worst Rand quote

[Elliot Temple]

What is the worst thing Rand ever said?

-- Elliot Temple
http://fallibleideas.com/

[ano...@yahoo.com]

On Monday, April 1, 2013 10:36:39 PM UTC+1, Elliot Temple wrote:

What is the worst thing Rand ever said?

Ayn Rand said in the Donahue show 1979:

I wouldn't vote for her [a woman running for President]. It is not to a woman's personal interest to rule men, it puts her in a very unhappy position. I don't believe any good woman would want that position. [...] A Commander-in-Chief of the army, a woman? I think it's unspeakable.

Why would gender, in itself, be a problem?

For context, I transcribed the whole interaction from:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=QNNQkBMiD4Y#t=146s

Audience: Do you believe that there's going to a day where there's going to be a female in the White House as President? And how do you feel about that?
Ayn Rand: I wouldn't vote for her.
Phil Donahue: You would or wouldn't?
AR: Would not. 
PD: Would not.
AR: No.
PD: Why not?
AR: For many reasons. 
PD: Why?
AR: I've written an article about that in my former magazine. You'll have to find out my reasons there. The magazine is The Objectivist.
[What article is this?]
Audience: Would you not vote for her because she was a woman even if she was better qualified than any men?
AR: If it would fall as that low I might.
Audience: That low? I think you have a very, very poor opinion of women.
AR: I'll tell you why. Let me answer this. It is not to a woman's personal interest to rule men, it puts her in a very unhappy position. I don't believe any good woman would want that position.
PD: So you are essentially against leadership positions for women, then?
AR: No. Oh no. A President is not the only leadership position. There's senators and congressmen and many...
PD: And it's alright for you if they run and be elected.
AR: Oh, certainly and I'd vote for them. But, wait a moment. A Commander-in-Chief of the army, a woman? I think it's unspeakable.

End quote.

[Elliot Temple]

On Apr 24, 2013, at 5:04 AM, ano...@yahoo.com wrote:

> On Monday, April 1, 2013 10:36:39 PM UTC+1, Elliot Temple wrote:
>
>> What is the worst thing Rand ever said?
>
>
> Ayn Rand said in the Donahue show 1979:
>
>> I wouldn't vote for her [a woman running for President]. It is not to a
>> woman's personal interest to rule men, it puts her in a very unhappy
>> position. I don't believe any good woman would want that position. [...]
>> A Commander-in-Chief of the army, a woman? I think it's unspeakable.
>
>
> Why would gender, in itself, be a problem?
>
> For context, I transcribed the whole interaction from:
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=QNNQkBMiD4Y#t=146s
>
> Audience: Do you believe that there's going to a day where there's going to
>> be a female in the White House as President? And how do you feel about that?
>> Ayn Rand: I wouldn't vote for her.
>> Phil Donahue: You would or wouldn't?
>> AR: Would not.
>> PD: Would not.
>> AR: No.
>> PD: Why not?
>> AR: For many reasons.
>> PD: Why?
>> AR: I've written an article about that in my former magazine. You'll have
>> to find out my reasons there. The magazine is The Objectivist.
>> [What article is this?]

The Voice of Reason, table of contents:

> Chapter 26 - About a Woman President


it's not very hard to find.

and it's easy to google an excerpt with "ayn rand female president article":

http://aynrandlexicon.com/lexicon/femininity.html

Anyway I don't agree with her here, but if this is the very worst Rand quote ever, that's a pretty good record.

But I'm pretty skeptical this is the worst. For example, if induction and flawed psychiatry views never led to a worse comment, that'd be kinda amazing.

I think she's also said some stuff about all philosophers before her, except Aristotle, sucked. But what about Burke and Godwin?

She's certainly not perfect. But is there no really bad worst quote? Popper said fucking awful stuff like over population is a big danger and TV is like war. He has extreme highs and lows. Did Rand never mess up a tenth as bad as Popper's bottom? Does Rand have highs without any extreme lows?

I dunno. I bet there's something worse than the female president thing. But I don't know what it is.

-- Elliot Temple
http://beginningofinfinity.com/