The Chess Club

I suppose that I saw this when I was little, but I don't suppose that I realized what a *bad* movie it was, when I was little.

Ayn Rand once wrote an essay, the title of which I really don't remember, in which she wrote about why there were so many fucking chess players in her native Russia. Basically, she argued that, in a society based on insanity, chess was an escape mechanism for intellectuals who had nothing *meaningful* to spend their lives on-- no *real* use for their gifts....

And I suppose that it shouldn't really surprise anyone to hear that wasting Russian resources and gifts is almost the Russian national.... thing.

But, then, I suppose that, if America were as perfect as Ayn Rand decided that it was--or perhaps it's only perfect by comparison-- then Bobby Fischer wouldn't exist, now, would he? Or.... not like this.

And, incidentally, this is also the problem that I have with Gandhi.... I mean, I'm not quite in favor of mindless, violent, stupid competition, but, then, I suppose that *every now and then* one finds that there is something even worse in the world than European football....

(Because, after all, if *Sheldon* can call it that, then....)

(6/10)