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Who is John Galt?

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CalPoly10

macrumors regular
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Sep 5, 2006
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After reading Ayn Rand's Atlas Shrugged 1 year ago, I can't help but to see this storyline unfold in our society.

"When you see that trading is done, not by consent, but by compulsion - when you see that in order to produce, you need to obtain permission from men who produce nothing - when you see that money is flowing to those who deal, not in goods, but in favors - when you see that men get richer by graft and by pull than by work, and your laws don't protect you against them, but protect them against you - when you see corruption being rewarded and honesty becoming a self-sacrifice - you may know that your society is doomed."

I'm a 20 year old student, but I believe I've got a smart head on my shoulders. When I see the government "spreading the wealth", whether it be by giving tax "refunds" to those that don't pay taxes, nationalizing healthcare, bailing out businesses that made terrible choices (as well as home buyers), I can't help but to worry.

I spoke with a relative of mine about this. She said, "Why should I be punished with higher taxes and new programs, when I've lived my whole life by the books? I've never spent out of my means, worked for everything I've ever had, and never asked for anything that isn't rightfully mine."

What is everyone's opinion on this?
 
irmongoose said:
Don't worry, you'll grow out of it. Everyone does. Ayn Rand seems like a voice of reason when you first read it, then you realize she was just bat-**** crazy. Very entertaining stories, though, no doubt.

PRSI, please.



irmongoose
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I've read a lot of her philosophy, and I don't really see how it is crazy. Sure, it may be crazy when you compare it to the teachings of the Bible though.

Ever since I was little, I was taught that nothing comes easy. I worked on a farm for 7 years of my life (for my Dad), and never asked for handouts.

I hear older folks (50+) talk about how things have really changed, how people who do less expect more, and those that do more get less. Taxes are higher, more restrictions, less freedom.

I don't see how it's crazy thinking.
 
Who mentioned anything about the Christian bible?

Here's the thing: Do you really want half of your country to be in slums? To be in utter hell? What would happen if one day you are suddenly affected by an economic downturn, out of the blue, and put on the streets? Would you be so keen to stick with your ideologies then? It's easy to be caught up in theoretics, but we're talking about people's lives here. You want to look at your neighbor and say "I don't care about your life, you deserve it."? Do you really want to live in such a world?

Humans are social creatures. Without others, we cannot live, and when all's said and done, no matter how much it might hurt you to think that somehow you might be getting ripped off, you are way better off being mindful of others than not.



irmongoose
 
CalPoly10 said:
I've read a lot of her philosophy, and I don't really see how it is crazy. Sure, it may be crazy when you compare it to the teachings of the Bible though.

Ever since I was little, I was taught that nothing comes easy. I worked on a farm for 7 years of my life (for my Dad), and never asked for handouts.

I hear older folks (50+) talk about how things have really changed, how people who do less expect more, and those that do more get less. Taxes are higher, more restrictions, less freedom.

I don't see how it's crazy thinking.
Click to expand...

The foundational ideas from her philosophy really isn't crazy, much of it is good. See libertarianism and Austrian economics. Hell, our beloved Constitution is based on some of those ideals.

Ayn Rand herself, however, and many specifics of her philosophy, really is ******* insane.

Edited to add, even though she's ******* insane, she's a hell of a personality. I wish I can have a chance to meet her personally.
 
I wouldn't want to meet Ayn Rand in a dark alley, if for no other reason than she is dead -- and by all reports, wasn't a nice person in life. But I will say that her fiction was some of the best unintentional comedy ever written.
 
CalPoly10 said:
..."When you see that trading is done, not by consent, but by compulsion - when you see that in order to produce, you need to obtain permission from men who produce nothing - when you see that money is flowing to those who deal, not in goods, but in favors - when you see that men get richer by graft and by pull than by work, and your laws don't protect you against them, but protect them against you - when you see corruption being rewarded and honesty becoming a self-sacrifice - you may know that your society is doomed."...
Click to expand...

After I'd got as far as the paragraph above, I thought this was going to be an anti-Madoff or anti-deadbeat-CEO sort of discussion; not an anti-government one.:)

I guess the underlying issue is complacency, or maybe it's lazyness, or perhaps a lack of vigilence or a lack of accountability? All of which can arise in any organization when nobody's looking.
 
Sorry, the original poster is not eligible for the Politics, Religion, Social Issues forum. If an eligible member is interested in starting a thread on this topic there, they are more than welcome to.
 
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