julfSep 17, 2025
And this is from the Cato Institute - Co-founded by Charles Koch and with strong links to the Ayn Rand Institute - and not some "liberal woke propaganda".
Show threadMark GardnerSep 17, 2025
@julf @cstross What’s your source that the Cato Institute has “strong” links to the Ayn Rand Institute, other than the usual libertarians trying to co-opt Rand despite her explicitly condemning them?
Show threadjulfSep 18, 2025
@mjg @cstross "The relationship between Cato and the Ayn Rand Institute (ARI) improved with the nomination of Cato's new president John A. Allison IV in 2012. He is a former ARI board member and is reported to be an "ardent devotee" of Rand who has promoted reading her books to colleges nationwide."
Show threadMark Gardner

@julf @cstross Stepped down from ARI’s board in 2012, retired from Cato in 2015.

Weak sauce.

Sep 18, 2025 at 2:26pmWeb
Show threadMark GardnerSep 18, 2025

@julf @cstross Allison was an #AynRand fan, sure — he would give out copies of “Atlas Shrugged” to employees, even. But just because he jumped to #Cato doesn’t make Cato “linked” to ARI.

ARI's mission is to advocate Rand’s full philosophy of #Objectivism as a whole system, not just politics. Rand herself blasted #libertarianism for reducing her ideas.

Allison’s stint at Cato reflects the same mistake that libertarians make in using Rand to justify their politics. It has nothing to do with ARI.