Galt's Gulch

More a Rearden than a Galt

Posted by CapitalistFred 12 years, 4 months ago to Philosophy
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I have read and re-read Atlas Shrugged many times, and consider myself a student of Objectivism.
I am also a successful, self made businessman.
Although I admire the principled stand of a John Galt, I must admit that I am more of a Hank Rearden than a true John Galt.
As the political powers continue to make it harder for me to grow my business and employ more people.... as they tax away much of the reward that I earn for growing my company... I still cannot make myself consider even slowing down the growth of my business, much less leaving it all and going on strike.
While I understand the morality of such a strike, were a real Gulch and a real JG to appear, it would feel like surrender or defeat to quit the fight.
I am proud of all that I have built and of every single dollar that I have earned, and I cannot imagine leaving it all.
Am I alone in this feeling?

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  • Posted by CarrieK 12 years, 4 months ago
    I have formed a business as well. The goal was to make enough money to be happy, and for me, that is not a lot. I do not have a big house or fancy car, expensive jewelry or multiple fossil fuel consuming toys. I have lived modestly, worked hard and reaped the rewards over roughly 20yrs. Now I am mostly retired and living free ... especially when I am out of the country.
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    • Posted by CapitalistFred 12 years, 4 months ago
      I can certainly understand that stance, although, speaking for myself and myself alone, I enoy my big fossil fiel consuming car (complete with a big V12 engine) and I enjoy buying nice things for myself and my family.
      Sounds like you enjoy travel a lot, while I dont really even like vacations.
      Bottom line though is that I dont need to do what makes you happy, nor you do what makes me happy... the goal of my life is my happiness, and the goal of yours is presumably your happiness, and we will have our own things that give us that happiness.
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      • Posted by CarrieK 12 years, 3 months ago
        I think you are spot on with likening yourself to Rearden rather than Galt, not that one is better than the other. Different strokes. I guess I would be more of a Galt since I have no qualms about chucking it all to be as free as I can be. My husband and I did just that. We sold, donated or gave away almost everything we owned and bought a sailboat. Over the course of 5 years we sailed from San Diego to Peru and back. We explored all of Central America and a large portion of South America. I will tell you one thing I learned out there, the good old USofA is not "the land of the free".
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  • Posted by uncletom 12 years, 4 months ago
    Definitely not. But while I'm kind of a 'from my cold, dead hands' sort of guy, I've been involved in politics at the local and state level and it can be exhausting. Fighting the good fight requires a level of optimism and fortitude that can suck the life out of your soul. Just trying to make ends meet can be enough of a struggle, the added burden of correcting society's ills can be the proverbial straw for a lot of people. I co-founded an anti-TSA non-profit up here in Alaska and the dangerous ignorance I am faced with always surprises me.
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    • Posted by RD43 12 years, 4 months ago
      I hear you loud and clear, Uncle Tom. I do appreciate and admire a Hank Rearden tenacity, but I also understand the weariness that can come from the fight.
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  • Posted by itisntluck 11 years, 10 months ago
    Hello CapitalistFred - With all the times you read AS, did you not get the part where Rearden finally realized that he was the guilty party? I too, had my own wildly successful business. I walked away, and I can tell you that I've never been happier. No more 6 figure quarterly checks. No more FICA. No more top tax rate. No more feeding the filthy animals. No more beating my head against the wall. LIfe is good, and I'm loving the fact that I'm not manufacturing and giving "them" the rope they will use to murder my family and myself.
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    • Posted by CapitalistFred 11 years, 10 months ago
      I do "get" that in the fictional world of Atlas Shrugged, where there was a Gulch, the best men took away their sanction and stopped supporting the leviathon that was oppressing them.

      I also "get" that AS is a work of fiction, and that Ayn Rand herself never went on strike in the USA, but rather worked productively and made quite a bit of money doing so.

      If there were an actual "Gulch" and a Galt with technology to protect the inhabitants thereof from the tyrants in "Mordor on the Potomac", THEN I would accept the invitation, if it were extended to me.

      As it is, there is no Gulch to which one can run, and no Galt to invite me if I should be found worthy.

      I will, therefore, do as Rand did, and continue to work productively and reap the rewards for as long as I can.... partly because I believe it is the right thing to do, but mostly because I enjoy the hell out of it.
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