I am an Objectivist college student who is accumulating supplies and skills and preparing to head for the hills after the spring semester. I would like to know of any other Objectivists, or like-minded people, who are looking for additional "gulch" members. (Please don't exclude yourself if you dislike the label "Objectivist" - anyone more or less in agreement with the fundamental principles will do.) I would be interested in joining an existing gulch, or creating a new one from scratch. I like the idea of Nevada, Utah, Colorado, or some other western state, but I am open to any location. I would go it alone if I had to, but I figure there's myriad of benefits to be had from the company of others, even if it's only a group of three or four. I have more street smarts than survival skills (translation: city boy) but I know I can adapt quickly and be an asset to the group. Sorry about the collectivist lingo; you know what I mean. Given the Objectivist ethics (and with Y2K looming), it's a wonder there aren't a whole lot more Objectivist survivalists! If there are any out there, please email me soon - only 416 days left!

-- Marv Helfgott (marvhelf@laoffices.com), November 11, 1998

Answers

would you please define what YOU mean by the term objectivist?

-- Chris Van (AppygaL@aol.com), November 18, 1998.

Certainly, Chris. Objectivism is the philosophy that was created by Ayn Rand, the Russian-American novelist-philosopher most famous for her masterpiece Atlas Shrugged. In the appendix to Atlas, she summarized Objectivism as follows: "My philosophy, in essence, is the concept of man as a heroic being, with his own happiness as the moral purpose of his life, with productive achievement as his noblest activity, and reason as his only absolute." Objectivists uphold objective reality and the primacy of existence, affirming that A is A, existence exists, things are what they are no matter what anyone thinks or hopes or believes. This metaphysical outlook precludes any belief in mysticism, including God, superstition, voodoo, magic, or anything else supernatural, since these things amount to metaphysical contradictions. In epistemology, Objectivism advocates reason as the only means of knowing reality, and asserts that ideas and concepts can indeed have actual referents in reality. Each man's highest value, according to Objectivism, is his own life. Objectivism rejects the traditional ethical ideal of self-sacrifice, instead urging each man to act in his own interest based on virtues and values dictated not by some higher authority, but determined instead by his nature as a rational being. And in politics, Objectivist advocates completely abolishing initiation of force from human relationships, since laissez-faire capitalism is the only system by which people are free to act in their own interests without being coerced into sacrificing their values.

-- Marv Helfgott (marvhelf@laoffices.com), November 18, 1998.

We are a small survival group that more or less fits your "Objectivist Survivalists". We are building a retreat (Gulch) in the mountains, where we are working to be as self-sufficient as possible by Y2-k. We have already done a great deal, but more need to be done. The land is paid off, a road has been built to the retreat/gulch, Land has been cleared for pasture, etc., a water well, deep well pump, generator and water storage system has been set up, a organic garden created, etc. We are setting up our own electric power. We heat and often cook with wood, which is abundant on the land. Our group is still looking for some good "Gulchers", who might wish to live and work at the retreat, or live and work away and have the retreat for a "Bug out" . For nore info please e-mail us. Time is very short! Good luck.

-- Keith Vantine (K_Vanitne@hotmail.com), December 25, 1998.