'Atlas Shrugged': From Fiction to Fact in 52 Years

Wall Street Journal ^ | January 9, 2009 | Stephen Moore

[reaganaut1]

[T]he moral of ["Atlas Shrugged"] is simply this: Politicians invariably respond to crises -- that in most cases they themselves created -- by spawning new government programs, laws and regulations. These, in turn, generate more havoc and poverty, which inspires the politicians to create more programs . . . and the downward spiral repeats itself until the productive sectors of the economy collapse under the collective weight of taxes and other burdens imposed in the name of fairness, equality and do-goodism.

In the book, these relentless wealth redistributionists and their programs are disparaged as "the looters and their laws." Every new act of government futility and stupidity carries with it a benevolent-sounding title. These include the "Anti-Greed Act" to redistribute income (sounds like Charlie Rangel's promises soak-the-rich tax bill) and the "Equalization of Opportunity Act" to prevent people from starting more than one business (to give other people a chance). My personal favorite, the "Anti Dog-Eat-Dog Act," aims to restrict cut-throat competition between firms and thus slow the wave of business bankruptcies. Why didn't Hank Paulson think of that?

These acts and edicts sound farcical, yes, but no more so than the actual events in Washington, circa 2008. We already have been served up the $700 billion "Emergency Economic Stabilization Act" and the "Auto Industry Financing and Restructuring Act." Now that Barack Obama is in town, he will soon sign into law with great urgency the "American Recovery and Reinvestment Plan." This latest Hail Mary pass will increase the federal budget (which has already expanded by $1.5 trillion in eight years under George Bush) by an additional $1 trillion -- in roughly his first 100 days in office.

The current economic strategy is right out of "Atlas Shrugged": The more incompetent you are in business, the more handouts [you get].

[reaganaut1]

I'd like to point out that atheists such as Ayn Rand (and myself) are not necessarily socialists. Some conservatives equate the two categories.

[Red Badger]

Ayn Rand correctly foresaw the logical conclusion of all the socialistic waves since Woodrow Wilson, FDR, et al. She warned us but few were listening............

[PogySailor]

bttt

[Mad_Tom_Rackham]

This is what the Republicans have brought us: Socialists in full power and about to perpetrate the greatest pork barrel ripoff in the nation’s history.

[Fzob]

I'd like to point out that atheists such as Ayn Rand (and myself) are not necessarily socialists. Some conservatives equate the two categories.

I would certainly hope there are a best only a few Conservatives dumb enough to believe atheists and socialist are equated.

[Apollo 13]

I never saw much in Ayn Rand. Hysterical, over the top, an immigrant so bewitched by the merits of the American system that she completely overlooked its shortcomings (which it does, liky any system).

But OK, viewpoints differ. But why do I see in that article only criticism towards the help plans of these days and nothing about the money spent on 6 years in Iraq? That is a righteous question, I think?

Finally, I always thought that libertarianism is the right-wing variant of communism. Both don’t work. Abolishing all income taxes may be tried... schools and affordable hospitals will disappear, as will well-maintained highways and railroads. Public infrastructure will collapse, e.g. energy supplies. Contagious diseases will spread like wildfire. The rich and ultrarich will withdraw into extremely guarded gated communities with private police to protect them.

In short: libertarianism is the fastest road to atheist fascism.

[MarkeyD]

Ditto

[Sopater]

I'd like to point out that atheists such as Ayn Rand (and myself) are not necessarily socialists.

Thank God.

[Nateman]

So... just who is John Galt?

[Camel Joe]

Sure Comrade, sure... Public education would go away and then our children might learn again.

[rlmorel]

So...you want to equate bailing out uber-lib institutions like Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac with a fight against an ideology responsible for the deaths of 3000 Americans in a single day?

You think those things should be viewed simply as an expenditure of money without any context?

[Sopater]

Abolishing all income taxes may be tried... schools and affordable hospitals will disappear, as will well-maintained highways and railroads. Public infrastructure will collapse, e.g. energy supplies. Contagious diseases will spread like wildfire. The rich and ultrarich will withdraw into extremely guarded gated communities with private police to protect them.

That, or good old American Capitalism will step up and the free market will produce privatized solutions to those problems... just as they used to.

[massgopguy]

Maybe it was her first hand experience with Communist thugs that allowed her to overlook the imperfections of Capitalism.

[rfreedom4u]

I read Atlas Shrugged years ago and did not like it at all.

I only hope it does not come true. I also read It Can’t Happen Here. Didn’t like it either.

[Apollo 13]

Thanks for replying. I am not inclined to share your optimism. It may have been thus in a distant past, but no way can I see a libertarian way out of today's problems... our cities are metropolitan behemoths that just need be regulated by a solid government. The traffic connections everywhere are so rigid (and therefore vulnerable) that one can't simply divide it all up between a couple of private companies and let them work out all problems. It's something of a deterministic problem IMHO. A hundred years ago, things took their time and the country was much less crowded. Private enterprise really took things forward. But everything has changed. I'd say, with my beloved philosopher Karl Popper (a follower of a generally free market, BTW) that we need a lot of social engineering to keep society going in the best way possible.

[Le Chien Rouge]

Galt: “You want me to be Economic Dictator?”

Mr. Thompson: “Yes!”

“And you’ll obey any order I give?”

“Implicitly!”

“Then start by abolishing all income taxes.”

“Oh no!” screamed Mr. Thompson, leaping to his feet. “We couldn’t do that . . . How would we pay government employees?”

“Fire your government employees.”

“Oh, no!”

If only we had a man like John Galt now........

[Tolkien]

Atlas Shrugged and 1984 are here!

Hold on to your liberty!!!!!

[lewisglad]

I’m shocked that this book is the only modern classic not being made into a feature film! (sarcasm button off)

[mjp]

The secular humanistic form of atheism leads to socialism.
The first Humanist Manifesto called for a more equal distribution of wealth. It states that a socialized and cooperative economic order must be established. Corliss Lamont has championed socialism since the early 1930’s. Lamont associates socialism directly with Humanism - apparently drawing the conclusion that socialism is a logical extension from Humanist philosophy.