PAT TILLMAN AND AYN RAND

Bill Quick's site has conjured up a long discussion about Ayn Rand, the philosopher/novelist of the late 40s through early 50's. She wrote "The Fountainhead" and the massive "Atlas Shrugged" which explained and explored her philosophy that asserts the individual is everything and the group tyrannical. Her philosophy is pure, now known as "Objectivism" and has many followers.

A core of her philosophy states there is no such thing as altruism. Nobody gives for any other reason than making the giver feel good. There is no such thing as the Biblical "pure" giving; left hand not knowing what the right hand is doing. Giving with no thought of return. The giver gets personal joy by giving or the giver doesn't give. The giver doesn't really give a rats ass about the cripples, beaten women, and so on. The giver gives because it makes the giver feel good, superior to others, or admired. Period.

Nowadays some givers are investors or outright bribers to places like The Tides Foundation. The disbursement of these "charitable " funds is almost exclusively to politically compliant groups who agree beforehand to "give back".

To the pure world of Ayn Rand, Pat Tillman joined the army because he couldn't live with himself if he didn't. He couldn't sit in society making big bucks while guys were dying in a war against terror. He did it for himself. For his own inner peace. Not for us. Society is best served when we all behave this way.

The Conservatives would have us believe Tillman made a sacrifice. He did it for us. A Christ figure is created here by the Right, not out of good feelings for Pat, but for political gain. I think it's bullshit.

It could well be that this educated 3.8 grade average citizen believed that....."No man is an island". He may have felt that a man can't sit in isolation from the world, cocoon himself from the war, the terror, and his feelings for his country....

.....and therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee.....

His funeral bells will be a reminder that the bell tolls for us, not for him. Wake up everyone. What are you doing? Quick links to this piece on Cold Fury which examines Tillman's death more closely. A good read.