Who is John Galt? If you’ve read Atlas Shrugged you’re familiar with the quip, and you know that Galt was known for his willingness to stand up to the collectivists. I’ve been looking for John Galt lately, but I’m having a difficult time finding him.
John Galt can be found on talk radio with the likes of Limbaugh, Levin, Wilkow, Church, Hannity, and Boortz. John Allison, Chairman of the Board at BB&T, is the John Galt of American business. Allison is a sage business leader who embraces high moral standards but openly rejects the arguments of the left. BB&T thrived under his principled leadership.
Many of today’s business leaders range from corporate opportunists to timid neo-capitalists, however. GE’s Jeff Immelt, for example, has snuggled up to Obama’s government control in exchange for a piece of the “clean energy” largesse. Wal-Mart’s Mike Duke is the latest deal-cutter, signing on to mandated employer-provided health care coverage in exchange for some influence on the program’s final design. Immelt seems like a bona-fide leftist, but Duke just seems to be willing to compromise his core principles.
Why is John Galt so hard to find these days? To answer this question, we must first ask what it takes to be a John Galt. An appreciation for liberty is obvious for starters, but the willingness to STAND UP for one’s principles is the real difference. It’s too easy to remain silent when coworkers ridicule individual rights at the water cooler. It’s too easy not to ask the guy building your house if he takes reasonable steps to ensure that none of his workers are in the US illegally. It’s too easy to accept the flawed notion that the excesses of capitalism must be balanced by government control. When push came to shove, John Galt refused to play along with the collectivists. It’s not easy being John Galt, which is why he is not easy to find.
Now more than ever, we need John Galt in Washington. Cap-and-trade and universal health care are two prominent pieces of legislation currently on the table, and final passage of either would create a tremendous economic burden on this nation. Meanwhile, some Republicans and many so-called moderate Democrats claim to be “undecided” or “negotiable” on these redistribution schemes, making final decisions not on core principles but on what feels right at the time. John Galt would have strong, clear views on issues such as these.
We also need John Galt is our state legislatures and town halls, in our large and small businesses, in our schools and universities, and anywhere else people are influenced and decisions are made. As we celebrate America’s independence, let’s remember that our great nation was founded by “Galt-like” individuals who were willing to remain steadfast, basing their decisions and positions on clear moral principles. With Washington decidedly to the left, none of us can afford to sit back and let others fight the intellectual battles. If you’re John Galt, thanks for standing for liberty. If not, now’s the time to draw your line in the sand.
I thought SC Gov Sanford was John Galt, but I guess not. We need a Galt scale to measure the backbone of our candidates before we vote. Many of the Republicans (McCain, Graham, Snow) would fail the test.
I don’t think John Galt could get elected President. Obama won with YES WE CAN but no commitment to core principles. His health care proposal is about finding a better way, which means he’s not even sure what the better way is. McCain was no John Galt either.
Hi Professor Parnell…i hear you on Wilkow- i wish Sirius would give you a show because you are a great speaker for the cause..you are about the best guest he has…thanks…
You guys don’t get it. Obama IS john galt. He IS standinf up for real change, social justice, and individual dignity. He IS standing up for the poor who were screwed under Bush. He IS standing up for peace by getting out of Iraq. He IS standing up for the greatest human right, health care. Who said john galt was a conservative anyway?
Sorry Gary, Obama is no Galt. I’ve heard the phrase “social justice” hundreds of times but nobody can explain it to me short of legalized redistribution…and you think Obama is standing up for individual dignity and the poor? Taking from the producers and giving to the nonproducers is theft and requires no courage. So much for his commitment to “peace”–our troops are still in Iraq and more are going to Afghanistan. The “right” you assert to healthcare creates an obligation for others to pay the bill. And BTW, John Galt is clearly in the conservative/libertarian camp. Pick up a copy of Atlas Shrugged this weekend if you actually think Galt and Obama have anything in common.
heard you on wilkow-awesome. my professors complicated everything. where were you when I was in college? i’m getting a copy of atlas shrugged.
After reading Atlas Shrugged, give We The Living, Ayn Rand’s first novel, a go. There you learn the true horror of a collectivist society as it was under Lenin.
Obama is the Anti-Galt and America is shrugging.
@Gary T — frankly we think you are nuts. Everyone will suffer for what this guy has done — handing us and all our money over to the global government! The poor will suffer more. You cling to liberal cliches that have no basis in reality! NONE! It’s all perception that he’s for the poor, when he’s really just working for Soros and the Rockefellers. (Banking cartels)
Peace in Iraq? He just escalated a ‘surge’ in Afghanistan! Maybe the press is covering it up, but it’s happening! 7 men died last week alone. Where are you on this?
You can fool some of the people some of the time, and you got fooled.
Collectivism is bad for everyone.