The memory of Any Rand lives. Newspapers, conservatives, libertarians, politicians – or in fact anyone else not fond of Hobbes’ Leviathan’s presence in contemporary politics – will find recognition, ideals and justification for drafting an account of self-determination and ultimate individual freedom. In Holland I have read her objectivism serve the goals of cutting subsidies in the cultural sector, but in Europe Rand’s legacy bows her head for a greater goal, that of solidarity.

Distress is an easy reason for a public mood swing. Countries depositing money on the IMF’s bank account or pouring a seemingly endless number of buckets filled with Euros into the European Financial Stability Mechanism: not popular – not in Germany or in the Netherlands, nor on the receiving ends (Greece, Ireland, Portugal). But it is happening.

Objectivism, self determination – or in other words save your own ass. I have not yet found anyone citing the legacy of Ayn Rand arguing in favour of a Eurozone’s countries bail-out. Why not? Those ‘self-indulgent, money wasting Greeks’, have they not done exactly what was in their own (seemingly, in any case short-sighted) self interest? Not paying taxes, creating an informal economy and making life more pleasant by taking matters into their own hands? Are they not on Rand’s side, on your side?

And have we not allowed them to push the boundaries and – by virtue of it being in our own self-interest, should we reach that friendly hand of fiscal support? If, and I suppose this is an only if, it is in our (financial) self-interest to prevent Greece from going bust, then why complain? It has to be admitted, it is hard to swallow a 110 billion euro bail-out as being in our interest. Yet it is not as if we’re handing out cash on no conditions at all – we’re slowly but surely eradicating any prospect of prosperity of Greece for years.

Learn from Rand: What not to do?

The big bang in the financial world has united the European Union on political areas beyond imagination after 2005’s failed constitution and the painful process of Lisbon Treaty ratification – at a cost of public perception, support and patience. I wonder, what on earth could we learn from Ayn Rand in this situation? More capitalism, perhaps?

Sub-prime mortgages, exchange traded funds (see last week’s edition of the Economist for an interesting briefing on this issue), short selling – or worse, naked short selling, credit default swaps: You name it, the financial world will invent it as long as it makes money, and when it no longer does you will find they, at least, have insured themselves against it or are on the receiving end of a bail-out. This was a result of a lasting process of de-regulation, started a couple of decades ago, and put to a halt – though barely more than that – in recent years. Yet one could easily argue that any form of (financial) regulation is an obstacle on one’s path in ultimate self-determination; a blockade to those seeking ways to ‘flourish’ in a free environment, with chances of success for everyone. Though everyone seems to do particularly well when they were not poorly educated and/or situated.

How much self-determination is there when a global system beyond your grasp – apparently also beyond the grasp of experts – ruins all you have known, all you have worked for: No house, no job, no prospect. That is reality for thousands of Americans. Yet has been made possible by ‘objectivism’, ‘capitalism’ or any laissez-faire term you can come up with.

That reality has now entered Greece, too. A dysfunctional system, a corrupt government – it needs more than money, it needs knowledge and officials who are going to oversee a process that will be nothing short of a cultural u-bend. Fans of Rand will be glad to realize that we’re doing all this, not because we like Greek people so much, but because this is in our interest, and it will enable us to move on to better, richer times. Keep Greece afloat, and so might Ireland & Portugal and thus our currency.

Sceptics do not complain. Saving the currency means saving money. The Eurozone comprises a total GDP of 9.2 trillion Euros (2010); Greece has received 110 billion (and awaits another round), about 80 of which came from Eurozone member states. Our economies can easily bear helping out one of our own European regions. But can we bear the alternative? Do we want to risk Ireland, Portugal – and maybe even Spain and Italy – to go down with the deep water currents of Greece?  At least the Dutch would have the guilder back, Wilders’ voters would be happy.

In fact, everyone country would have to turn the system on its head and (re)create their own currency. The Southern neighbours would again face the opportunity that they now miss – scathing away uncompetetivness by devaluing, something easily forgotten by voters. Ever thought of how much money that would cost export countries such as Germany and the Netherlands? And there’s some cream left to top it with: Internal market exchange rate costs and some additional bureaucracy. And there I was thinking only European federalists like bureaucracies.

If this is the way forward – if ‘objectivism’ as an ideal can account for our actions and focus, address and steer our political deliberations, then we have sunk much further than I had imagined. And maybe we – or Europe’s leaders, have. No one wants to bail-out Greece, they do so reluctantly and (last year) hesitantly. Rarely do I hear someone saying we should not complain and bail-out Greece, all too often I hear something along the lines of ‘let them bleed’.

Unnecessary, Greece has fallen beyond grace. The streets are packed with people protesting, leading to even more ammunition for objectivism to increase the flame’s heat: They have no right to complain, this mess if of their own making. But that is so only if we can conflate universal responsibility (i.e. the state) as opposed to individual responsibility, and if we can legitimately demand individuals to give up those rights and practices that they all know should not, collectively, exist. But to disadvantage yourself among many, simply by paying the tax you ‘owe’ the state – now that requires some ideals. Not paying your taxes only requires you to decide what is best for you and only you, it need not make you reflect on any general good. And why should that general good be of concern anyway: Is it not you who ought to pull the strings; is it not your kismet you try to manipulate?

I hesitate to think Rand would approve! Just as Eurozone members are busying themselves in trying to ‘save their own asses’, so did Greeks improve their lives in a society now widely recognized to be corrupt to the bone. And now, while we are trying to break the chains of the credit rating agencies around Greece’s wrists, we are taking something away not just from Greece as a collective, but from individual citizens who neither foresaw nor wanted to end up where they are. Europe is steadily and stubbornly ruining Greece’s future.

And therein I find my apocalyptical scenario. Whereas for the Eurozone the only viable option is more cooperation and political integration, the divide among Europe’s people seems to grow larger. I wonder if even Eurosceptic England would top the sentiment in the Netherlands. Us and them becomes, once again, the nation state and what lies beyond the border, even though the political reality is different (which is something national politicians are keen on hiding and, because of a lack of knowledge in EU affairs, they are well able to do so).

Rand, answering why she didn’t like altruism, simply replied that ´I didn’t say I don’t like it, I said it was evil’. Altruism is a rare feat in politics and our lending to Greece certainly forms no part of it, but please do not let solidarity go extinct.