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Comment count is 9
BiggerJ - 2014-05-30

They're not planning to stretch it out too far. They have exactly four more episodes planned. Four more teachers teaching four more lessons about one cold, terrible reality.

Also, it's not begging! Here's what the glorious Atlas Shrugged movie kickstarter has to say:

"No. Kickstarter represents a "free market" and the very embodiment of what Atlas Shrugged is all about.

The real irony is that detractors continue to use the word "irony" to describe a voluntary value-for-value trade amongst individuals as being in opposition to Rand's philosophy."

...A 'money' episode that gradually turns into a horrible Randian screed could actually be pretty good.


EvilHomer - 2014-05-31

I guess I can see where the Atlas Shrugged people are coming from. Kickstarter's crowdsourcing investment model is non-capitalist, as investors are not entitled to share in future profits. However, it IS in line with voluntarism; investors make their investing decisions according to their own rational self-interest, albeit based on every other concern but raw monetary profit. Ayn Rand was, of course, very keen on people making money, but she was more concerned about how one's money was made - one can get IMMENSELY wealthy off of collectivized coercion (look at Kim Jong Il, look at Louis XIV), but this does not meet the Objectivist standard for the ethical acquisition of wealth. Kickstarter is essentially a Third Way, a freemarket grant from the masses that is backed by neither state violence nor church guilt.

I can't say for certain that Ayn Rand would approve of Kickstarter; she'd probably find a reason to complain, because that's the sort of person she was. But she'd be wrong: Kickstarter is perfectly in keeping with Objectivist values!



I have a few problems with crowdsourcing myself; maybe not Kickstarter specifically, but the crowdsourcing model in general. My concerns arise when large, wealthy, highly profitable corporations start getting in on the crowdsourcing game; by diffusing both labor and capital over large segments of the population, and then refusing to actually pay anyone for these services, aren't these corporations engaging in _absolute exploitation_? (I use exploitation here in it's technical Marxist sense - that is, the setting of worker wages under the actual value of the worker's total labour output, so as to generate profit.) I think we'd all agree that a *little* exploitation is both natural and necessary for non-artisanal labor situations, but to not pay your workers AT ALL?

Consider Facebook, and the policy of crowdsourcing their advertising platform by encouraging (and in some cases, deceiving) their users into publishing "stories" (i.e. advertisements) about products they've used and websites they've visited. Facebook is an obscenely profitable corporate venture, and yet they do not pay us for the labour we provide to them; if my data and my social media activity is so valuable to you, Facebook, then it is only right to cut me in on a share of the profits!

Pay me to advertise, and pay me to watch your advertisements. This is the just and natural order, you barons of Internet 2.0!



Anyway, that's all just me; I am not sure whether Ayn would agree with my position, and I certainly don't claim to speak for all Objectivists when I call for the victims of data exploitation to be granted their just and natural labour rights. As I said, Kickstarter, specifically, is perfectly kosher and totally in line with voluntarist principles, so the Atlas Shrugged guys need not feel guilty about using it.


Meerkat - 2014-05-30

What sort of accent is that? It sounds like some lame teenage gamer kid TyPeD aLtErNatInG MonG LetTeRs InTO a VoiCe SyNtHeSiZeR


infinite zest - 2014-05-30

I wish wish wish I could donate, instead I'm homeless. :(


Jet Bin Fever - 2014-05-30

Yeah, I like these guys. The Time episode was really brilliant.


baleen - 2014-05-31

It was beyond brilliant.
I think they should be given all the prizes.


infinite zest - 2014-05-31

It's what I wanted tv funhouse to be.


Jeriko-1 - 2014-05-30

Come on, Bill Gates. I know you love this shit! Make it happen!


That guy - 2014-05-31

I will kick in 5 stars.


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