Ed Snider talks of Randian roots, capitalism

While the Flyers and 76ers have fought for their playoff lives the past couple weeks, Comcast-Spectacor chairman Ed Snider has had another venture on his mind this month.

As executive producer of the recently released movie “Atlas Shrugged,” based on Ayn Rand’s novel, the man who made a splash for having Sarah Palin drop a puck at a Flyers game three years ago is excited about the film and its tribute to the legacy of Rand’s capitalistic principles defined often as objectivism.

“They tried to make this film for 50 years,” Snider said in an interview last week. “Hollywood did not want to make this movie because it did not adhere to its liberal agenda.”

Snider has had a love affair with Rand’s book for more than 50 years because “it is the only book that provides a moral defense of capitalism.”

Snider bemoans that “the United States is now a mixture of capitalism and socialism.” He still believes strongly in capitalism. “Capitalists build up business so that they can give weaker members of society jobs,” he said.

Snider wanted to clear up one misconception about objectivism.

“Rand was not against helping poor people,” he said. “She just believed the help should come from private charities, not government programs.”