Jermofoot…
Not being a Scientologist, not having selected any for pleasure reading, I cannot speak to any comparisson with L. Ron Hubbard.
Actually, Ayn Rand’s basic principle, at least in Atlas Shrugged, is not so much of the “above average” getting credit, but of the “doers” being the slaves of the lazy. While the main characters of Atlas Shrugged are all above average in terms of skill, ability, etc., there are enough sub-stories about the “average Joe” to show how even the small cogs in the machine get screwed over if they strive to achieve in a system that takes from the producers to give to non-producers.
So, while the “heroes” are all very skilled people, it also does an excellent example of showing what happens to just ordinary folks who are trying to work hard to make a living and take care of their families as the current mood of government social programs reaches its logical and dreadful conclussion.
In all honesty, if you have never read it, go to a used book store, pick up a copy, and start plowing through it (the paperback is about 1100 pages). Took me 3 months to read over the summer, Angel took 2 to read it, and she kills a book a week on average.
WELL worth the time investment in this one.