There's some truth to the claim that Ayn Rand's villains aren't realistic today. But that's mostly because she gave them more intelligence, subtlety, and shame than their modern counterparts possess. Rand portrayed villains who rationalized coercion as compassion, envy as justice, and the sacrifice of productive individuals as a moral obligation. Today, they openly demand these things, applaud one another for doing so, and congratulate themselves on their moral superiority. What Rand dramatized as a warning has become ordinary political rhetoric. Her villains weren't unrealistic because they were too evil. If anything, she underestimated how shamelessly their philosophy could be embraced.