Who is John Galt by Kirkules

REAL WORLD EVENT DISCUSSIONS

Who is John Galt

POSTED BY: KIRKULES
UPDATED: Tuesday, July 6, 2010 08:10
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VIEWED: 940
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Monday, July 5, 2010 1:07 PM

I was driving to Asheville NC over the holiday and saw the famous "Who is John Galt" billboard along US-95 and it got me wondering if we are headed toward the catastrophic collapse of the US economy and society described by Ayn Rand in Atlas Shrugged or is there time for us to turn things around. Is it time to give up like John Galt in the hopes that a new better USA will rise from the ashes our seemingly inevitable downfall or do we continue to plug away even though a tragic outcome seems likely on our current path. I'm usually a pretty optimistic guy, but ever since reading Atlas Shrugged I have had a feeling of impending doom that I just can't shake. Is there any optimism out there or do you think my foreboding is warranted at this point.

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Monday, July 5, 2010 1:28 PM

KWICKO

"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." -- William Casey, Reagan's presidential campaign manager & CIA Director (from first staff meeting in 1981)

John Galt was a fictional character.

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Monday, July 5, 2010 2:00 PM

AURAPTOR

America loves a winner!

Quote:
Is there any optimism out there or do you think my foreboding is warranted at this point.

I'll let you know after the November elections.

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Monday, July 5, 2010 2:48 PM

DREAMTROVE

So is Emmanuel Goldstein

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Monday, July 5, 2010 3:16 PM

KIRKULES

Quote:
Originally posted by Kwicko:
John Galt was a fictional character.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Galt
"The book's opening line "Who is John Galt?" becomes an expression of helplessness and despair at the current state of the novel's fictionalized world."

It's not as much of a question as it is a statement of confusion about what is happening to the World.

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Monday, July 5, 2010 3:38 PM

HKCAVALIER

Quote:
Originally posted by AURaptor:
I'll let you know after the November elections.

I'm honestly curious what electoral outcome you foresee would put the country on a path away from bankruptcy, both moral and financial--a path we seem to have been on for 30 some years (at least).

HKCavalier

Hey, hey, hey, don't be mean. We don't have to be mean, because, remember, no matter where you go, there you are.

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Monday, July 5, 2010 5:22 PM

KWICKO

Quote:
Originally posted by Kirkules:
Quote:
Originally posted by Kwicko:
John Galt was a fictional character.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Galt
"The book's opening line "Who is John Galt?" becomes an expression of helplessness and despair at the current state of the novel's fictionalized world."

It's not as much of a question as it is a statement of confusion about what is happening to the World.

Yes, Kirk. I was being facetious. Imagine that.

I read the book for the first time in high school, after reading "The Fountainhead" and "We The Living". There was a similar billboard on the traffic circle in Lubbock, Texas back in the early 80s.

AURaptor's Greatest Hits:

Friday, May 28, 2010 - 20:32 To AnthonyT:
Go fuck yourself.
On this matter, make no mistake. I want you to go fuck yourself long and hard, as well as anyone who agrees with you. I got no use for you.

Friday, May 28, 2010 - 18:26 To President Obama:
Mr. President, you're a god damn, mother fucking liar.
Fuck you, you cock sucking community activist piece of shit.
... go fuck yourself, Mr. President.

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Monday, July 5, 2010 5:24 PM

KWICKO

Quote:
Originally posted by AURaptor:
Quote:
Is there any optimism out there or do you think my foreboding is warranted at this point.

I'll let you know after the November elections.

Are you voting for "Hope" and "Change"?

AURaptor's Greatest Hits:

Friday, May 28, 2010 - 20:32 To AnthonyT:
Go fuck yourself.
On this matter, make no mistake. I want you to go fuck yourself long and hard, as well as anyone who agrees with you. I got no use for you.

Friday, May 28, 2010 - 18:26 To President Obama:
Mr. President, you're a god damn, mother fucking liar.
Fuck you, you cock sucking community activist piece of shit.
... go fuck yourself, Mr. President.

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Tuesday, July 6, 2010 8:10 AM

FREMDFIRMA

Q: Who is John Galt ?

A: A ridiculous examplar of the born better/better men theory first espoused by Plato to excuse an inequal society, taken to a degree bordering on parody by a hypocritical author in order to excuse the misdeeds of fascist-leaning robber barons of the era while laying blame on those victimised for daring to be upset about the rabid exploitation that was going on.

Mind you, not that Rand doesn't have a *few* points here and there - like how much of a setup it is to outlaw pretty much everything, and then have an automatic excuse to treat anyone who doesn't toe the line as a criminal, for example...

But what Rand always sleazed around addressing is that 95% of these so-called "better men" got to the positions they did by not having to compete, never having to scratch and scrape, burn most of their lifetime trying to score education, training, or put food on the table cause they were born into generational corporate dynasties - Rockefeller, Carnegie, Hughes, Ford, DuPont, J.P. Morgan, Mellon, Vanderbuilt, Hearst...

You really think, having an empire handed down to them makes them any kinda special ?

And worse, she never does address that a lot of the shit Government does to business is in fact at the hands of these very assholes and their lobbyists, in efforts to crush competition and maintain their monopolies without consideration for the collateral damage, nor the fact that they have such especially cozy relationships with Government on purpose via an economic model closer to Italian Facist Economics than any pie in the sky bullshit we've never actually not once practiced for 234 straight years, and prosecuted, often with military force, any attempt to level the playing field.

John Galt is the polite face of the robber barons propaganda engine, is what he is.

That said, our best bet at not losing an obviously rigged game, is to stop playing by their rules, primary among them is to not bite the debt-hook and get put in a position where you spend all your time running on the corporate treadmill to enrich THEM, in a desperate effort to not fall into the poverty-grinder at the other end.

Think about it, between the College Education which is supposedly required, but is often in truth naught more than BUYING your way into a higher social class, much like officers of old used to purchase their commissions, the house (which you don't own), the car (which you don't own) and so on and so forth, all those big numbers are meaningless if debt and inflation is eating so much of your income you still starve.

My Ex makes seven TIMES what I do, but who's loaning who enough for groceries here ?

We need to quit buying the bullshit they're selling us, Kirk - and despite having a couple of decent points, Rand is one of the shills selling the chains, a belief in a flawed system that cannot POSSIBLY work because it is based on a pair of economic systems that take no account of human behavior and interaction, and fall apart when that simple reality presents itself.

All we really need to do is be who we ARE, instead of what everyone in power is trying to tell us who we are - we're NOT slavering beasts who must be chained for our own protection, we're human beings, and it is only by embracing our own humanity that we will ever be truly free and happy.

-Frem

I do not serve the Blind God.

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