Literary Discussions

I shall most likely never personally embrace her philosophy. And indeed it is propaganda, but she enjoyed amazing success and her life, the role she played in American history, is interesting to study. The other observation I will make in general is about many people who repeatedly make negative comments about whatever they don't like, whether it is Obama or the issues of health care or global warming, etc and the list goes on and on is that it becomes pointless to simply rant about it (not that you, Lisa, are ranting) indeed, Rand's writings were propaganda designed to win lifelong "converts" to objectivism. But once I saw a student from India rant on and on day after day about how Shakespeare was overrated. And I suppose there are people somewhere who repeatedly state that the Vedas or the Tao or Josephus or Plutarch's lives are overrated.  But at some point we must simply move on in life (again I am addressing this to others and not to Lisa).  We all know how on the Internet many "discussions" end or begin with the statement SoAndSo is an @ssHat.  Much better to dig in if and research and argue in detail  exactly WHY something or someone is lacking or misleading or inferior. I am guilty this week of debating at great length with some Lutherans about the merits or demerits of the Reformation theology of Martin Luther. But I give specific quotations and arguments and they, in turn, do not simply call me names (because they are too dignified for that) but rather they counter with their quotes and arguments and we both learn something new and different.