All those "shruggers" with spare time and guns is a dangerous mix. They're going to go for the guns, big time. Soon...
Don't worry, I got it... ; )
Posted on 04/01/2009 12:56:58 AM PDT by The Duke
The state of the US economy and the anticipation of increased taxation has inspired numerous references in recent weeks to the book "Atlas Shrugged", by the late author and philosopher Ayn Rand. In her fictitious book Rand anticipates a time when those who create wealth within the social order, and from whom that wealth is forceably extracted for the benefit of others, eventually express their frustration by ceasing their labors. Those drawing the parallel to today’s reality suggest that we are now approaching a scenario when the real producers of today’s society will cease to produce, resulting in dramatic social upheaval.
While contemplating these allusions I have been tempted to conclude that, in the real world, it would be difficult for the producers in our society to “shrug” due to the economic dependencies between the various actors involved. For example, while one may be tempted to cease production in protest of the taxes incurred, that impulse is mitigated by the affects such a disruption would have on those innocents who are dependent on the creator’s work. So, the glue of social relationships serves as a strong deterrent to the shovelers of our economy casting aside their shovels.
The other day, while dropping of a car for re-upholstery at the home of a local at-home upholsterer, I contemplated the question “Can and Will Atlas Shrug?”. While occupied with these thoughts I took note of the beautiful Spring morning, and the activities of squirrels and tropical birds in this wonderfully-relaxed Central Florida neighborhood. And it was then that I realized how Atlas can and will shrug.
You see, the workman I had hired and who had offered me very low pricing for his work had not driven to some central place of business to perform the work. Rather, the arrangement was for me to drive across town to his home to leave the car for repair. In this case the producer was charging me my own time and inconvenience to allow him to work in an environment that offered reduced expense to him, in addition to increased quality of life. This workman had not shrugged completely, but he had shrugged substantially. And in doing so, while his income had been reduced he had gained the important (but intangible, and virtually in-taxible) quality of life!
And so I have my answer. The producers in our world can and will not react to onerous taxes by simply abandoning their work completely. Rather, they will begin to abandon substantial portions of their work at a time and in a manner of their choosing, in exchange for the subsequent intangible benefits they can award themselves. And, to society the loss of twenty percent of five workers differs little (if any) from the loss of one hundred percent of one worker. Additionally, the worker had shifted some of his real burden to me, the consumer of his work.
And so, Atlas will, by degrees, begin to shrug, and society will suffer the proverbial “death by a thousand cuts”. The upheaval will come by degrees.
Older workers eligible for Medicare will have one less incentive to show up at shop or office.
Likewise, their need for a slower pace will lead them away from corner-office Napoleons into self-employment via Subchapter S service corporations. I can see at least some of your scenario working out this way.
The goal is to make Atlas shrug.
They are creating, rewarding, and lauding the grifter class while violently punishing the producer class. They want the wall street guy working as a janitor while on assistance.
As we know, this cannot be sustained in the long term but they don’t care. Their goals are shortsighted and immediate. By the time society crashes, individuals will be controlled and powerless. America as it once was is over. The talented independent producers have been defeated by the loser grifter class who want to be dependent on government. It is over. We have lost.
Once everyone is “dependent” the political class has absolute control and 1984/brave new world can begin.
All those "shruggers" with spare time and guns is a dangerous mix. They're going to go for the guns, big time. Soon...
Don't worry, I got it... ; )
“that impulse is mitigated by the affects such a disruption would have on those innocents who are dependent on the creator’s work”
This is the “sanction of the victim” that when finally overcome lets the Creators fully shrug. Remember Rearden’s deadbeat mooching family?
As far as the partial shrugging goes, that is most certainly what’s going on. Before Galt went on “strike”, he took up a job as a manual laborer.
When you’re moving entire industries, you’re creating countless billions in wealth and only receiving a small percentage of it back. When you’re digging a ditch, you’re consuming almost all that you produce.
Designing a new engine adds to the wealth of all mankind, beyond its direct consumers. There is no trickle up benefit to mopping a floor.
Industry giants of growth firms will settle for accepting management jobs in mature firms, entrepreneurs will become run of the mill salesmen, privately employed professionals will continue to work for friends and neighbors but not hire, expand, or take on new clients, and the next generation of rising star executives will become middle management card punchers.
Atlas probably won’t shrug in the form of a fast, hard crash, but a slow lasting slump. And then we’ll be France, Japan, Sweden...eeking out a mediocre living with our decisions made for us.
Spread the poverty!
It will happen many ways.
Ronald Reagan explained to Michael many, many years ago how the discriminatory income tax (which reached 91% at the time) hurt the “non-rich.” After a certain point each year, Reagan was working for 9 cents out of every dollar. Therefore, each year he declined one or two movie offers. The hundreds of people who could have been employed making those movies were therefore deprived of that much employment.
The discriminatory income tax is one of the most obvious ways that envious people (Democrats) are punished in THIS life, as well as in the next.
...and “at-home upholsterer” can pay taxes but won’t likely bring in big revenues or pay big taxes. He probably even does other odd jobs. He isn’t doing the work at home for the purpose of evading big taxes. He’s doing it that way in order to avoid big crooked competition (false zoning, false environmentalism and other ploys used by bigger competition to shut small business starts down).
My point is, look who’s really able to take Galt-esque action. He can also wear old, un-stylish clothes, cook for himself, produce food from a garden and repair his own machines. In other words, he can afford to live without vain, snobbish pretenses. And he’s not “shrugging.” He has escaped from the plantation of those who have chattered so much about “shrugging.”
Good points you make. For myself, ‘shrugging’ consists in all of these kinds of expedients. Part of it was obligatory: I am too old to be really employable in the city but was able to find a relatively low-paying job out in the country which really amounted to the same thing as whatever I could have drummed up otherwise. The difference was a shorter commute and very lowbrow environment. I also have no provided health care and few benefits. You make do when you have to.
All of this amounts now to ‘getting off the grid’. It need not be total, but every bit that we manage improves the overall condition and prospects. But the difference is that in getting off the grid, I am specifically trying to avoid going Galt. I believe that is an expression of despair and I believe that is a very self-destructive sin.
GOOD THREAD BTTT
I like your statement(s) on your profile page. Well stated & honorable.
Where did you get the bumper sticker?
Would another Civil War be considered a “shrug”?
I shrugged in 2006, and found the despair disappeared when I got out of the Fortune 500's and began running my own stupid little business.
No tie. No commute. No enriching management parasites. No permission needed to buy materials. No one else to blame, no excuses, no credit stolen, no "reviews", no meetings, no pointless airline flights.
Less money, less spare time, more hours worked, much more fulfillment and happiness.
I wish I had done it twenty years sooner. I had no idea how miserable I really was. Talking to others who did the same, "It was like an abusive marriage-You had no idea how bad it really was till it was over."
The South (What’s left of it) will probably not go down the socialist’s rat hole peacefully. I’m just sayin’.
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