MARINA DEL REY, CA -- Appearing on last Friday's edition of The O'Reilly Factor, Dr. Leonard Peikoff, founder of the Ayn Rand Institute, strongly criticized President Bush's attempts to combine military retaliation with compassion and humanitarian aid.
       "You cannot bring down a government that has all of its institutions in the major population centers, while you avoid bombing those centers," said Dr. Peikoff in the interview. "You can't [fight] a war -- when America's survival is at stake -- by saying, 'I'm going to love my neighbor and exert compassion.' It's either war, or it's 'love thy neighbor.'"
       When asked by guest host John Kasich: "Isn't it true that America has been unable to share its bounty effectively with the world, [resulting in] people who should be our friends becoming our enemies? Doesn't it make sense to have balance in this effort?" Dr. Peikoff replied: "No. I don't have any 'balance' against a mortal enemy. And I disagree, sir, with your idea that we should 'share our bounty.' This country produced what it has, and it has no moral obligation whatever to spread it around the world."

ARI executive director Dr. Yaron Brook is available for interviews on this topic.