Re:Ayn Rand’s ‘Atlas Shrugged’ has been completely unraveled...
by roenxi on Sunday June 20, 2021 @09:42AM
(#27569867)
I can't read the article because it is behind a paywall. But, taking a stab in the dark, the title suggests that the article will follow the fairly standard formulation of "government banned the free market for your own good, and then the only way to make progress was via government. It worked, so libertarianism can now be written off"
So, note that the major government contribution in this pandemic was removing all the safeguards that slow down vaccine development and rubber stamping the first vaccines that look safe enough. The WHO failed spectacularly at nipping the pandemic in the bud - rather helping to slow the response by working with Chinese propaganda. Most governments were largely unprepared and powerless due to poor preparation, despite private actors ringing the bell for years.
The libertarians (like me!) would claim that the pandemic has shown why a free market approach would have been a better response to the pandemic. Ayn Rand's objectivism could have handled the situation fine.
So, note that the major government contribution in this pandemic was removing all the safeguards that slow down vaccine development and rubber stamping the first vaccines that look safe enough. The WHO failed spectacularly at nipping the pandemic in the bud - rather helping to slow the response by working with Chinese propaganda. Most governments were largely unprepared and powerless due to poor preparation, despite private actors ringing the bell for years.
The libertarians (like me!) would claim that the pandemic has shown why a free market approach would have been a better response to the pandemic. Ayn Rand's objectivism could have handled the situation fine.