Going John Galt and the Need for a Moral Defense for Capitalism
by Zev Barnett (April 1, 2009)
As we gaze into an uncertain future it seems that there is a storm looming
over the horizon-and for once, I am not referring to our current economic
woes. Rather, I am identifying the fact that America is finally beginning
to stir. Across the country there have been protests
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parties" against the socialization of America's economy. Thriving
entrepreneurs and small business owners have been saying that they'll go on
strike, reducing their income, if the government is going to take it from
them to pay for social programs-a phenomenon known as "Going
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beginning to understand that for too long our nation has slept while her
principles were being trampled by political opportunism. Eroding property
rights little by little, politicians have traded America's economic
well-being away, as though our lives were a game of monopoly-are you
successful, they demand? Excellent! Pay poor tax, pay income tax, pay
school tax, pay hospital tax-and if you refuse-go to jail, go directly to
jail, do not pass go, do not collect $200.
Is this not the current nightmare? Consider-if you purchased a modest home,
if you bought a modest car, if you put money away to support your retirement
or your child's education, it is you who suffers. However, those who lived
beyond their means, saving nothing, borrowing vast quantities of
debt-somehow, by virtue of their recklessness, they have become your
creditor-their debts to be paid by your income. In a perversion of justice,
the stimulus package punishes you for being hardworking, and rewards those
who pursued irresponsible extravagances. To say that Americans have the
right to be angry is an understatement. If ever a moral duty existed, then
right now you have a moral duty to be furious.
Yet, anger alone, however much justified, will accomplish nothing. Nor will
"Going Galt," so long as that refers only to the reduction of personal
income. Certainly, denying the government a source from which to steal is a
worthy aim, but consider what John Galt stood in favour of-not what he stood
against. John Galt, the hero of Atlas Shrugged, refused to be a victim
because he upheld a positive moral code: Rational Self-Interest. By all
means America, if ever there was a time for us to follow in the footsteps of
Ayn Rand's greatest hero, that time is now. But Going Galt means nothing
unless you're ready to take a moral stand. Recognize that it is wrong,
morally wrong, to willingly play the victim-and that it is right, morally
right, to live for your own long-term happiness.
As I write this I can imagine how removed ethics and philosophy might seem
from the current struggle for many Americans. Indeed, as we lie awake at
night fearing for our jobs and our security, arguments about morality may
seem a distant concern. Yet, the meat and potatoes of our government's
spending policies don't come down to dollars and cents. It's not about how
much money you have in your pocket at the end of the day or what you're
having for dinner. Those issues are very real, but the fact of the matter
is, America is hurting because she forgot that the government doesn't have
the right to take from Paul to give to Peter. America is hurting because
most of us accept by default that we must be our brother's keeper-that we
have a duty to sacrifice for others. Likewise, many of us take for granted
that selfishness is immoral. It is this premise that underlies America's
march towards socialism and it is this premise that has allowed Big Brother
to come knocking at our doors demanding more and more. Did we object? Most
of us said nothing, remember-Ask not what your country can do for you; ask
what you can do for your country! That terrible reversal of America's
founding principles-and because it was based on altruism, we said nothing.
Instead, we looked away every time the government reached into our
pockets-it's for a good cause, they told us. At the end of the day so long
as there were a couple dollars left we let the government take a little
more. Today the government is reaching into our pockets and for once we're
ready to say-enough! But on what basis do we demand control over the means
to our survival? Why is being forced to pay for someone's mortgage any
different from being forced to pay for someone's healthcare, welfare, or any
of the other services we've been providing for years?
Unless we know why it's wrong for the government to spend our money against
our will, anger and resistance can make no long-term changes. Therefore, we
should restrain ourselves from confronting our leaders with pure emotional
outrage. Rather, if we are to challenge those who would do away with our
liberty, it must be with a profound awareness of the rightness of our cause.
Altruism demands that we sacrifice the means of our survival, the product of
our labour and our minds to benefit the lowliest parasite on the street.
Behold the result: The land of the brave, the home of the free-brought to
its knees. In its stead-a country where weakness is king and success is
punished. For America to rise again she must fight the moral code that led
us here. Altruism and its monstrous progeny, socialism, must be explicitly
rejected. Rational selfishness and its freedom loving economic
system-Capitalism-
in a mirror, we each of us may have an answer to that all important
question, who is John Galt?
Zev Barnett received his BA at University of Toronto, majoring in history
and literature. He is currently an MA candidate at George Mason University
as well as an editor for the-undercurrent.
JDF
Wednesday, 1 April 2009
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