On Friday, July 13, President Barack Obama made several outrageous statements that very quickly became the “shot heard ’round the world” for private business owners in this country. To quote: “If you were successful, somebody along the line gave you some help … If you’ve got a business, you didn’t build that. Somebody else made that happen.”
The implication is that we would have nothing were it not for government. I own my company at the leisure of the federal government and it is only because of this largess that I am allowed to exist and make the money I make. Anyone who has ever started their own business and worked and sacrificed to make it grow knows the ignorance of that statement.
In my case, the emotion is not anger but pity. This administration and most of Congress don’t know anything about business — and worse, they don’t know that they don’t know. It is what we call the unconscious incompetent. This is a very dangerous state of mind.
It is from these statements and the following outrage that an article was penned by local talk show host Brian Wilson of 1370 AM WSPD. The article, on lewrockwell.com, is titled, “John Galt Day! Why Not?”
In the article, Wilson makes the suggestion that on the 30-day anniversary of Obama’s statements, all of us essentially go on strike for the day. We close our business for the day, we don’t buy anything and starve the government of our production and taxes for one day.
Sure, there are some practical issues that we have to consider. I want the hospital to be open in case I need it, etc. Wilson also points out that the mega stores and chains probably won’t participate but that doesn’t mean we can’t make a statement anyway.
It has been said that all it takes is a small group of committed individuals to make a change, indeed that is all that ever has been needed. Let’s begin the revolution on Aug. 13 and as Wilson suggested, make it two days in September and so on until they get the message.
As you may or may not know, John Galt is the fictional character in Ayn Rand’s epic novel “Atlas Shrugged.” John Galt is the representation of man’s mind, the ultimate source of wealth and production.
In the book, he reaches a point where government, the ultimate moocher, decides that it is entitled to the product of the producers to redistribute to society as it deems appropriate.
Sound familiar? Isn’t it a good idea to spread the wealth around a little? After all, you didn’t really produce anything without the help of government anyway, right?
Galt decides that the only thing that government cannot take from him is his mind, so he goes on strike and convinces other producers to go on strike with him and retreat to Galt’s Gulch (that might clue you in to the origin of the name of this column).
Now, can I do what I do without the help of many other people? Of course not! But I pay for those services and materials and those people are given a choice to work with me or not. I need to provide a valuable service that is worth the cost or no one will pay me.
The government has created nothing and it provides nothing without confiscating money from the producers at the point of a gun.
I personally go on strike a little each day. I refuse to purchase compact florescence bulbs, I won’t do business with companies that make their money by lobbying for favors and advantages. I don’t have solar panels on my house. I carry a gun. I set my air conditioning where I want it and pay the electric bill myself. I refuse to be afraid of anything that the government says I should be. I use salt and sugar. I use the elevator instead of the stairs.
I have a car with real horsepower and I drive it. I don’t get a flu shot. I drink water out of my own well. Every day I look at what I can do to be self-sufficient and rely on my own judgment as to what is best for me.
Join us in celebrating John Galt Day on Aug. 13.
And every day, rely on your own mind to create your best life.
Gary L. Rathbun is the president and CEO of Private Wealth Consultants, Ltd. He can be heard every day at 4:06 p.m. on After the Bell with “Brian Wilson and the Afternoon Drive,” and every Wednesday and Thursday evening at 6 throughout Northern Ohio on “Eye on Your Money.” He can be reached at (419) 842-0334 or email him at garyrathbun@privatewealthconsultants.com.
