Do as I say, not as I do

Here's a precious bit of historical hypocrisy. It seems Ayn Rand was a "heavy smoker who refused to believe smoking caused lung cancer." She ultimately died of the disease but here's the interesting part:

An interview with Evva Pryror, a social worker and consultant to Miss Rand's law firm of Ernst, Cane, Gitlin and Winick verified that on Miss Rand's behalf she secured Rand's Social Security and Medicare payments which Ayn received under the name of Ann O'Connor (husband Frank O'Connor).

As Pryor said, "Doctors cost a lot more money than books earn and she could be totally wiped out" without the aid of these two government programs. Ayn took the bail out even though Ayn "despised government interference and felt that people should and could live independently... She didn't feel that an individual should take help."

As the author points out, but at least she hewed to acting in her own self-interest right to the end. And come to think of it, the lying and the hypocrisy still make her eligible to forever remain the far right's role model. Hell, all their biggest heroes do it.