<html xmlns:v="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:vml" xmlns:o="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" xmlns:w="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:word" xmlns:m="http://schemas.microsoft.com/office/2004/12/omml" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40"><head><meta http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><meta name=Generator content="Microsoft Word 15 (filtered medium)"><!--[if !mso]><style>v\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
o\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
w\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
.shape {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
</style><![endif]--><style><!--
/* Font Definitions */
@font-face
{font-family:"Cambria Math";
panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4;}
@font-face
{font-family:Calibri;
panose-1:2 15 5 2 2 2 4 3 2 4;}
/* Style Definitions */
p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal
{margin:0in;
font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;}
span.EmailStyle18
{mso-style-type:personal-reply;
font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;
color:windowtext;}
.MsoChpDefault
{mso-style-type:export-only;
font-size:10.0pt;}
@page WordSection1
{size:8.5in 11.0in;
margin:1.0in 1.0in 1.0in 1.0in;}
div.WordSection1
{page:WordSection1;}
--></style><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:shapedefaults v:ext="edit" spidmax="1026" />
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:shapelayout v:ext="edit">
<o:idmap v:ext="edit" data="1" />
</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link=blue vlink="#954F72" style='word-wrap:break-word'><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><div><div style='border:none;border-top:solid #E1E1E1 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0in 0in 0in'><p class=MsoNormal><b>From:</b> extropy-chat <extropy-chat-bounces@lists.extropy.org> <b>On Behalf Of </b>Hermes Trismegistus via extropy-chat<br><b>Subject:</b> [ExI] Atlas Shrugged<o:p></o:p></p></div></div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>>…I have heard mention of Ayn Rand’s works, particularly Atlas Shrugged, on this list and other places. I have not read it myself, but am interested in your all’s thoughts on the book. The book seems to be very polarizing, with some loathing it and others praising it. I come mostly from a libertarian perspective and am curious as to the potential pitfalls of the book and what may be learned by reading it. Hermes<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Hermes, I loved it, but do understand what you are getting. John Galt is the fantasy libertarian ideal business guy who does everything right and succeeds but of course government bureaucracy fights him. Any resemblance to Elon Musk is purely coincidental you understand and oh by the way, the same week Musk buys Twitter the US government is suddenly very interested in creating a federal agency to stop misinformation on the internet but pay no attention to that man behind the curtain, nothing to see here.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Hell never mind reading 65 year old fiction, look at what is actually happening today.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Example, a news parody site, the Babylon Bee, posted a gag about a Twitter employee’s absurd over- sensitivity, getting therapy in response to Musk buying Twitter. In response, Twitter put a warning label that the post contains sensitive content.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>…heeeeeeeheheheheheheheheheheheeeeee… good one, Twitter.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>That in itself was a terrific self-referential self-parody play-along-with-the-gag on the part of Twitter. Or rather it would be, if we could be completely sure that Twitter really was intending to make fun of itself. I have nagging doubts. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>How do you read that?<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>spike<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><img width=487 height=540 style='width:5.0729in;height:5.625in' id="Picture_x0020_1" src="cid:image002.jpg@01D85AF3.E4FA47B0"><o:p></o:p></p></div></body></html>