Rand undervalued
From Mr Graham Asher Sir: Michael Harrington's attack by innuendo (Politics, 17 August) and — to quote Mary Archer — 'inaccurate précis' of Ayn Rand and her philosophy will probably have the opposite of its intended effect and send people to her books. There they will discover much to think about. Ayn Rand did become the leader of a cult, it is true, and it may also be true that groups of her followers disagree publicly on the Internet, but nobody seriously thinks that such criticism of her political philosophy is valid.
Her ideas and influence, along with those of Hayek, Popper and others, helped to knock down the Berlin Wall and destroy the Soviet Union. Now, more than ten years after the end of the Cold War, free society in the West is under attack again. If the Tories have any hope at all, they must provide a reasoned, moral alternative to what Ayn Rand called 'statism'.
Yes, Ayn Rand did indeed regard 'conservatives' — the US variety — with contempt, because they, like Ted Heath and his sorry crew, had nothing to say, and no ideas; just pragmatism and an orderly retreat.
Graham Asher
Berkhamstead, Hertfordshire
From Mr John Webb Sir: One of the most common questions put to me by those who have only recently discovered the novels of Ayn Rand is whether the characters which feature so vividly in her fiction could exist in real life. My usual response is to indicate that Atlas Shrugged was written by one such character.
However, having just read the litany of smears that Michael Harrington presents as political analysis, I think I can safely say that not only do Ayn Rand's heroes exist in real life but so do one or two of the villains.
John Webb
Chairman, UK Objectivist Association, Sheffield
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