Fruitonica

Do you think only in extremes? The gaping flaw in your argument is the ridiculous extrapolation that you cannot value your life if it isn't your highest priority.

Also, giving to others without expecting a return is only irrational if you adopt a selfish approach to life where personal gain is your greatest ambition.

Double X

Sweden is basically socialist and they are doing quite well.

The Unfan

No it isn't. Ayn Rand was crazy. Truly one of the worst philosophers of all time.

Inuzuka Skysword

How? You are going to actually have to point out some flaws in it so that you make any sense.

Altruism according to wikipedia is:

"Altruism is selfless concern for the welfare of others."

Selfless, meaning one does not value his interests above others.

Socialism is slavery. If one cannot own what he works for then it is slavery. I don't care where it is going. Forcing one to give up property rights for your illogical beliefs is contradictory to the idea that another's interests should go before theirs.

The Monkey

What about those who cannot work? What about those whose jobs and money have been lost due to an economic crisis? What about the old, whose pension can no longer cover the necessities of life? What about the children born into poor families with little hope for higher education? Equal opportunity doesn't exist in today's society.

__________________

Now another stranger seems to want you to ignore his dreams as though they were the burden of some other

My Last.fm

Inuzuka Skysword

All rights come from man's right to his own life. Nothing be a right if it violates someone else's right to life. Property rights are rights based on the right to life because a man must own property in order to sustain himself.

Society shouldn't have to care about those people. Charity can still be given to people because it is voluntary. Secondly, there has never been a truly free market in the world. In a truly free market, rational people will make it to the top. Kids inheriting companies from their dad's will probably not happen unless the kid knows the business well.

The Unfan

If reason is the only absolutely you can not reason out other absolutes. For instance, time is not absolute for time is not reason. However if you could reasonably determine that time necessarily exists than you must discard your previous stance.

Fruitonica

That addresses nothing about my post. From here explain how valuing someone's interest above your own means you cannot place any value on your own life.

Applenux

If one have to pay for hospital and can be killed legally, even if he's under 18, how do you call that ? A lot of people in the world would call that dictatorship. I call that USA.

And socialism DOESN'T mean you can't own what you work for. It means that even if you can't buy, food, health..., you can have it.

(USSR was a dictatorship, that's true, but every socialists nations aren't)

__________________
Ceci n'est pas une signature. Ou pas. Au fait je m'en balance les couilles : personne va comprendre !

anticipation

yeah, developing a healty self-esteem and living life to the fullest sound like horrible ideas to me too.