There is a very fun discussion of Ayn Rand going on right now on RUSH's FB page.

[dogknob]

Very fun.

https://www.facebook.com/rushtheband/posts/508725265828713

[drm604]

1. Am I the only one who thought that this was going to be about Rush Limbaugh?

[dogknob]

4. Unless you know anything about the band...

...and the hoopla around their album "2112," I can see how you would have thought it would be about the Man Who Sweats A Lot.

Rest assured, I will never do an OP about anything Limbaugh believes.

[drm604]

10. There was nothing about an album or "2012" in the subject line.

I was just remarking on how wrong my first impression was when I read the subject line. I wasn't criticizing you.

[dogknob]

11. Oh I know you weren't mad at me...

Way back in 1976, they put out an album called 2112. Side one (remember sides?) was taken up by a 20-minute sci-fi sorta piece that tells a story that draws heavily upon Rand's novel The Fountainhead.

Fortunately, 2112 leaves out all of that "joy of being raped by a successful man" and "screw the homeless if I can't build them a shelter with flying buttresses" stuff.

As far as 70s concept albums go, it's OK. It totally saved their career, so to celebrate 2012, they have released a super-snazzy, 5.1 remix thingamajig of the album... y'know, like Floyd, Gabriel and a few others from that era have been doing recently.

I only brought it up here because I was, frankly, amazed at the civility of the ensuing discussion about Rand on their FB page.

[MrScorpio]

2. I posted my favorite John Rogers quote

It's always a surefire winner

[dogknob]

3. I love this post.

[Major Nikon]

5. Clarence Thomas forces his male staffers to read Atlas Shrugged

...and his female staffers to watch Long Dong Silver.

I'm not sure which is worse.

[dogknob]

9. Neither. Watching his blackmailed silence on the bench is worse.

Must be nice having a guy on the highest court in the land who could be destroyed in the blink of an eye.

[freshwest]

6. I can't stand it so I ain't going there. Anyone there NOT in love with that psychopath there yet?

Just askin'

[EastTennesseeDem]

15. Rush the band, not the asshole

So, plenty.

[dogknob]

16. Bwahahaha! "The band, not the asshole..." I like that. That works. n/t

[Spider Jerusalem]

7. "Neal Peart...genius of Ayn Rand"

their libertarian fucktardery just reinforces my opinion of Rush as being a bunch of amazingly overrated wankers, quite honestly.

[dogknob]

8. The reason I called the discussion "fun" is because, for some reason...

... even the obvious freepers are remaining well-behaved and respectful of each other.

If the discussion were taking place on Paul Ryan's FB page, it would no doubt be chock full of F-bombs, barely-veiled death threats, and words like "fucktard."

Maybe RUSH fans are just nicer people. Maybe a dedication that appeared on an album that came out when its lyricist was 36 years younger reflects what many feel about Ayn Rand: that she can be quite appealing to someone before they grow up.

I'm not even a regular listener, but I know they are capable of some pretty amazing music and, especially after seeing the recent documentary about them, I feel good just knowing that they are around.

I doubt they would have played for 7 minutes and dissed everyone had they been invited to play at Madison Square Garden on Wednesday.

[6000eliot]

12. Well, to be fair, probably a lot of them are Canadian.

[dogknob]

14. I was beginning to suspect the same thing. Impossible: it's Facebook

RUSH wouldn't be around anymore without a huge fan base in the US... and apparently an even huger one worldwide; they go nuts for those guys in South America.

[OriginalGeek]

13. To be fair

Neal has long since outgrown Rand. He said in a recent interview that all that was when he was just a kid still trying to figure out his place in the world.

[WCGreen]

19. Well,, he probably had his first non self inflicted orgasm and then saw, at that moment....

the childishness that is Ayn Rand...

[dogknob]

24. Bwahahahahaha! Wow. Real sex will do that. n/t

[freshwest]

17. Yeah, I just gave it a chance unfortunately:

2112 - Spotlight on Ayn Rand
Neil Peart gives acknowledgement to the genius of Ayn Rand in the liner notes to the album 2112. Here is a brief biography of this influential writer:

http://www.rush.com/2112-spotlight-on-ayn-rand/

I'll agree with Spider Jerusalem on that, although I always loved their music. But I wouldn't have gone for Rand years ago, either. Hopeufully they really have outgrown it. If this is gonna be an Ayn Rand cheerleading thread, bye.

[dogknob]

18. Not at all. She was a monster who worshiped demons.

My thread is mostly about the discussion itself. When I last looked (several hours ago), nobody had flipped out. The arguments for or against remained civil, which is something I rarely see in any online political discussion.

[freshwest]

20. I don't do Facebook, so I've missed that. But honestly, I'm not civil on Rand and don't apologize.

Her followers have destroyed many lives in this country and are proud of it. Thanks.

[dogknob]

21. Agreed. So whatcha gonna do? Shoot 'em all? Hide from them?

You can't shoot 'em all.

They will find your hiding place eventually.

Why not point out, honestly and with civility, the flaws in their pro-Rand arguments? I've seen some pretty amazing things happen on FB since I "went political" there.

As for getting "black bagged" by the freepers when they get back in control and scan my FB history, I am not afraid of that at all; the terrorists can take my life away, but not while I'm living it.

[freshwest]

22. See if someone else wants to discuss that here. It's late and I'm going to bed.

[dogknob]

23. OK. I went and looked again. The civility has left the building. ROCK & ROLL!

Looks like several of the people from earlier have had a few beers...