FROM THE WAYBACK MACHINE, Ayn Rand in 1944:

The greatest threat to mankind and civilization is the spread of the totalitarian philosophy. Its best ally is not the devotion of its followers but the confusion of its enemies. To fight it, we must understand it.

Totalitarianism is collectivism. Collectivism means the subjugation of the individual to a group — whether to a race, class or state does not matter. Collectivism holds that man must be chained to collective action and collective thought for the sake of what is called “the common good.”

Throughout history, no tyrant ever rose to power except on the claim of representing “the common good.”

And yes, I struggled through Atlas Shrugged myself. It took about 20 years.