November 25, 2008

Blasphemin'

Atlas Shrugged Updated for the Current Financial Crisis.

"Our money represents our spirit's values," Galt said. "When the government takes our profits, it is literally robbing us of our souls. I will not apologize for my wealth to a nation of looters. We who live by the mind could've been engineers, scientists, doctors, extreme-sports enthusiasts, but there is no purer pursuit than the pursuit of money. A is A. Money begets more money, and ..."

Galt went on like this for what seemed to Dagny like hours, until, finally, something he said piqued her interest.

Posted by John Kranz at November 25, 2008 7:30 PM

Wow, he's [Jeremiah Tucker] pretty hostile to the idea of self-reliance. And capitalism. And property rights. And morality. And reason. And life.

He's got the overwrought metaphor thing down pat, though.

Posted by: johngalt at November 26, 2008 4:02 PM

Thanks for the comment. I was going to ask the Sheriff to look in on your place if you let this one go much longer...

A friend mailed me a link to that. I think the mistake he makes is "The Adam Smith Fallacy." People assume Adam Smith and his followers to be pro-business. Smith famously said that if you see two or more businessmen together they are surely price-fixing or some anti-market activity. I recall hearing an economics professor offering any student an automatic 'A' to any student who can find a pro-business sentence in either Wealth of Nations or Moral Sentiments.

We're witnessing a lot more rent-seeking than free market activity in the business community these days. Rather than "updating" it, I fear he put most of the people on the wrong side.

But, but, but, I thought the line I quoted was funny: "Galt went on like this for what seemed to Dagny like hours, until, finally, something he said piqued her interest." You have got to applaud heresy done well.

Posted by: jk at November 26, 2008 6:33 PM

For what it is worth, the like to make fun of everything.

He is pretty good at it too.

~T. Greer, never a big fan of the Jonas brothers.

Posted by: T. Greer at November 26, 2008 11:24 PM | What do you think? [3]