Writes Amesh Adalja on ‘Average Folks’ commentary distorted Ayn Rand’s views | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette:

Ayn Rand advocated unequivocally for laissez-faire capitalism, a system in which the individual rights of everyone — rich or poor, lazy or productive — are sacrosanct and there is a complete separation of state from economics. She did not, contrary to Mr. Margolis’ inaccurate piece, believe that public policy should “tilt” in favor of any group, and she decried corporate welfare and cronyism as she did other welfare-state programs. 

With the government removed from the realm of economics, any real unfairness would be eliminated as there would be no ability to grant favors to anyone (e.g., the ethanol subsidy), create market distortions that benefit some at the expense of others (e.g., solar power companies) and confiscate/​redistribute the wealth of all according to whatever formula panders to the most voters. 

The headline of Mr. Margolis’ piece references a “fair shot,” and I surmise that is where the real issue lies, for Mr. Margolis clearly has redefined the concept of “fair” to preclude anything but a system in which the economic class he favors gains at the expense of the ones he does not — a far cry from an actually fair system in which all individuals are able to benefit from the fruits of their own labor.

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