“Objectivism is a philosophical movement; since politics is a branch of philosophy, Objectivism advocates certain political principles — specifically, those of laissez-faire capitalism — as the consequence and the ultimate practical application of its fundamental philosophical principles. It does not regard politics as a separate or primary goal, that is: as a goal that can be achieved without a wider ideological context…. Objectivists are not "conservatives." We are radicals for capitalism; we are fighting for that philosophical base which capitalism did not have and without which it was doomed to perish.”

— Ayn Rand

“Choose Your Issues,” The Objectivist Newsletter, Vol. 1, No. 1 (1962)

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Ayn Rand 322

Russian-American novelist and philosopher 1905–1982

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Ayn Rand 322

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