There is an interesting new article by Casey Fahy on Lindsay Perigo's new site, entitled "The Silence of Ayn Rand’s Critics". The title is interesting too, especially the word silence. Its one of the things about the article that stands out most.

There is also this interesting paragraph:

"But a major reappraisal of the Brandens’ works, and of Rand’s character, is now clearly in order. And while others have been notably silent, the first act of that reappraisal has taken place dramatically on SOLO over the months before and after PARC’s publication."

The interesting word in that paragraph is first.

What exactly "first" means is a bit of a mystery. The earliest mention of James' Valliant's, The Passion of Ayn Rand's Critics [PARC], on SOLO was Feb. 8, 2005 on the thread "New Book: The Passion of Ayn Rand's Critics". [There may have been earlier in-passing remarks by some posters I am unaware of.] Virtually all the comments on that thread were negative.

The article Mr. Fahy refers to as the, "first act of that reappraisal," of Brandens' work is The Passion of the Critics of Ayn Rand's Critics by Lindsay Perigo, published September 26, 2005. It is the first positive comment by any major SOLO principle or poster about James's Valliant's book.

Is It Really First

On November 18, 2004, nearly a year before Perigo's "first," the article, "Efficient Versus Right Thinking," criticising Barbara Branden's vague understanding of the relationship between thoughts, values, and actions was published on The Autonomist. It was on the thread discussing this article that James Valliant's book is first mentioned. Immediately after that, I contacted James to make arrangements for promoting his book. But of course this is not a first.

On December 12, 2004, The Autonomist published the article, Repress, Repress, Repress, criticising the psychology of Nathaniel Branden. Neither this article nor the previous, which both dealt with the concepts behind the actions of the Brandens, is considered a "first reappraisel" of the Brandens. I might note, that the approach of both these articles deals strictly with ideas and not personalities.

On February 3, 2005, we published on The Autonomist Forum, The Passion of Ayn Rand's Critics, which was James Valliant's own promotional material for his book. I requested that someone with posting privileges post it on SOLO. I was informed someone had, "albeit in a somewhat negative light," the poster said. Since that was on February 8th, I assume it is the fist post on SOLO I mentioned above. Interesting that it should happen on SOLO after my request—but of course SOLO was "first."

On Feb. 28, 2005 The Autonomist published, "The Vindication of Ayn Rand," a very positive review of The Passion of Ayn Rand's Critics. But of course, Lindsay's mildly enthusiastic article published seven months later was "first."

Why The Silence

It is not possible that Mr. Fahy did not know of all the positive attempts to promote James Valliant's book on The Autonomist. Both he and Mr. Valliant posted on most of the threads at SOLO mentioning the book, and all of those threads had many very negative (and often crude) comments about the positive comments being made about Mr. Valliant's book on The Autonomist, and Mr. Perigo was a major contributor to that criticism.

The fact that Mr. Perigo's first was finally coming around to the view of the Brandens and James Valliant's book I and The Autonomist had been espousing for a whole year is treated with deafening silence.

I suppose it is too much to expect recognition of the fact that what Mr. Perigo finally admitted after being dragged, screaming and kicking, into reading the book, is what Reginald Firehammer had been saying for the last year or more. It would not be too much to expect of the kind of person who regards truth the most important of all values, but of the kind that will go to bed with anyone, if they think it is of use to them, nothing much can be expected.