The Phil Donahue Show: Ayn Rand (1979)

Source:Anarchy- Objectivist philosopher Ayn Rand, on Phil Donahue in 1979.

“Phil Donahue: I am very pleased to present a woman that a number of people who have said “Atlas Shrugged changed my life. The Fountain Head changed my life.” Here’s a woman who is read by millions around the world. She may be our most-debated philosopher. She identifies that to which she adheres as “objectivism.” We’ll talk about it. We care very much about your sharing with us, your feelings about this most-interesting lady, a warm human being who has a lot to say and comes straight at everything she says. I’m pleased to present Ayn Rand. Miss Rand.

Ayn Rand is here and it’s about time we said hello after hearing so much about you when you’re not really altogether that available to the media. I know you do a radio show and there have been other occasions, but let’s see what I can do here in trying to help the world understand, those who may not be as familiar with your work.”

From Anarchism 

“A rare public appearance by Ayn Rand in the 1970’s. She’s in her 70’s in this video and her first public appearance since husband Frank O’Connor’s death.”

Source:Phil Donahue Show- Author Ayn Rand, being interviewed by Phil Donahue in 1979.

From Steve Packard 

This is a classic interview, because you had two very intelligent people with lots of followers, who both had a message to deliver, but came from very different sides of the political spectrum:

Ayn Rand, being a Libertarian/Objectivist and Phil Donahue being a more of a Social Democrat philosophically, but not a Communist.. Two people with very different beliefs on what the role of government is. Especially the role of the Federal Government:

Ayn, whose see government’s role as basically doing nothing more, then to basically protecting our freedom and constitutional rights. And Phil Donahue, believing that government should be doing a lot for its people. That there’s only so much we can expect that the private enterprise can do for the people.

The best thing that I could probably compare this interview with today, it would be like Ralph Nader interviewing Ron Paul, or vice-versa. Two men that are actually pretty similar when it comes to social freedom and civil liberties. But are very different in what they see the role for the Federal Government as it relates to the economy:

Ron Paul basically believing that people should be able to keep and spend as much money as they make and be able to spend it as they see it, as long as they aren’t spending that money hurting people. Ordering hits and that sort of thing. And Ralph Nader, believing that a country is a community and to be a member of this community, we should all have to pay a price for it. To make this community as strong as it can be. Similar to Rand-Donahue. 

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