The Fountainhead Filibuster: Tales from Objectivist Katanga

[Linkwerk]

A note on how the Katanga Gulch might make up for its dearth of readily-available resources: piracy is totally heroic.

RAGNAR detachment's lead G-Kar almost put it's front wheel through the windscreen of the first white-painted Land Rover, halting the whole convoy in a cloud of dust as the chopper flared out for landing, while the rest of the men fast-roped down to the narrow, dusty road from the four choppers which bracketed the small string of UN trucks.

There was no resistance, and the men worked quickly, binding the convoy's drivers, covered from overhead by the orbiting K-car's 20mm Oerlikon.

A gloved hand pulled back on the lead truck's flap. "Grain? UNHCR? Oh, that's a terrible mixup, mi bru."

The driver, hogtied with a FAL jammed into his back, didn't give much of an answer.

"Y'see, this convoy is on it's way to Galtville now, isn't it?"

 

[Wolfpaw]

RAGNAR detachment's lead G-Kar almost put it's front wheel through the windscreen of the first white-painted Land Rover, halting the whole convoy in a cloud of dust as the chopper flared out for landing, while the rest of the men fast-roped down to the narrow, dusty road from the four choppers which bracketed the small string of UN trucks.

There was no resistance, and the men worked quickly, binding the convoy's drivers, covered from overhead by the orbiting K-car's 20mm Oerlikon.

A gloved hand pulled back on the lead truck's flap. "Grain? UNHCR? Oh, that's a terrible mixup, mi bru."

The driver, hogtied with a FAL jammed into his back, didn't give much of an answer.

"Y'see, this convoy is on it's way to Galtville now, isn't it?"

THE AWESOME! IT BUUURRRNS!

 

[Linkwerk]

"Psychologically, the U.N. has contributed a great deal to the gray swamp of demoralization—of cynicism, bitterness, hopelessness, fear and nameless guilt—which is swallowing the Western world. But the communist world has gained a moral sanction, a stamp of civilized respectability from the Western world—it has gained the West’s assistance in deceiving its victims—it has gained the status and prestige of an equal partner, thus establishing the notion that the difference between human rights and mass slaughter is merely a difference of political opinion......The treatment accorded to Katanga versus the treatment accorded to Hungary, is a sufficient example of U.N. policies."

-Ayn Rand, Capitalism: The Unknown Ideal, P.148



The best AH is the shit that's closer to real than you thought.

 

[President Al Bundy]

I hope that Rand hasn't read a certain book by George Orwell. It might have given her even more horrible ideas.

 

[Linkwerk]

I hope that Rand hasn't read a certain book by George Orwell. It might have given her even more horrible ideas.

Oh, don't underestimate the lady- I'm confident that she can come up with sufficient horrible ideas on her own.

 

[EnglishCanuck]

I'm loving this TL! Its quite interesting how your portraying and leading Objectivism to its logical conclusions. Keep up the good work

 

[President Al Bundy]

Oh, don't underestimate the lady- I'm confident that she can come up with sufficient horrible ideas on her own.

She'll probably end up creating a society with "gods" (She and her "pals") and "worshippers" (workers, peasants and all the people Rand wouldn't touch with her pliers). Maybe a class between those two, which keeps them apart.

But I also like the "Nucleowank" you're attempting. So the Ford Nucleon becomes reality ITTL, right?

 

[Saint_007]

Reading through, loving what I'm reading.

And I'd love to see how the "Ford Nucleon" comes to life. If only because it means every idjit driving one gets enough radiation to become Terminal Cancer Patient #818824

Here's the thing. Remember the Ford Pinto? And how hitting its blinkers when it gave a turn signal caused its fuel tank to erupt in flames? And that was in America, where there are certain regulations in place, and penalties for making people burn in their cars.

Now imagine some Objectivist numbnut, free of regulations or responsibility, creating a radioactive engine for the rich.

You know what's sad? Like others said, this will be a regular Stalinist state, only with corporations rather than The State.

Religion? Ridiculous, and a waste of energy. Get rid of it.

Subversives? Eventually, they're going to shoot them.

Competence? Soon they'll prefer Objectivist and "Lowest possible cost" rather than "expert" (similar to Mao's misguided Great Leap Forwards).

The problem with Objectivism is that it leaves a power vacuum. No government means no oversight or state tyranny, true, but you need a bit of regulation for the safety of the people. Otherwise, something else will fill that vacuum. Like corporations more concerned with profit than the safety of others.

Finally, I just love how Rand puts "money" as "the purest motivation". Last I checked, the 1980 Iraq-Iran war had people running over landmines because someone told them God would welcome them to Heaven personally. OTL Vietnam War had the North Vietnamese digging tunnels and shitting into bags, having to amputate limbs due to gangrene - sans anesthetic or antiseptics, mind you - and they believed in their country and their creed. Motivations don't come any purer than that. At some point, you're going to run into diminishing returns when paying someone to fight and die for you. The USSR, by contrast, had no problem filling its ranks with young men willing to die just to kill Fascists. Of course, Stalin used conscription and forced recruitment, but it worked, right?

 

[mrsandman]

Friedman too? Danm shame always respected him a bit hope he gets killed quick and doesn't have to suffer. I was wondering if this modern-day Filibuster will create a new generation of William Walkers trying to waltz into some third-world country and take over the place. Should have interesting, in the chinese sense, ramifications.

 

[Polish Eagle]

What are your soldiers going to fight for, Ms.Rand?"

She locked eyes with him.

"The purest motivation of all."



"Money."

I take it Ms. Rand has never listened to Emperor Bonaparte. "A man won't have himself killed for a half-pence a day, or for a petty distinction. You must speak to the soul, in order to electrify him."

I like this TL. But Objectivist Nuts + International Condemnation + Enriched Uranium = OH S***!

 

[Georgepatton]

Here's the thing. Remember the Ford Pinto? And how hitting its blinkers when it gave a turn signal caused its fuel tank to erupt in flames? And that was in America, where there are certain regulations in place, and penalties for making people burn in their cars.

Now imagine some Objectivist numbnut, free of regulations or responsibility, creating a radioactive engine for the rich.

Assuming every other corporation that's buying these cars is going to sit there, and just take that.

"Sell us a shitty car, will you? Huh, guess we won't be selling you any food until you straighten your shit out, Carlie."

Not a recipe for success, but if everyone is pressing their self-interest to the fullest, there will be consequences.

 

[Wolfpaw]

She'll probably end up creating a society with "gods" (She and her "pals") and "worshippers" (workers, peasants and all the people Rand wouldn't touch with her pliers). Maybe a class between those two, which keeps them apart.

Well, she was pretty explicit about how Aristocracy is the best form of government; it's pretty much Dagny and Francisco's first conversation.

 

[Sam R.]

Can someone give me a futures price on Equatorial Pork Bellies?

Demand creates a market...

yours,
Sam R.

 

[Gen_Patton]

I take it Ms. Rand has never listened to Emperor Bonaparte. "A man won't have himself killed for a half-pence a day, or for a petty distinction. You must speak to the soul, in order to electrify him."

Isn't he also the guy who said: " A soldier will fight long and hard for a bit of colored ribbon."

 

[Kome]

Isn't he also the guy who said: " A soldier will fight long and hard for a bit of colored ribbon."

Your namesake would say there's a difference between dying and killing.

 

[Gen_Patton]

Your namesake would say there's a difference between dying and killing.

"No bastard ever won a war by dying for his country. He won it by making the other poor dumb bastard die for his country"

 

[Osakadave]

I take it Ms. Rand has never listened to Emperor Bonaparte. "A man won't have himself killed for a half-pence a day, or for a petty distinction. You must speak to the soul, in order to electrify him."

I like this TL. But Objectivist Nuts + International Condemnation + Enriched Uranium = OH S***!

I prefer Machiavelli's more thorough condemnation:

Mercenaries and auxiliaries are useless and dangerous; and if one holds his state based on these arms, he will stand neither firm nor safe; for they are disunited, ambitious and without discipline, unfaithful, valiant before friends, cowardly before enemies; they have neither the fear of God nor fidelity to men, and destruction is deferred only so long as the attack is; for in peace one is robbed by them, and in war by the enemy. The fact is, they have no other attraction or reason for keeping the field than a trifle of stipend, which is not sufficient to make them willing to die for you.

 

[Dan Reilly The Great]

Love the TL so far, first one I've liked this much since Calbear's Anglo-American/Nazi War.

On the issue of drugs, I could easily see a Morrell type character prescribing a nasty coctail of stimulants and narcotics to help The Leader deal with the stresses of "saving the world from those horrible internationalists" as things start getting really bad.

I take it Ms. Rand has never listened to Emperor Bonaparte. "A man won't have himself killed for a half-pence a day, or for a petty distinction. You must speak to the soul, in order to electrify him."

I like this TL. But Objectivist Nuts + International Condemnation + Enriched Uranium = OH S***!

I wouldn't be surprised if nuclear weapons is one of the first things that the Katanga military tries to obtain. Once you have a nuclear armed state, you no longer have as much of a need for such petty collectivist things like armies, just blackmail your neighbors with a couple dozen nuclear warheads which can be set off by one single individual pushing a button.


I wonder, will this nation start to see the rise of individuals such as Bioshock's Mr. Fontaine who will abuse the non-regulated status to fuck things up royally(not that a objectivist society really needs much help fucking itself up)?

 

[Linkwerk]

I prefer Machiavelli's more thorough condemnation:

Well, the first chapter is one of Rand's mercenaries mulling over his plan to flee because things have gone pear-shaped, so I guess some things never change!

Friedman too? Danm shame always respected

Well, re-read the conversation. Friedman isn't totally sold. What you're gonna see is a split between more "traditional" conservatives, the ones who OTL liked Objectivisim because it provides a moral fig leaf for extreme free market policies, but still love all that morals, community, virtue stuff, and a different constellation of "believers" in the ATL.

As you might have noticed, there is a pronounced technocratic streak in Objectivism- so the crowd it attracts when things start being put into practice might be a little different.

I wouldn't be surprised if nuclear weapons is one of the first things that the Katanga military tries to obtain.

Atlas Airways flight 520, Galtville International Airport to Tel Aviv-Ben Gurion via Mombasa boarding in twenty minutes.....

 

[President Al Bundy]

Can someone give me a futures price on Equatorial Pork Bellies?

Demand creates a market...

yours,
Sam R.

This wouldn't shock me. Workers who died due to bad workplace safety still have its use. In fact, I think that workplace safety might be deliberately bad, in order to ensure the "harvest".