Objectivism meets terrorism
Osama bin Laden is Francisco d'Anconia (from Atlas Shrugged) of our time. This is the conclusion I reached after listening to an NPR story detailing some of the circumstances of Mr. bin Laden’s life. Both the fictional character and the World Most Wanted are heirs to great fortunes, men of unparalleled determination, ability and passion for their beliefs. As Francisco worked in his father’s mines and minded the ore smelters, Osama operated bulldozers and cranes for his father’s construction company from a young age. In adulthood, both fight to destroy what their fathers had built. Francisco bankrupts d'Anconia Copper and sinks its company ships, while Osama declares Jihad on Saudi Arabia, with the great cities of Mecca and Media that his family had modernized. Both are quite willing to take up arms for their cause. However, one major difference separates them. Unlike Mr. d'Anconia, Mr. bin Laden is not a one-dimensional, underdeveloped character in a long-winded novel.
Note: In my opinion, Ayn Rand’s Atlas Shrugged is a very poor quality work, both from the literature and the socio-economic theory perspectives. Furthermore, I do not consider Osama bin Laden as the problem, but simply as a consequence of the policies practiced by the Great Power. He is only a symptom, not the disease.
Note: In my opinion, Ayn Rand’s Atlas Shrugged is a very poor quality work, both from the literature and the socio-economic theory perspectives. Furthermore, I do not consider Osama bin Laden as the problem, but simply as a consequence of the policies practiced by the Great Power. He is only a symptom, not the disease.