It would seem they go against their own conscience and intellect...the only vice that allows that is emotion and a thirst for the perverse. It denies one's own mind...very sad to say.

I think the founders were influenced primarily by getting rid of English rule over them, and the requirements that one believe in the English version of God.

The founders were NOT followers of Hume. Smith wrote after the Revolution. They were influenced first and foremost by Locke, Bacon, Newton, Aristotle

yes. this has always been their long game

Despite the great merits of capitalism, it seems to me that Rand shoots herself in the foot at the beginning of this one, because her statement about the reasons for the country's founding is BS and everybody knows it. The Founders were followers of the Scottish Enlightenment, and even inserted statements of faith, just like those she rejects, in the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution.

I am not saying that her reasoning is wrong. Only that it wasn't the Founders' reasoning.

I like the idea of full moral certainty. But I would go on to use economic reasoning to show why capitalism is superior.

Fortunately, it is no longer “theirs” and is a Dutch company. We all know Dutch ice creams are great.

Ben & Jerry are a regular junk-science machine. http://junkscience.com/2011/04/senate...

Their ice cream is good enough that I buy it anyway.

They sounded as if they were disappointed Marx was not running.

Yes. The world turned upside down.

WOW! Things haven't changed at all!

I completely think that. Because, they tend to raise their children to take care of their responsibilities, make long term plans, keep their house in order. Of course, our liberal friends want you to do that for THEM or your neighbor FIRST. so, they raise children who know no responsibilities, who do not take charge of their lives. Yet, our nation rewards those people and punishes the conservative families. They feel backed into a corner. the only way to be happy is to build a life based on another world or give in and through altruism, build the lives of one's neighbor to the dettriment of their own lives and plans.

unless I am wrong she was referring to the so called conservatives who happen to be politicians and there you have a 100 percent rate of lack of understanding her. I do believe she would prefer to see each man as an individual who happens to believe in working within a capitalistic system versus names like conservative etc. Having read most of what she has written and seen most of her videos, such as this one or interviews I always come away knowing more about things than I did prior to reading or listening to her. She of course was just BRILLIANT and unfortunately we do not have anyone who sees things so clearly as is able to present what she sees equally clearly. Unfortunately capitalism is not dying from natural causes it is being killed by politicians. Men of the 1890's resurrected today would not recognize it. I believe she was presenting a warning about its continued demise.

80%?
Whoa - that's being generous, but makes me even sadder in that they disregard their own reasoning capacity.

worse, 80% of Conservatives completely understand her and still vote emotionally

Like the song from an old James Bond movie, "Nobody Does It Better." Of course, when Ms. Rand speaks, one assumes her listeners can understand her. I'm not talking about her accent. I would be willing to bet that if a group of liberals were listening to that, at least 50% would flunk a test based on it. But, she was talking to conservatives. The question is, how many of them would understand her? Some would tune out when she talked about religion. Then, the very idea of taking full responsibility for their stance and doing it without relying on their parents, the past or anything but their own intellectual capacity is a hard sell, especially in this day and age. I doubt that she would even bother with this little expository talk which in a few minutes, summed up the entire motivation for the promotion of Capitalism.

the two owners sold out in the 90s. It is a large corp that owns it now. I think, Unilever.

Thanks! Will read on Kindle in one of many plane trips. (opps...replied to wrong comment, but you get it)

Ben & Jerry (of ice cream fame) on TV this morning sound like a Bernie Sanders ad. Onewonders how they can have such a business and yet have so little understanding.

Thanks khalling for providing that old film of Ayn Rand being ignored by too many.
That should be run on the big screen at every GOP convention.

as well, here is a post I made on the group of essays in the gulch last year: https://www.galtsgulchonline.com/post...

there is a lively discussion there. I'll repost-

hi Thoritsu. I think you may find some answers here. Esteemed authors, including the Gulch's own Ed Hudgins and Walter Donway: https://www.amazon.com/Republican-Par...

This is a great set of arguments.

Was there actually a turning point in the republican party from faith-based capitalism? Was this how the republicans were taken over by the religious?

I have always found that thinking is the hardest activity. Ayn Rand demands that I think constantly. It is so tiring and if I can't rely on some givens I'm not sure I have the strength to live on a day to day basis. Why won't that woman let me rest?

Full moral certainty. Yes and Yes.

Txs k.