Ayn Rand, an atheist, saw unlimited potential in the individual, and had great contempt for the pontificators of personal and economic dependency. Rand believed men were godlike in their own capacities. And in a sterile, and theoretical way, Objectivism is a positive philosophy. But philosophies are not confined to smoke-filled cafes in Parisian backstreets or the dusty offices of secluded academics. As Karl Marx's legacy testifies, the thoughts of one man, expressed methodically, conceived in the attic of an apartment have the power to affect millions for centuries.
Philosophies trickle down.
Originating in the minds of introverted intellectuals, they end up in the hands of orators, believers, preachers, and they fall on the ears of the curious, the hungry, and of the seekers. They take root in strange ways depending on historical and cultural circumstances. Some philosophies have bloody consequences and they are often infectious, especially among the disenchanted. Communism and the Cult of Despair have been dripping into more basic forms of expression for nearly 50 years. They have become the primary nutrition of the searching young.