Wednesday 13 February 2013

Atlas in South America

Turns out that Atlas Shrugged, Objectivism and Ayn Rand—and Austrian economics—are growing in popularity in South America, including reports from Cuba of a tractor and cart used for transportation between two villages wit he words “John Galt” emblazoned on its sides.

And in Guatemala the Universidad Francisco Marroquin (UFM) has a Ludwig von Mises library, a Centro del Capitalismo, a Centro Henry Hazlitt, and has made Atlas Shrugged required reading for all students—with the events in the novel integrated with the economics courses—and The Fountainhead assigned reading for all architecture students. Our mission,” says the University, “is to teach and disseminate the ethical, legal and economic aspects of a society of free and responsible individuals.

If only other universities could say the same.

Here’s the  sculpture by Walter Peter Brenner adorning the business school:  photographed in 2007 at its unveiling to commemorate the golden anniversary of Atlas Shrugged’s publication, the fourteen-foot square bronze relief is called “Atlas Libertas,” and described as “a tribute to the spirit of enterprise and creative power of the individual.”

[Hat tip Greg D. and the  HB List]

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Amazing!

So - while South America warms to the free-market philosophy, universities in the West (esp. in the US) are cesspits of "political correctness" and failed left-wing ideology.

One can only hope that "the wheel turns" in the West as well, and that free-market economic policy becomes attractive in the future. (Sweden has already adopted it.)

mark said...

The beta version of Family Jewels. Charming.

Ross said...

A cynic could be forgiven for thinking the sudden university enthusiasm for Mises, Rand etc was due solely to donations from the ARI and other such entities.