So I was looking up some of the voice talent for the Bioshock game on IMDB (it's really excellent, the best I've ever encountered in a game) and found quite the flame war going on about Bioshock supposedly slamming Objectivism. I considered it kind of a jokey toss-off in my earlier post but apparently people are fighting about it.

Objectivism in Bioshock, that is, not my post.

People will always find something to argue about, I guess. But it's a game where you can shoot insects out of your hand, which is getting into Monty Python "giant electric penguin with tentacles that sting people" territory. Not exactly Kant.

After playing through a good part of the game, I'll certify that Rapture's self-destruction had nothing to do with political/economic philosophy and everything to do with nutrition. I've played through five major locations now and my poor character has had nothing to eat but potato chips, cream-filled pastries, and "pep" bars -- washed down with vodka, gin, whiskey, wine, beer, and a thermos of coffee now and then. When your entire population is hung-over and constipated you've got to expect some amount of civil disorder. They're deep under the sea, so everyone's got year-round Seasonal Affective Disorder from lack of sunlight, and I bet that because of the close conditions all the women had their menstrual cycles sync up.

Even Plato's Republic will end up with blood on the walls under that kind of stress.