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[[Conservative]] [[Whittaker Chambers]] was a harsh critic of the caricatures in Ayn Rand's work, and how she implied that evil systems would collapse on their own without the need for good men to do anything.  [[Edmund Burke]] famously stated, "The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing," but one might conclude from Rand's work that being selfish and doing nothing is what good people should do, and then evil will fail all by itself.  Whittaker Chambers observed in a book review he wrote for ''National Review'' in 1957, "Happily, in ''Atlas Shrugged'' ('''''though not in life'''''), all the children of Darkness are utterly incompetent" (emphasis added).

[[Conservative]] [[Whittaker Chambers]] was a harsh critic of the caricatures in Ayn Rand's work, and how she implied that evil systems would collapse on their own without the need for good men to do anything.  [[Edmund Burke]] famously stated, "The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing," but one might conclude from Rand's work that being selfish and doing nothing is what good people should do, and then evil will fail all by itself.  Whittaker Chambers observed in a book review he wrote for ''National Review'' in 1957, "Happily, in ''Atlas Shrugged'' ('''''though not in life'''''), all the children of Darkness are utterly incompetent" (emphasis added).

Rand's most famous and powerful follower was [[Alan Greenspan]] (b. 1926), long-time head of the Federal Researve System (1987-2006), though it is difficult to see manifestations of Rand's ideas in Greenspan's work.  

Rand's most famous and powerful follower was [[Alan Greenspan]] (b. 1926), long-time head of the Federal Researve System (1987–2006), though it is difficult to see manifestations of Rand's ideas in Greenspan's work.  

Rand was a moral absolutist with the virtues of rationality and hard-work as central themes to her writing. However, conservatives reject Rand’s elevation of reason over faith, sentiment, and tradition.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.atlassociety.org/myth-ayn-rand-was-conservative|title=Myth: Ayn Rand was a Conservative|author=William R. Thomas}}</ref> Social conservatives in particular reject Rand’s view that sexual fulfillment is an important part of life and not merely limited to procreation. Her views are seen as hedonistic, selfish, and sinful—she accepts the usage of birth control and abortion<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.aynrand.org/site/News2?page=NewsArticle&id=5105|title=Abortion:An Absolute Right|publisher=The Ayn Rand Center}}</ref> as proper means to an active sexual life without the consequences of child-rearing. In general Rand’s view of the perfection of human character is at odds with the Christian view of man’s essential sinfulness.

Rand was a moral absolutist with the virtues of rationality and hard-work as central themes to her writing. However, conservatives reject Rand’s elevation of reason over faith, sentiment, and tradition.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.atlassociety.org/myth-ayn-rand-was-conservative|title=Myth: Ayn Rand was a Conservative|author=William R. Thomas}}</ref> Social conservatives in particular reject Rand’s view that sexual fulfillment is an important part of life and not merely limited to procreation. Her views are seen as hedonistic, selfish, and sinful—she accepts the usage of birth control and abortion<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.aynrand.org/site/News2?page=NewsArticle&id=5105|title=Abortion:An Absolute Right|publisher=The Ayn Rand Center}}</ref> as proper means to an active sexual life without the consequences of child-rearing. In general Rand’s view of the perfection of human character is at odds with the Christian view of man’s essential sinfulness.