Robert Anton Wilson was a libertarian who believed there was a role for compassion and who thought that if government did anything, it should provide for people in need. From the Huffington Post (via Michael Johnson on alt.fan.wilson, via Mark Frauenfelder at bOING bOING) comes word that Ayn Rand, while despising others who took government aid as parasites, took government money from Social Security and Medicare.
Reason's Tim Cavanaugh responds, saying the Rand fuss is "completely opportunistic." I'm not so sure. It's common for libertarians to assert that as they are forced to pay taxes, they should go ahead and try to get something back. But shouldn't Randians have a bit more sympathy from now on for people getting government aid? Or should aid only go to people who write bestselling novels?
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re: Robert Anton Wilson meeting Ayn Rand: see the revised ed of Cosmic Trigger, vol 2, pp.133-134.
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