Writing in New Ideal, Elan Journo says that those who misrepresent, or outright distort Ayn Rand’s ideas represent a tribalist mindset:
What I want to show you — regardless of what you may already think of Rand, if you have a view at all — is that there’s a fundamental problem with these articles, a problem that negates their credibility. They’re not seeking to engage with facts, reach the truth, let alone convince any active-minded readers. Instead, they manipulate seemingly factual information for the sake of affirming and reinforcing a set of prejudices.
Some key points made by Journo include:
- “It would be exceedingly odd for an intellectual or political movement to be uninterested in connecting with young people.”
- “It’s a trivialization of Rand’s philosophy to take her appeal as exclusively about her advocacy of capitalism.”
- “Sammon’s article is uninterested in convincing through facts” and logic. It’s advancing a particular slant, for the purpose of affirming certain prejudices.”
- “Rand’s influence is multifaceted, it goes well beyond political issues, and it is unbounded by the conventional left-right framing.”