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Editor-In-Chief Blames
Nihilism on Capitalism
by Glenn Woiceshyn
Sent to the Globe and Mail, but wasn't published.
Dear Editor,
Re: "The Marketplace Bends The Knee To Consumer Sovereignty"--by William
Thorsell--Nov/18/95--The Globe and Mail
I was initially encouraged that Globe's Editor-In-Chief William Thorsell would discuss
the disturbing trend in recent movies, such as Pulp Fiction, which project a "morally
empty universe" where nothing matters to the characters except "immediate
personal gratification." But I was shocked that he would try to blame this rising
nihilism on capitalism, especially given the fact that the anti-capitalist ideas
and policies of modern liberalism have ruled Western culture throughout this century.
Many decades ago, Ayn Rand -- capitalism's greatest defender -- demonstrated why
the "idealism" of modern liberalism is intellectually and morally bankrupt,
and she predicted that it would self-destructive into nihilism, with capitalism as
the scapegoat. (See her novel: Atlas Shrugged) She even predicted that the Progressive
pedagogy of modern liberalism would breed a new class of mindless whim-worshippers
and amoral anarchists seeking "immediate personal gratification." (For
details, see her essay The Comprachicos which is printed in her book: The New Left:
The Anti-Industrial Revolution.)
Capitalism is the social system that protects individual rights. It doesn't tell
or force people to become mindless consumers or amoralists seeking "immediate
personal gratification." It leaves people free to pursue their lives and happiness.
Only the irrational "idealism" of modern liberalism can explain the banality
of modern culture. Shamefully, modern intellectuals continue to blame the victim
rather than the real killer -- and many still shamefully ignore Ayn Rand.
Sincerely,
Glenn Woiceshyn
© 1997 Glenn Woiceshyn. All rights reserved.
This article can be found on-line at at http://www.capitalism.org/glennw. |
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