PJM (pajamas media) and Dr. Helen have put up a post about the idea of 'going Galt' If you haven't read Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand, you should. I admit that she isn't the best or most entertaining writer in the world. I read this book in high school and it made a profound impression on me that shapes my world view today.
For those who haven't the time to plow through her massive book, the main theme is that there are those who are productive in society, the John Galts and then there are the takers and the users. Stealing shamelessly from Dr. Helen.
For those who haven't the time to plow through her massive book, the main theme is that there are those who are productive in society, the John Galts and then there are the takers and the users. Stealing shamelessly from Dr. Helen.
"the basic theme is that John Galt and his allies take actions that include withdrawing their talents, “stopping the motor of the world,” and leading the “strikers” (those who refuse to be exploited) against the “looters” (the exploiters, backed by the government)."
My husband, who has a plumbing business (just like this guy) and also has his own blog http://dumbplumber.blogspot.com/ and I are both self employed. We have seriously discussed this concept and are already "going Galt". Cutting back on production, cutting back on business and contributing the least we possibly can to the government. We aren't the only ones. Some cattle ranchers and farmers in our area are cutting back. Less food production and laying off workers. Contractors are not going to be building. Less lumber needed. Less logging and mill production and it goes on. The economy grinds to a halt and there is no one productive to rob from to give to the leeches and looters.
Actually, by cutting back, we will ultimately have more retained income (less taxes) and more quality time to do things that we enjoy. We have already seen this.
I suggest that we ALL do the most we can to stop the engine of the world and let the looters starve.
Isn't that depressing? *sigh*
ReplyDeleteI really want to read this book but can't find a copy anywhere.
And I don't know if I could ever go to the non-productive side of things. What would I do??? Would the economy ever really grind to a hault though?
I'm just more and more depressed.
The barter system rules. I could never be non-productive just non-government tax reporting.
ReplyDeleteDon't be depressed. We can cope.
I'm in.
ReplyDeletefollowed you from Althouse where someone beat up on you for the Tilt-O-Wheel comment. I didn't understand his point. Still don't. But I guess you're a racist for ... what... using the word 'carnival'?
ReplyDeleteGood luck with going Galt. In moments of despair, I considered doing the same but it seems sorta like the decision I made after the divorce: drop out and keep my money, move to the Caymans. But the kids would suffer. So you suck it up, pay your alimony (read taxes to Obama) and enjoy life.
Living well is the best revenge.
I very much enjoyed Atlas Shrugged and Fountainhead. I find it sadly amusing that Galt began his strike because of events that happened in Wisconsin.
ReplyDeleteWow. What the hell do you hope to accomplish this way? This is just plain dumb.
ReplyDeleteTotal collapse of the government and economy? How will you rebuild it? Can you really build a society of Galts? If the whole thing collapses how will you maintain your power? If powervaccumes helped out galts then we out have tons of "ideal" governments.
Kill all the "looters" and somehow purge their looting spirit from the gene pool? or how else will you keep them from coming back?
Maybe people will see that the productive folks have stopped working and change their ways? Not likely: you will be just as poor and desperate for food as they are and once "looters" get hungry you can bet that they will be just as motivated as you.
I tend to think of Rand as the epitome of whineyness. All her characters, galts or looters just whine endlessly through the entire book, and everyone who likes the books whines, and all their children whine until a vast, screeching, unending whine fills the air all over America, annoying the hell out of all the rest of us honest, quiet capitalists who hate Rand and all of her crappy, outdated rhetoric.
Rand is the capitalist version of Stalin. Get over her, stop complaining and try to actually change society in a productive way.