AYN RAND’S STRANGE ATTITUDE ABOUT CHRISTMAS

…The Russian born author/philosopher Ayn Rand  (1905-1982)

 

The more you read, the more confusing she becomes.

 

Some years ago I became very curious about the Author / Philosopher, Ayn Rand and decided to dive into reading some of her books such as Atlas Shrugged, The Fountain Head, Anthem, and then I even attempted her: Intro to Objectivist Epistemology.   I did all this because I was curious about Rand, as her name kept coming up in articles as a possible explanation for what was wrong with our American capitalism.

 

At the time, many of us had also become aware that the then Libertarian US Representative Ron Paul (R-TX), was so impressed with Ms. Rand, that he had named his son, Rand Paul, after the famous author/philosopher.

 

After I had tried to digest this bizarre, off-the-wall philosophy, I finally had to admit that all I had learned from reading Ayn Rand’s books was to understand what not to believe in for myself.

 

However, very recently, Mr. Scott McConnell, who had produced: 100 Voices: An Oral History of Ayn Rand, he had also dove into the Archives of Ayn Rand, where he came up with 21 of Ayn Rand’s published Christmas Cards going back to the 1940’s.  It turns out that her Christmas cards do show how eccentric and unconventional this individual’s feelings were about the nation’s most celebrated religious holiday.

 

To start with, the pictures on the front of the cards were mostly typical depictions of the kinds of Christmas paintings you would normally see on most religious cards.  You know, pictures of Joseph and Mary on the road to Bethlehem, baby Jesus in the manger, or depictions of the three wise men following the star of Bethlehem.

 

In addition, Ms. Rand also used various depictions of Santa Claus and she even used a Charlie Brown’s Christmas TV scene as well as some cartoon snowmen.

 

What was off-putting about the cards was that with these classic religious scenes of Christmas, she most times had a greeting on the card that was what I would identify as not being appropriate.

 

As an example, on her card showing Joseph and Mary asking for shelter from the inn keeper in Bethlehem, Ms. Rand’s greeting is: “What I am fighting is the idea that charity is a moral duty and a primary value.”

 

In another strange card with a group of jolly looking Christmas cartoon characters like snowmen, and happy penguins other cartoon animals, Ms. Rand’s greeting is: “Nobody has ever given a reason why any man should be his brother’s keeper.”

 

In a Christmas card featuring a very jolly Santa Claus, one like you might see in Macy’s, Thanksgiving Parade, her greeting is: “Money is the barometer of a society’s virtue.”

 

In her card showing the Charlie Brown gang singing Christmas carols, her greeting is:  There is no such thing as a lousy job, only lousy men who don’t care to do it.”  It was kind of a “Take that Charlie Brown!!!!” comment.

 

In a card with a couple of cute cats asleep, both wearing tiny Santa Claus hats, it read: “The person who loves everybody and feels at home everywhere is the true hater of mankind.”

 

For my last example, there is a card with a beautiful cross that also depicted angels.  A card like the one you might receive while attending a friend’s or family member’s burial services.  But the greeting?  “When I die, I hope to go to Heaven, whatever the Hell that is.”

 

Virtually, all of the cards show classic Christmas or religious scenes, but the so-called “greetings” were either, counter to what was depicted or they were very political and sometimes down right hateful.

 

For the life of me, I cannot understand what the fascination was and continues to be for this strange thinking and unorthodox individual.

 

In one greeting she criticized that “Christmas has become too commercialized,” while in another card she says, “Run for your life from any man who tells you that money is evil.”

 

All I can say is, after reading all 21 of these holiday cards that were found by Mr. McConnell, it became obvious that this was a highly peculiar thinking individual that must have had a curious power of persuasion for getting others to follow her bizarre ideas.  And after reading all those Christmas greetings, my own curiosity about Ms. Ayn Rand was completely answered.  I no longer have a desire to investigate Ms. Rand further.

 

So, I’ll say good-bye for discovering more about this peculiar and unusual person of history, and wish you all a very Happy New Year.

 

Copyright G.Ater  2015