re: I will never understand why Ayn Rand is so admired by my fellow conservatives

Agree 100%. She was a Social Darwinist, and although that term is rarely used. Very Popular in 1920's pre crash America. The whole reason that Clarence Darrow took the Scopes Monkey Trial and William Jennings Bryant took the other side. You can not be a Christian and a Social Darwinist. Darrow was social darwinist atheist while Jennings was a Christian. He didnt fear Darwin he feared Social Darwinism. If we are no more than smart apes, then the strong should kill and dimiante the weak. They are intrinsically incomparable. Essentially we are each our net worth, and that is it. You are Rich because you are superior and the poor should be frowned upon or exterminated. The same theory exposed by the Nazis brought to them by the VRIL society, and Thule organization.

This theory has return to promote the destruction of the middle class by the elite. they make billions because they are smarter and better than you. You make less because you are less.

I am not a liberal, but 4th generation Southern Republican and well within the 2%. But I have studied and know history and this is a dangerous game that always ends in great violence and economic ruin .