Ayn Rand's Atlas Shrugged

Paul, aren't you a middle aged fuck like myself? I lost the opportunity at enhancing my literacy in high school, because I happened to go to school during the mid-1980s, when people were actually taking shit like the PMRC seriously. For almost any author you could name, we were only allowed the most sanitised example of work -- Anthem in the case of Rand. A Farewell to Arms, Franny and Zooey etc. Nothing like having the concerned mothers of America looking out for one's best interests.
 


Paul, aren't you a middle aged fuck like myself? I lost the opportunity at enhancing my literacy in high school, because I happened to go to school during the mid-1980s, when people were actually taking shit like the PMRC seriously. For almost any author you could name, we were only allowed the most sanitised example of work -- Anthem in the case of Rand. A Farewell to Arms, Franny and Zooey etc. Nothing like having the concerned mothers of America looking out for one's best interests.
I'm just entering my mid 20s actually.

I just looked up what the PMRC is. That label alone, turned me on to a bunch of great music that I wasn't supposed to hear, and probably wouldn't have been attracted to otherwise. I remember, when I was a little guy, my dad would actually take that shit seriously. I've since found out he's a brainwashed statist liberal, so I'm not surprised.

LOL@this:

File:Dee Snider at PMRC Senate Hearing.ogv - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

I bet nobody ever expected someone like Dee Snider to show up on the Senate floor...

I don't even really remember what we read back in my high school English classes, aside from "Raisin in the Sun", and surprisingly, "Brave New World". I have no idea why I remember those two, but it's probably because they were the only ones I read.

The reason they only offer up the most sanitized pieces of work is because they're afraid of offending anyone. Public education is such a joke.
 
@pfgannon: My bad -- not sure why I thought you were another of WF's senior citizens. Brave New World was definitely not on the reading list when I was in high school; hell, 1984 came and went and the closest we could get was Animal Farm. Ask me about our sex ed class sometime ("Kids, whatever you do, DON'T." in a nutshell.)


Frank
 
Parenthetically, I should add that I not only went to high school during America's weird flirtation with morality through stupidity, but also in Alabama -- I'm sure there were some schools in places less, oh, let's go with folksy, that were allowing their students to be aware that people were people back before the 1980s.
 
This book is 70% win, 20% crazy, and 10% boring.

Also, it does not account for altruism whatsoever.
 
Maybe that's why you didn't read it in high school... My last year of high school was 1996.

Very possible. Though I'd bet it has more to do with the political inclination of the county I grew up in.

@pfgannon: My bad -- not sure why I thought you were another of WF's senior citizens. Brave New World was definitely not on the reading list when I was in high school; hell, 1984 came and went and the closest we could get was Animal Farm. Ask me about our sex ed class sometime ("Kids, whatever you do, DON'T." in a nutshell.)


Frank

No problem. I'm glad to hear I come off as more seasoned than others my age.

My Sex Ed was much different. "Here's condoms. This is birth control. Oh yeah, not having sex works too." Not like it would have kept most kids from boning anyway.

Parenthetically, I should add that I not only went to high school during America's weird flirtation with morality through stupidity, but also in Alabama -- I'm sure there were some schools in places less, oh, let's go with folksy, that were allowing their students to be aware that people were people back before the 1980s.

People were people before the 80s? I call bullshit. I didn't become "a people" until 1990, when I turned 3.

jk kids aren't people

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The Foundtainhead is a much better into to her whole philosophy. It's a much better read as well.

In saying that, I loved both of them.