Happy Birthday, America!

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In conversations with lots of people, I’ve found a percentage of people who are aware of the book “Atlas Shrugged” by Ayn Rand, but a much larger percentage of people know nothing about this book, its implications nor its impact some 50 years after it was written. In January, 2010, John Stossel focused on this book and explained a great deal about why the book continues to be a best-seller so long after its original publication.

I thought it might be helpful to people to understand why this book and this movie are important to our times.

Note: No copyright infringement is intended by embedding these videos in this story. The material is hosted on YouTube and has been freely available at YouTube since January 8, 2010.

Part 1

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Part 2

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Part 3

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Part 4

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Part 5

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Part 6

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There will be three showings:

• Friday, June 24th at 7:00pm
• Saturday, June 25th at 4:00pm
• Saturday, June 25th at 7:00pm

Tickets will be $5.00 for adults and $3.00 for Students.

This film is rated PG-13.

Atlas Shrugged Movie: Part I Film Synopsis

Dagny Taggart (Taylor Schilling) runs Taggart Transcontinental, the largest remaining railroad company in America, with intelligence, courage and integrity, despite the systematic disappearance of her best and most competent workers.

She is drawn to industrialist Henry Rearden (Grant Bowler), one of the few men whose genius and commitment to his own ideas match her own. Rearden’s super-strength metal alloy, Rearden Metal, holds the promise that innovation can overcome the slide into anarchy.

Using the untested Rearden Metal, they rebuild the critical Taggart rail line in Colorado and pave the way for oil titan Ellis Wyatt (Graham Beckel) to feed the flame of a new American Renaissance.

Hope rises again, when Dagny and Rearden discover the design of a revolutionary motor based on static electricity – in an abandoned engine factory – more proof to the sinister theory that the “men of the mind” (thinkers, industrialists, scientists, artists, and other innovators) are “on strike” and vanishing from society.

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Atlas Shrugged is a novel that has generated inspiration and controversy since its publication in 1957.

Its theme is the role of individual achievement in society and its goal is to demonstrate what can happen when individual achievement is undervalued, suppressed and demonized. Complex characters embody heroism and evil, in a plot that combines drama, mystery, romance, and science fiction – the result is ultimately inspirational, not apocalyptic.

Dagny Taggart is one of the finest female heroines in modern literature: intelligent, courageous, and as beautiful as she is strong. She is a rare screen example of life lived on one’s own terms, for one’s own values. Steel magnate Henry Rearden says, “My goal is to make money” with pride. He is an industrialist who improves the quality of life for all – and values his reward. Atlas Shrugged’s villains are evil, but as familiar as our local neighbor – as they undercut and subvert talent and achievement.

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Relevance Today – Ayn Rand, Atlas Shrugged & Objectivism

Ask yourself: What would happen, if our producers disappear – Steve Jobs, Sergey Brin and other industrialists fall off the radar, their companies shuttered and their creative genius no longer powering America? The answer lies in Atlas Shrugged Part I.

For the millions around the world who have read Rand’s books, for those curious about her controversial philosophy, and for the uninitiated, and skeptical – the film, which only covers the first third of the book, is an opportunity to see a faithful adaptation.

Rand’s unique literary genius – which we hope to make accessible to a broader audience via film – is to show the price to be paid by the individual and society when the tragic words “from each according to his ability, to each according to his need” are carried out.

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As the event kicked off, the University of Wisconsin marching band played and Bucky Badger danced and hammed it up with the Olympians.

Interspersed throughout the crowd were dozens of pro-union protesters.

The picketers were present throughout the event, including some holding signs with questionable language.

The horn honking was kept below normal levels, but some continued throughout the speeches by law enforcement and other dignitaries.

Then, as the Governor began to address the Special Olympians, more than a dozen protesters, dressed as Zombies, because in their eyes they are “dead” to Scott Walker, walked to the front of the crowd. They blocked the athletes’ view of the Governor in an attempt to divert attention away from the Special Olympians on onto themselves.

As did the other lawmakers at the event, Walker kept his remarks brief.

Work continues in the legislature on Governor Walker’s two-year budget proposal, and many of the protesters have returned to their “Entitletown” tent city across the street.

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MacIver News Service | June 8, 2011

In the end, it takes all of these things plus getting involved in the political process to try and make sure that none of our swords are drawn except when absolutely necessary and that those swords are sharp as razors when they are drawn. Ronald Reagan hoped that we would never send our military heroes into battle unless we give them all the support they need to win and the authority to get the job done.

Memorial Day is a single day to honor, remember and in some small way to say thank you. We should carry those thoughts with us every day. If we do that and the other things for a lifetime, we might get close to saying thank you enough.

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Editor’s Note: The video contains some foul language and may be offensive to some viewers.

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After watching this video, I decided to investigate the source of the video and that led me to a website called ExposingLeftists.com which had very interesting and potentially blood pressure raising videos. Like the one below which shows a petitioner asking students whether they would sign a pledge to pay their share of the $14 Trillion debt our nation has incurred. Like the previous video the answers these supposedly educated students gave are surprising at best and hypocritical at worst.

Editor’s Note: The video contains some foul language and may be offensive to some viewers.

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The website ExposingLeftists.com was created by three college students (Oliver Darcy, Michael Fincher, and Maurice Lewis) who started recording videos like this to show the hypocrisies of liberals on college campuses. After some of their videos were posted on conservative sites like  TheBlaze.com, DailyCaller.com, Breitbart.tv, TheDailyBeast.com, and the Economist online and became highly popular, the three students decided to created ExposingLeftists.com as a forum to continue showing the inconsistencies and failures of liberal students and faculty.

Finally, my favorite video of all is the following one where the petitioner asks students if they would be willing to allow their “excess” GPA points to be taken from them and given to students who have lower GPA’s. Care to guess how the students answered this question?

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Click here to view the embedded video.

In conversations with lots of people, I’ve found a percentage of people who are aware of the book “Atlas Shrugged” by Ayn Rand, but a much larger percentage of people know nothing about this book, its implications nor its impact some 50 years after it was written. In January, 2010, John Stossel focused on this book and explained a great deal about why the book continues to be a best-seller so long after its original publication.

I thought it might be helpful to people to understand why this book and this movie are important to our times.

Note: No copyright infringement is intended by embedding these videos in this story. The material is hosted on YouTube and has been freely available at YouTube since January 8, 2010.

Part 1

Click here to view the embedded video.

Part 2

Click here to view the embedded video.

Part 3

Click here to view the embedded video.

Part 4

Click here to view the embedded video.

Part 5

Click here to view the embedded video.

Part 6

Click here to view the embedded video.

Great quote: “We’re here, we’re clear, get used to it!”

More analysis from John Nolte at BigGovernment.

Question of the day:

Could a Trump/Palin ticket work?

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Merry Christmas to our heros where ever they are in this world and to all of their families who patiently await their safe return.

To the heros who have not returned safe and sound, we remember and honor your sacrifice and remain grateful and humbled.

We will never forget those who have given all to protect our pursuit of life, liberty and happiness. We are forever in your debt.

May God’s love shine down upon our guardians and may His angels keep and protect each of them just as our heros protect each of us.

Thank you and God Bless!

PS: Special thanks to HAL, the Marine Veteran who created the video and Michael Marks who wrote the poem. You’ve reminded us of the precious gift of freedom that has been given to each us by our volunteer soldiers and the price they pay to give it to us.