Posted on 11/07/2012 4:44:09 PM PST by neverdem
Many of us are numb today. Numb with the implications of what happened last night. Numb with dread.
Endless days and countless lines of print will be expended in the post mortem of the election, from a conservative perspective. Romney's failures and shortcomings will be examined with electron microscopes. Why didn't he do this? Shouldn't he have done that? "For all sad words of tongue or pen, the saddest are these..."
But these things don't really amount to much. Because the real reason for our election results were neatly summarized by Bill O'Reilly at about 7:00 last night, as the faint shape of events to come began to emerge.
"The people want stuff -- they like politicians to tell them they can have stuff."
And that about sizes it up. The majority of the electorate, even many who voted for Romney, will base their vote on protecting or acquiring "stuff" -- goods or perquisites to which they feel entitled by virtue of rights or precedent. The feckless "Obamaphone" enthusiasts and the otherwise responsible, kindly grandmother make common cause in "revenge" voting when they sense or are told their stuff is threatened.
That's why politicians rarely stray from veiled inferences or broad outlines, and why any hint of specificity can expect to be the target of fearmongering. The modern social contract is one of positive rather than negative rights, about actively offering stuff rather than creating the conditions (by suppression of external threats) under which stuff can be obtained.
The deals that have already been made regarding "stuff" are being fulfilled with fictional money, based on a global confidence game in which countries supply fake money to each other in a circular dance that dares not reach a finale, yet is beginning to do so at the frayed edges of...
(Excerpt) Read more at americanthinker.com ...
Unfortunately, I don’t think Colorado is the state it was in Rand’s time. Maybe Idaho.
Idaho, Montana, Wyoming. Few electoral votes so they are sparsely populated. And most of who is there already has an individualistic freedom-loving way of thinking.
If only it wasn’t so cold!
And when they don't have the stuff they think they should have, they like being told its your fault they don't have it. Not their fault, not practical reality, not simple cause and effect, but someone else's fault.
So true. The takers overtook the makers. Too bad that they are bleeding the host to death.
I understand. The truth is these people will have jobs and more "stuff" under pro-growth conservative policies than bloated big government socialist policies. That case has not been effectively made. We offer them more - materially - than dems. Since it is not a program we have to find people that can explain this to these people.
Probably just as hard to get a variance to build a giant dollar sign as a Nativity scene
Spoke to two of my friends today who are small business owners. One is planning on going Galt in the next 90 days.
The other is strongly considering it, but is torn by feelings of “they won”, and torpedoing a business that was family built from the ground up.
The problem is that our way requires work and is not guaranteed. Why would they vote for us when they can get what they want (or so they think)for nothing?
“numb with dread”...seriously?
“numb with dread”...seriously?
Are they planning to just close their businesses?
I’m there, now. Problem is, our invisible force-shield is down. I think Odungo can see us.
I left Kali when I figured out how I was being used there (hadn’t even read A.S. yet), but I knew a mortgage I was never going to pay off was just a chain around my neck. Now the federal situation is intolerable.
I suppose I’m too chicken to actually go Galt, but I find I can no longer stomach giving 70K a year to the likes of Odungo.
I am thinking of some kind of a half-assed Galt arrangement where I’ll get just a little more than what I need to survive (and use my own resources), so that I’m not really paying much, if any, taxes, and see if I can outlast these bastards.
Best of luck to you.
I moved away from Wyoming because of the long, cold winters. Now I want to go back. I’ll take the cold to live amongst self sufficient, freedom loving people.
That's another aspect but that is not what I am talking about. They do NOT have to work any harder. Vote Republican, let us cut taxes and reduce regulations and obstacles, businesses will grow and hire and free markets will do their thing. They have to do nothing but cast a vote. They lose some worthless programs and regulations which many of them don't even benefit from. I submit that our approach will put more money in their pockets, get them employed and help them stay employed. We are offering them money and material security.
To your point, yes if they work harder they can make more money but that's their choice.
No, you don’t understand, they don’t want to work for their stuff, they want the gov. to just give it to them “free”.
What is going Galt? I am familiar with the saying and the book but never read or asked.
This is why the Government last year was using drones over farms in the midwest last year. They want to test the technology to find John Galt. Need to get that engine working to mask your valley.
“Going Galt” means you opt out of the system. You take care of yourself and other like-minded individuals. If you are a business owner, you shut yourself down. This affects the gov in two ways: one, the goods or services you produce leave a gap the gov’s gotta fill. If enough in your field go Galt, the gov is screwed. Two, you laying off your employees has an effect on the gov, as in more people either making themselves self-sufficient (as hoped), or putting more strain on the social service handouts of the gov. Going Galt is one way to get the gov’s attention, and use it to either flip the gov off or negotiate an equitable situation. I’m just a worker bee, so for me to go Galt is barely a drop in the bucket. But for a company that employes 50 people and produces a non-common but needed resource, it’s curtains for that sock-monkey* in the White House.
Use of the term “sock monkey” hurts me, as I love sock monkeys. but Dude, have you seen 0’s ears????????
Am definitely considering early retirement. That’s because of the left-wing legislation over the past 30 years which takes away my career future anyway, and takes away my incentive to work. Under the new rules I can be legally discriminated against because of my race and gender; I can be sued and lose my job for off-hand comments which make someone “uncomfortable”; and any money I do make can be stolen by the government in order to “spread it around”.
I can already envision four years from now:
Chris Matthews: Obama’s not to blame for the mess we’re in...the racist white Republicans went Galt on him! And you know why? Nothing to do with Rand. They wanted him to fail, that’s why! They just couldn’t stand the thought of him talked about as one of the greatest leaders this world has ever known. C’mon, you know it’s true.
The producers need to stop producing and we need to boycott ALL businesses that have been supporting Obama.
It is time to turn this country completely upside down and spoil this rotten apple cart!
Oh, and going Galt is also a pretty good way to shut down the faux-economy. No more monopoly money, cash and gold are king. You want that new tv? Ya gotta have the CASH to pay for it, no more putting it on your EBT card.
It’s a drastic, drastic measure. I think it’s time has come. I dibs on Colorado!
Shhhhhh. Don't tell too many people about WY. Sure as hell they will ruin it
Everyone with a 401k should change their contribution to 0% for a month and see how that works out. Since we’re obviously not paying our fair share.
Going Galt means to withdraw from society, or minimize your income so the parasites can’t feed off you.
they want the stuff they don’t have to work for. you know, the stuff they can take from the ones who work for it
“Going Galt,” or what is better termed “shrugging” is refusing any longer to contribute to the economic system so long as the fruits of your productivity are going to be stolen. Either you hide out in the mountains at your own Galt’s Gulch, or you work below your abilities. Galt himself invented an engine that runs in static electricity or something and was employed at a gas station or something (I forget). I believe there was a professor of philosophy who became a short order cook.
Not only would that accelerate the collapse, but you could get your own (already paid for) share of "free stuff" along the way.
Why is everyone calling it “going Galt”? I always knew it as “shrugging.” That sounds better, and it’s less verbose.
The easiest way to explain Atlas Shrugged to those who haven’t read it is to point out that its working title was The Strike. It’s the producers for once who go on strike rather than the laborers.
I went Galt three years ago. Got laid off, stayed laid off. Wife went to part time. Farm was paid for. We cut our reported income to the poverty level. Purchased a 2000 gallon fuel tank just this morning since all our vehicles are diesel.
HERE IS HOW TO GO GALT BIG TIME! You want to really starve the beast? This would take some planning and organization.
Stop having babies in the hospital. Whaaah? Get health care professionals sympathetic to the cause to help us birth at home, just like our grandparents did. NO BIRTH CERTIFICATE AND NO S.S. NUMBER! Home school the child and teach them trades that can be done for cash. Imagine a plumber that doesn’t have to pay for a license, pay S.S. or taxes, abide by any labor laws, ADA, OSHA, or EPA. They would be wildly successful, to the point that they could hire other “undocumented citizens”. Those of us already on the books can help with things like vehicle registration. If they get stopped and ticketed, don’t show up for court, after all, you wouldn’t exist!. Millions of illegals live perfectly normal FREE AMERICAN lives every day! Freer than US! In eighteen years, a new generation of free citizens would exist. Sound too far off? Eighteen years ago we were fighting BILL Clinton! Afraid they wouldn’t have the right to vote? You have the right to vote, how’s that working out for you? Just will them your registration card.
“Am definitely considering early retirement.”
Retired September 1 in my late 50’s. I was tired of paying nearly 60% of every dollar I earned to various government entities not to mention the mandatory corporate United Way mandates. Plus the corporate bureaucracy BS and political correctness.
Fortunately my wife and I prepared for early retirement. We saved aggressively by adopting a lifestyle far below what our income could support and remaining debt free. We are now divesting possessions and downsizing to a smaller home so our cost of living will be dramatically reduced. This frees up funds for travel and hobbies. We can smell the flowers and see the country at a low cost by staying in the trailer we pull behind our truck. Our stress is gone and our quality of life is already dramatically improved. It is amazing how inexpensive life can be when you have no debt and can distinguish between wants and needs. True happiness comes an intimate relationship with God as well as a nurturing family and network of good friends. Life can still be good in America if you adopt the right lifestyle.
BINGO
Yes there is an element of that in a lot of people. But Obama and the dems are not really giving them very much. Some crappy programs that not everyone uses. trinkets. it’s an illusion that they will get all this stuff and stick it to the rich. What stuff?
Screw the scum that really want someone to buy them homes & feed them. write off those people. what I am saying is that we must focus on the masses of voters who want jobs, homes and the ability to buy stuff with their own money. they have been fooled by these dems’ ponzi scheme that turns into Greece. we offer economic growth which provides them lower taxes, jobs and security in that we are saving jobs, social security & medicare. Our side is offering tangible material benefits & security that has not been effectively communicated by our side.
“Going Galt,” or what is better termed “shrugging” is refusing any longer to contribute to the economic system so long as the fruits of your productivity are going to be stolen. Either you hide out in the mountains at your own Galt’s Gulch, or you work below your abilities. Galt himself invented an engine that runs in static electricity or something and was employed at a gas station or something (I forget). I believe there was a professor of philosophy who became a short order cook.
To hell with going Galt, “Go Galt Overdriven”, become a parasite, take everything from the system it will give you and ask for more with the full knowledge that later you will rise up to rebuild.
Stockpile the extra crap you get and give it to the others who have Gone Galt already to make it easier for them to go Galt, create a support network to support the Galters, increase the rate of collapse of the top heavy system.
Congratulations! My wife and I also retired early. Some friends couldn't understand why. I hate government stealing from us. I did the math and figured we could easily survive on 40 percent of what we were making. After retiring, lots of deductions went away, as you stated. Lots of work-related expenses went away. And we were also debt-free and had savings. Been extremely happy since retiring years ago, and friends who still work say we are reverse-aging while they prematurely age.
I think it’s time for another technological leap in automation, not just in light and heavy industry but in every industry that employs the people who want to do the bare minimum and let the rest of us keep them fed, closed, and housed. I think it’s time for a top-to-bottom look at the low-wage service industries and see what parts can be automated or centralized. As for the UAW, I wonder how well they’ll be able to compete against state-of-the-art robotics instead of the 1990-era stuff in there now. Maybe it’s time to find out.
“Undocumented Citizens”
They already exist and they are called sovereign citizens and the DHS has cross-hairs aimed on them. FYI
[ Rather than simply shutting down and not providing food for the social parasites, what about taking the next step and actually WORKING to become one of those parasites (aka “unionized government worker”)?
Not only would that accelerate the collapse, but you could get your own (already paid for) share of “free stuff” along the way. ]
Get the extra stuff and give it to others who are going Galt to make it an easier decision for them to “Go Galt”.
We need an Black Market exchange network like “Craig’s list” only something like “Galt’s List” where the crap taken from Government is given or traded to other Galters for other stuff, consider it an internet “barter bulletin board”.
[ I think it’s time for another technological leap in automation, not just in light and heavy industry but in every industry that employs the people who want to do the bare minimum and let the rest of us keep them fed, closed, and housed. I think it’s time for a top-to-bottom look at the low-wage service industries and see what parts can be automated or centralized. As for the UAW, I wonder how well they’ll be able to compete against state-of-the-art robotics instead of the 1990-era stuff in there now. Maybe it’s time to find out. ]
We need to also look into human cloning, if we can clone people and use mind transfer tech to duplicate our numbers overnight we can take control of our destiny again.
Imagine a “clone army” of 50 million rugged individuals working and creating and voting to restore things. Just keep the damn tech away from the libs at all costs.
Yes, but that means for one, liquidating present inventory, equipment, and real estate, and for the other, honoring existing orders placed with their European suppliers, and then trying to liquidate the goods from those suppliers..
Also, that one has thought of dumping the business, but working part time as a Consultant..Hard Choices.
BTW, one of these business owners woke up to find a communique requesting all future orders be paid at the time of ordering..It's always been in the past that they pay within 30 days of receipt from the European Suppliers/Manufacturers.
I take that as a sign, other countries think ours is going down the toilet ...within hours of Obama's re-election.. Coincidence?
What you’re describing sounds like the Cloward-Piven strategy, only with the opposite goal. I have no idea where you get the knowledge that we’ll rise again to rebuild. Fair warning: lefties will blame collapse on the market and Republicans. If yesterday is any guide the pepper will trust them, and the Welfare State will become the More Welfare State, only with nothing to tax anymore.
What you’re describing sounds like the Cloward-Piven strategy, only with the opposite goal. I have no idea where you get the knowledge that we’ll rise again to rebuild. Fair warning: lefties will blame collapse on the market and Republicans. If yesterday is any guide the people will trust them, and the Welfare State will become the More Welfare State, only with nothing to tax anymore.
Overwhelm the system. Like Cloward and Piven, only on the right.
You know, you’re right. I often forget that illegals and other people “off the grid” live in what used to be called freedom. The rest of us are riding the Juggernaut, ostensibly begging for a living whether employed or not.
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