Comment: Wrong

Realty is objective. Our own personal experiences, though different for each of us, is also objective and not subjective.

The fact that I grew up in a particular place and had a certain set of experiences is an objective set of facts. The fact that you grew up in a different place and had a different set of expriences is also objective fact.

"Objective" means it is true for everyone. "Subjective" means it is dependent upon what one thinks. This is Ayn Rand's contribution to philosophy. NOBODY in world history correctly identified that reality is objective AND that our thinking process must also, therefore, be objective in order to understand the world around us. Your personal experiences are part of reality, and are therefore also objective.

BTW: "Reality" is defined as "all that exists."

It abolultely is an original idea to Rand. No other philosopher ever identified that the MEANS OF KNOWLEDGE ABOUT REALITY MUST BE OBJECTIVE BECAUSE REALITY ITSELF IS OBJECTIVE. This understanding of humanity was original to Rand.

You say that "values are subjective." This depends upon what you mean by "values." If you are talking about personal preference, such as your favorite flavor of ice cream, then it is different for you and me, but that is still objective. We can have different preferences for things, but it is objective that you like what you like and I like what I like.

On the other hand, if you are talking about morality, then you are talking about what everyone "should" do. This does not mean they do it or think they should, but that YOU think they should. And the ONLY way you can determine that in a large context of socity is by identifying objective morality.

The term "subjective" in the philosophical sense strictly means that a fact of reality is determined solely by what someone thinks it means. This is what is nonsense.

Regarding man as a rational being. Yes, man is a rational being. The Law of Identity is "A is A." If we are to identify the characteristices of what "man" is then it would include our brain. We are beings who have a requirement to use rational thought process to get through our daily lives.

You don't depend upon hopes, wishes, and dreams to get to the grocery store. You use a rational thought process, even if you don't consciously think about it.

We are also emotional, too. Our emotions are directly tied to our values, and they are our body's mechanism for feedback of stimulus vis-a-vis our values.

We often act on emotional short-term benefit rather than our long-term best interests. Rand acknowledged this human trait and this is why she always wrote about "rational self-interest." She advocated that we consider our long-term best interests even when we feel short-term emotional whim. This is another of her genius where she correctly identified our emotions as a function of our values.

Regarding bombing Iran, I agree with you on that. In fact, the Ayn Rand Institute seems to be made up of cultist followers who worship anything Rand and want to bomb the shit out of anybody who doesn't agree -- which is probably not all that damn objective.

However, regarding the philosophy, you seem to be making the intellectual error that a lot of people make. You are misunderstanding what "subjective" and "objective" mean.

If you would like to discuss that, I'm open to it.