FReeper Book Club: Atlas Shrugged, The Theme

A Publius Essay | 17 January 2009 | Publius

[CottonBall]

And don’t forget, she advocated pursuing one’s happiness. If being the worker makes one happy and doesn’t require sacrifice or infringes on the rights of others to pursue happiness, I can’t see her having a problem with it.

;)

[CottonBall]

By lashing out at others greed, he shows his own need to control and his envy at those that want to "get things done".

Sounds like quite a few politicians lately. And it will get worse as the economy worsens and people balk at higher taxes.

[CottonBall]

Wow - the fall colors are gorgeous. (Yes, I got distracted from the moral of your story!) I see your point, but I think human nature makes it hard to keep working for one’s own satisfaction over the years only. Otherwise, socialism would’ve been more successful.

[MtnClimber]

“This is something that I am seeing in the current economic meltdown: nobody thought critically as they purchased a home that was 10-20 times their annual salary (if they actually had a salary!)”

The government forcing banks to make loans to people who the banks know would not be capable of paying back is just like later scenes in Atlas Shrugged. It is worthy of a character like Mouches.

[whodathunkit]

The general reaction to anything falling apart was, "Who is John Galt?" ("Why bother? What can anyone do?") That saying became a mantra to cover everything, and it absolved the speaker from having to think.

"Who is John Galt?"... Is the first sentence to be taken as an inquiry? The reader should entertain the concept that the reference is not to a temporal entity.

"Where" or "What" was not asked about John Galt. The reader is left to wonder where this question could possibly lead.

It is ironic that many are now asking "where is John Galt when you need him?"

Thomas Paine used the "Sunshine Patriot" as a literary tool to distill a complicated argument into a readily recognizable concept for the masses. Is this the same usage?

Would a person embrace or recoil from the thought that they may themselves be John Galt?

[MtnClimber]

It seems clear that Zero plans to use the hype of global warming and control over energy to impose socialism. The appointment of socialist Carol Browner as energy czar confirms my suspicion.

[rlmorel]

I think what I was trying to say is that just as we have lost the stigma of bearing children out of wedlock, stigma of being rude to others, we have lost the stigma of doing work poorly.

If you have read “The Road to Serfdom”, I think you would know you are on the right track...people forget...

[Nam Vet]

CottonBall ..... What a fine name ! I, too, will be a first time reader of AS. (will pick up a copy tomorrow and catch up) While I've known the general theme for many years, I too am disappointed that Galt's Gulch is as described.

Publius ...... Thanks for the fantastic idea of a Freeper Book Club and especially starting with AS.

Nam Vet

[Publius]

Metro North would be surprised to hear that, since trains run daily along the Harlem Division.

True, but the NY & Harlem lost its independence, while the New Haven hung on. People remember the New Haven, but only true railfans remember the Harlem line as an independent entity.

[Publius]

The government forcing banks to make loans to people who the banks know would not be capable of paying back is just like later scenes in Atlas Shrugged.

That is the Midas Mulligan versus Lee Hunsacker business that comes later. I'll be writing an essay in that thread linking Hunsacker to Dennis Kucinich, who as mayor of Cleveland over 30 year ago, was on the cutting edge of all this.

[Publius]

Ping to Chapter 1.

[Publius]

I love your Post #105 because it forces one to think.

Would a person embrace or recoil from the thought that they may themselves be John Galt?

Here is a heretical thought. If one wanted to identify the man who "stopped the motor of the world", it would be Alan Greenspan, whose policies have led to the near collapse of the easy credit/fiat money (ie., non-gold standard) financial system.

I wonder what Dr. Greenspan would think of that.

[Publius]

...I too am disappointed that Galt's Gulch is as described.

FReeper Billthedrill likened Galt's Gulch to the Nordic Valhalla, perhaps as described by German opera composer Richard Wagner. (Billthedrill and I have an ongoing discourse about Wagner, Hitler, and today's Islamic fascists and their fellow travelers in the Left.) Every CO needs a good XO (Army) just as every Skipper needs a good Exec (Navy). Behind every American business success was an XO or Exec without whom things would not have been done properly. (There is a great deal of that in early railroading.) Rand should have saved space for us XO's.

But withhold judgment until we get there. Let the journey unfold. The idea of doing this slowly is to get people to go beyond the plot and dig into the underlay, making comparisons to the mess we're in today.

[shove_it]

“...we have lost the stigma of doing work poorly...”

The term “close enough for government work” is a fine example of how the close tolerances of WW2 have deteriorated into the derogatory slogan it has become.

[whodathunkit]

I wonder what Dr. Greenspan would think of that.

In my opinion he failed either way you look at it. He failed to provide for future contingencies allowing the system to continue indefinitely and he failed to completely destroy it so there would be an opportunity to start over. As it is now,we are in limbo. Perhaps that is what he would consider success.

[MtnClimber]

How about Rahm Emmanuel’s quote: “You don’t ever want a crisis to go to waste. It’s an opportunity to do important things you would otherwise avoid.”

Or this headline on Yahoo News:

“Financial burden of homeownership spread unequally”

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/housing_thirty_eight_percent

These Remind me of Atlas Shrugged.

[CottonBall]

I think what I was trying to say is that just as we have lost the stigma of bearing children out of wedlock, stigma of being rude to others, we have lost the stigma of doing work poorly.

You're right - it's all tied together. Character and values are shown every day in how someone lives their life. Or, in most cases today, not shown. :(

[CottonBall]

Then there are teachers who coach because they enjoy the kids - the athletics, and that particular sport. Excellent coaches are usually excellent teachers too - and they have the respect of the kids when they are good at both.

I can agree with that somewhat. However, the liberal administrations today are trying to get us to buy into the idea that is someone can teach or coach, they don't need to be academically qualified. I even had a HS principle recently tell me he'd rather hire a teacher that had a rapport with the kids that wasn't academically sound and 'train' them. (As if 4 years of college wasn't enough to show they weren't all that trainable, IMO)

Back when I went to school (when schools weren't completely dumbed down yet), coaches only coached or taught something like health only. Never a core subject. I think we were onto something back then - before we became last in the industrialized nations on the math and science tests and even before many 3rd world countries. I wish those scores would be published far ans wide here every time the tests are done (every 3 years). Our MSM hides the data to protect their NEA buddies.

[Scotswife]

well I personally know an administrator who says the opposite -but he’s not a liberal, so there ya go.

he has said though that every now and then you get an academically gifted person who has a terrible time dealing with the kids.

[TASMANIANRED]

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