Hsieh OpEd: "Ayn Rand and the Tea Party Protests"

The online commentary/opinion website PajamasMedia.com has just published my latest OpEd entitled, "Ayn Rand and the Tea Party Protests".

My theme is that the Tea Party protesters must couple their outrage at the government bailouts with a positive vision of a properly limited government based on Ayn Rand's ideas.

Here is an excerpt:

Ayn Rand and the Tea Party Protests
March 2, 2009 - by Paul Hsieh

Over the past week, an extraordinary wave of "Tea Party" protests has erupted across America. Citizens around the country have expressed outrage at the government's mishandling of the financial crisis. And one of the most intriguing developments has been a resurgence in interest in Ayn Rand's classic novel Atlas Shrugged.

Denver's Tea Party protest opened with a reading from Atlas Shrugged. A sign at the New York City protest read, "Ayn Rand Was Right." One banner at the Atlanta Tea Party said, "Read Atlas Shrugged Before It Happens." The Ayn Rand Institute reports that sales of Atlas Shrugged have nearly tripled compared to last year due to Americans' concerns about the economic crisis.

So why has there been such a renewed interest in Ayn Rand?...

Read the rest here.