Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Ayn Rand Institute approved for PPP loan

reuters.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

1–10 of 15 posts

Re: Ayn Rand Institute approved for PPP loan

#8

Post by gwd »

atemerev wrote: post #6

Ayn Rand posited that taking government help is moral, as it was already paid by taxes many times over.

It's a bit like Warren Buffet complaining that he has a lower effective tax rate than his secretary, because long-term effective capital gains taxes are too low: He thinks it's wrong, but he still takes advantage of it. You can say, "These rules are unfair, they should be changed" while still playing the rules of the game the way they're written.

That said, there does seem to be something that smacks of hypocrisy in the case of the Ayn Rand case, more than in the Warren Buffet case. I think in particular, it's the idea that society would somehow be better without such safety nets: If you're using the safety nets, that's kind of proof that they're a good thing, isn't it?

Re: Ayn Rand Institute approved for PPP loan

#9

Post by atemerev »

gwd wrote: post #8
atemerev wrote: post #6

Ayn Rand posited that taking government help is moral, as it was already paid by taxes many times over.

It's a bit like Warren Buffet complaining that he has a lower effective tax rate than his secretary, because long-term effective capital gains taxes are too low: He thinks it's wrong, but he still takes advantage of it. You can say, "These rules are unfair, they should be changed" while still playing the rules of the game the way they're written. That said, there does seem to be something that smacks of hypocrisy in…

"North Koreans wouldn't survive without government's daily handouts of rice. That's kind of proof that North Korean central planning system is a good thing, isn't it?"
Post reply on HN