Idiot Darryl Cunningham -- Ayn Rand’s post-traumatic ideology: How her difficult early years fueled her philosophy — and created the Great Recession

With Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul having recently announced his intention to be the next U.S. president (an announcement he delivered, incidentally, from Louisville’s Galt House Hotel), now seems as good a time as ever to reexamine the life and legacy of one Alisa Zinov’yevna Rosenbaum, a woman better known as Ayn Rand.

Idiot Darryl Cunningham -- Ayn Rand’s post-traumatic ideology: How her difficult early years fueled her philosophy — and created the Great Recession Ayn_rand-e1415831314331-620x412

Idiot Darryl Cunningham -- Ayn Rand’s post-traumatic ideology: How her difficult early years fueled her philosophy — and created the Great Recession Ayn_rand-e1415831314331-620x412

This is not the first time that an avowed fan of the novelist, polemicist and pseudo-philosopher has reached such heights of American politics, of course. Rep. Paul Ryan, the GOP’s vice-presidential nominee in 2012, at the very least used to be a big fan; and her views were well-aligned with those of Sen. Barry Goldwater, the Republican Party’s 1964 presidential nominee (of whom she was a big fan). Her ideas — especially her uncompromising opposition to redistribution — permeate throughout the conservative movement still.

Yet while there have been books about Rand before, none of them have been quite like “The Age of Selfishness: Ayn Rand, Morality and the Financial Crisis,” a new graphic novel from artist, photographer and sculptor Darryl Cunningham. The artist and former mental health care worker combines mediums to take a long look at Rand’s history, but he goes one step further, looking at how her influence extends into the present day, and even played a role in bringing on the Great Recession and financial crisis.

Recently, Salon spoke about the book with Cunningham via Skype. Our conversation has been edited for clarity and length.

When did you first come into contact with Ayn Rand?

I think it would have been back in my 20s, sort of generally reading about things, and I think it possibly came up in connection with people I was reading like Robert Heinlein or science fiction stuff. A lot of more right-wing stuff seemed to ape a lot of philosophical ideas, and I came across her then without really knowing anything about her.

http://www.salon.com/2015/04/09/she_was_very_much_like_her_work_how_ayn_rands_childhood_trauma_created_the_great_recession/

Idiot Darryl Cunningham -- Ayn Rand’s post-traumatic ideology: How her difficult early years fueled her philosophy — and created the Great Recession

Idiot Darryl Cunningham -- Ayn Rand’s post-traumatic ideology: How her difficult early years fueled her philosophy — and created the Great Recession

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