 20th-century form. They seemed to be the kind of ideas that people would espouse, people who might secretly believe themselves to be part of the elite, and not part of the excluded majority."Joe Mauronehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07598213543612872498noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4471540085069522287.post-76395930372303735682009-02-08T07:13:00.000-05:002009-02-08T07:13:00.000-05:00Joe I have to thank you for being able to write th...Joe I have to thank you for being able to write the piece that I myself haven't been quite capable of doing. I've never gotten past a few lines like "Rorschach is more like Travis Bickle than Howard Roark." This is a great piece and thanks for having it in you.<BR/><BR/>Also Naumadd, Steve Ditko is an explicitly Objectivist cartoonist and Moore made it very clear that he was attacking specifically that with Rorschach. A number of Ditko's stories had an Objectivist bent to them and unmistakably Objectivist dialogue (except in cases where someone like Denny O'Neil deliberately watered it down). <BR/><BR/>By contrast Moore ran with the idea that "if you're a conservative you're evil" and had Rorschach call a rapist a hero because "he served his duty to his country" and did other things like having him be far more obsessed with drug dealers/users and prostitutes than violent criminals which flatly goes against everything Ditko himself wrote.<BR/><BR/>Other than that I really liked your comments and I'm personally glad to know that there will no be one more person out there ready to hand Mr. Moore his intellectual hat. <BR/><BR/>I had the misfortune of this work being my first exposure to Objectivism, and I feel bad for all the peopleLandon Erphttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03180379787684939843noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4471540085069522287.post-36333690057516208542009-02-08T01:21:00.000-05:002009-02-08T01:21:00.000-05:00This is the first I've heard of Alan Moore's assoc...This is the first I've heard of Alan Moore's associating Rand with "a sort of fascism" - a comment to which she would of course laugh and then philsophically carve Mr. Moore a new ass. Rand was and her philosphy of objectivism are as far removed from fascism as is likely ever to get. Not knowing Steve Ditko as detailed as I do Ms. Rand, I cannot speak to his philosophical or political views, however, I suspect Mr. Moore is far off base there as well if he's grouping him and Rand together. They must apparently share some views in common which, on preliminary consideration must mean Steve Ditko is pretty cool guy.<BR/><BR/>I have to agree with Moore on the basic ideas of anarchy - little to no government at all - and Rand would agree on its wisdom IF it were true that there are never disputes among human beings. In her view, human relations ALWAYS give rise to disputes and, although she likely detests the need of government, she made it quite clear it is absolutely essential for one purpose only - to put the authorized use of physical force in one place - government - in order to safeguard individuals from its use otherwise. In other words, government may use physical force to restrain those who would turn peaceful relationships into violent ones.<BR/><BR/>At any rate, I suppose all of this is merely preaching to the choir here. I just thought it appropriate how hilarious Rand would find any association between her and fascism and how likely she'd eat Mr. Moore's philosophical lunch if they ever were in the same room together ... or the same planet. It's perhaps fortunate Rand is no longer living. Of course, there are plenty who understand her philosophy all too well who are more than capable of handing Mr. Moore his intellectual hat ... as it were.RichardBarneshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17185784949325429557noreply@blogger.com