The John Galt Effect

Human Events ^ | February 19, 2009 | Dr. Arthur Robinson

[AZLiberty]

A hidden effect of the November 4 elections and the national events that preceded them during this past year is perhaps best called the “John Galt Effect” in honor of Ayn Rand’s famous character in Atlas Shrugged.  It is occurring to a very significant extent.

Our technological civilization stands upon the shoulders of many generations of free Americans and the great accomplishments that they bequeathed to us. Among those Americans and their counterparts in other countries have been a small special group of people whose unusual genius, work ethic, and love for their specialties were especially outstanding. These men, by their examples, their creations, and their leadership of free enterprises, have led our civilization upward. One of the greatest privileges of my life has been to know a few such people.

Without this small group of people, the technological attainments of their generations would not have taken place. We know the names of a few of them, but there were many more—constituting perhaps one person in a thousand. Ayn Rand called these people the “men of the mind.” In Atlas Shrugged, under the leadership of John Galt, they withdrew their services. They would only work in freedom. They would not work under tyranny.
In reality, most men of the mind never withdraw. They love their work too much to stop and—most of them—love their fellow men too much to desert them. The forces of tyranny depend upon this. Without these people, even the small technological advances required by Marxist and Socialist societies would not occur. Yet, while the men of the mind do not fully withdraw, they have families and other loved ones for whom they are responsible and to whom they are more devoted than to the state.

As the pendulum of politics now swings toward tyranny in the United States and dangers to those whom they love increase, these men and women partially turn their talents more toward their personal responsibilities. Part of their thoughts, efforts, and ingenuity are lost to society—and this loss cannot be recovered by either negative or positive incentives.

Throughout our country today, the men of the mind (women, too) are watching the awful scene in Washington and its reflection in state and local capitals throughout the United States. They understand the consequences of the government oppression that has dogged their own footsteps for many years and that will grow much worse in the near future. So, they are taking actions to protect themselves and their families. We have no way to measure the societal effects of this distraction of the men of the mind. There are immediate effects upon our well being and long term effects from the things that they are no longer working full time to create.

What is the cost of the distraction of our real leaders—of the men of the mind—of the John Galts among us? I estimate that it is greater than the trillions of dollars being lost on government printing presses. Call this Y2009K—and this time it is very real.

Our existing power plants are still operating; our petrochemical plants are still producing; our military defense is still performing; our food supplies are still flowing; and the rest of the technological infrastructure upon which our lives depend is largely still in place. But the key people—not those we see but those we do not see because they are constantly engaged in real work—are seriously distracted and now partially engaged in personal survival.

Of one thing we can be certain. When the essentials of our civilization begin to seriously falter and this causes real harm, those who would be our masters and their fellow travelers in the media, academia, business, and politics will cast blame upon some of these men of the mind—and drag them before us for punishment. Our John Galts know this, too, and it is a further distraction for them.

Some of these people are leading great enterprises. Others are in the basements of our power plants and other heavy industries. Some are closeted away in universities quietly at work on the next generations of possible advances in science and engineering. They are easily recognized—by their genius and by the love of their work that permeates their whole beings.

One way to recognize them is that they constantly talk about their work to anyone who will listen.

Now they are distracted.

What are they talking about today?

---

Additional material from Science and Public Policy Institute:

Atlas Shrugged Resources:

•    Book Chapter Summaries:
    http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/atlasshrugged/

•    An Audio Study of John Galt’s Speech:
    http://atlasshrugged.com/book/a-study-of-galts-speech.html

•    The Book and its Ideas:
    http://atlasshrugged.com/book/

[MichiganConservative]

My problem is knowing if I have enough ammo. I can never seem to feel like I have enough, so I keep buying more.

[MichiganConservative]

NEVER buy movies — ...

Read some books such as Common Sense, The Black Book of Communism, Jefferson's Notes on the State of Virginia, Locke's Two Treatises on Government, the debates on the Constitution, the Federalist and Antifederalist papers and get educated on the philosophical underpinnings of the American Revolution and just how far we have fallen away from the original intent of the founders.

[ozark hilljilly]

Up against the wall, redneck shrugger!

LOL! Now I'll be up late "re-writing" that song! Oh, well, like I got anything else really important to do on a Friday nite. Thanks for the laugh.

[snowrip]

I think of my family first, and if anyone in government has a problem with that that can meet me at dawn, carrying a pistol.

Interestingly enough, my family donated close to $35,000 to charities last year. If I am forced to abandon my working lifestyle, my commensurate pay cut will not allow anywhere near that sort of charitable donation. I doubt very much that marxist idiots like Onazi have taken things like this into consideration. It is the working upper class that donates the largest portion of their income to charitable giving; forcing them to pay for those who refuse to produce not only leaves them with less to give, it pisses them off.

[Hop A Long Cassidy]

Add me to your ping list.

Thanks,

[STARWISE]

Welcome .... hope more add to it.

STARVE THE BEASTS!!

[NoGrayZone]

I just finished the book last night. I had MUCH trouble getting through the 1st 75 pages, because it reminded me of what's happening today.

I have started to use the words and phrases in every day life, not on purpose, but they seem to describe it so well.

Looters & moochers. I hate them both.

Funny thing. A couple of times now, I have heard some at work say familiar things, that were in the book. One of them..... “there's plenty of people out there who NEED the job”. I responded “can they do the job, or will you give it to them just because they NEED it”."We are not paying him for his time, we are paying him for his knowledge". That conversation left me a bit queasy.

[NoGrayZone]

My favorite is Hank Rearden. I have a crush on a fictional man. How sad am I, lol.

[NoGrayZone]

I have heard a couple of callers on Rush in the past few days saying just that.

[bert]

See my tag line.....

[NoGrayZone]

I heart you. Heehee.

[Stentor]

Dirty little secret that the parasites don't want you to know is they can't do jack with productive folks generating value to loot.

I've spent a lot of time around parasites. It's hard to believe, but some of them think that productivity arises out of thin air. They're cargo cultists.

[luvie]

Well, I only saw about 3 on the list that I have anything to
do with, and I limit myself on those. Ebay is my “weakness” and their percentage is at least down from a lot of them! LOL!

Google and Yahoo a must for graphics here. I never buy stuff
that they advertise, though...does that give me sort of a
pass? :D

[daylilly]

I’m with you on charitable contributions, and I rethink volunteer work as well. I look at whether or not the likely recipient would have voted for Obama. If so, they can ask him to help them, not me.

Might need the charitable amounts for my own family down the road. At least I know how they voted.

I used to give hefty amounts to charity, now it is next to nothing.

[ridesthemiles]

Anyone residing in an urban area would be well served by keeping a small emergency rations pack and a full tank of gas ready at all times”

You better know your escape route, also, and stay off the main interstates. If you have friends who you can trust and who trust you that are living rural, you might have a place to go to and to bunker down at.

[ridesthemiles]

Somebody has to squeeze that book into a movie. And the script must be written far away from Hollywood. And be filmed farther away.””

Angelina Jolie has the movie rights to Atlas Shrugged.

Any guesses what that will produce??

[EBH]

Repost from another thread:

Rush had a caller yesterday that he described at “shrugging.” The family had decided over cereal that morning that it was time for Dad/husband to stop working so much and let their income fall back to 40hrs. a week.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/2195257/posts?page=17#17

[ridesthemiles]

NEVER buy movies — ... ‘

Exactly!! You are only helping the Hollywood Liberals.

[jacquej]

Why stay off the interstates? I ask because my daughter-in-law and grandson might have to make a very long drive to get to us, if things get dangerous in her city. Son works in “security”, and will probably have to stay put.

She is a wonderful person, but English is her second language, and she might have difficulty dealing with maps, side roads, and a baby in the car.

[ridesthemiles]

Interestingly enough, my family donated close to $35,000 to charities last year. If I am forced to abandon my working lifestyle, my commensurate pay cut will not “

If you make above $250,000, NObama will increase your taxes $800 on each $10,000 you donated.

Sure seems like he wants to eliminate all charities, and have everyone totally dependant upon the Government for everything.