WHO IS JOHN GALT?
THIS WAS THE NEW SLOGAN WITH WHICH AYN RAND REVOLUTIONISED THE MATERIALIST WORLD WITH HER PHILOSOPHY IN THE RECORD BREAKING NOVEL 'THE ATLAS SHRUGGED'. HERE JOHN GALT IS THE PROTAGONIST WHO BELIEVES THAT 'I WORK FOR NOTHING BUT MY OWN PROFIT, WHICH I MAKE BY SELLING SOMETHING TO MEN WHO NEED IT & WHO ARE WILLING & ABLE TO BUY IT. . . . . WE DEAL AS EQUALS BY MUTUAL CONSENT & TO MUTUAL ADVANTAGE & I AM PROUD OF EVERY PENNY I HAVE EARNED IN THIS MANNER'.
AYN RAND'S MASTERPIECE INTEGRATES THE BASIC PRINCIPLE OF AN ENTIRE PHILOSOPHY INTO AHIGHLY COMPLEX YET DRAMATICALLY COMPELLING PLOT, SET IN A NEAR FUTURE USA WHOSE ECONOMY IS COLLAPSING AS A RESULT OF THE MYSTERIOUS DISSAPEARANCE OF LEADING INNOVATORS & INDUSTRIALISTS. THE THEME IS THE ROLE OF MIND IN MANS EXISTENCE & ITS SUPREME IMPORTANCE.
IS 'ATLAS SHRUGGED' RELEVANT?
IN SEVERAL COUNTRIES IN SOUTH AMERICA (BOLIVIA , VENEZUALA , ARGENTINA & A FEW OTHER), GOVERNMENTS ARE INSTTUTING POLICIS OF GOODS PRODUCTION CONTROL (ESTABLISHING QUOTAS , DEFINING WHICH PRODUCTS SHOULD BE PRODUCED & BY WHOM) & STATISATION OF COMPANIES, WHILE ESTABLISHING PROGRAMMES OF REDIDTRIBUTION OF WEALTH WHICH INCLUDES FREE SALARIES TO NON WORKERS & TAXES ON EXPORT OF GOODS UPTO 85% ( ON THE PREMISE THAT THEY ARE EXCEPTIONAL EARNINGS). THE MAIN THEME OF THOSE GOVERNMENT DISCOURSES IS 'THOSE THAT CAN PRODUCE SHOULD HELP THOSE THAT NEED MOST'. ALSO THAT 'HUNGER OF THE PEOPLE COMES FROM THE SELFISHNESS OF THE PRODUCERS' WELL ALIGNED WITH THE LOOTERS DISCOURSE IN THE BOOK.IN FACT , THE BOOK IS A GREAT PREDICTOR OF THE MEASURES TAKEN AFTER A GIVEN SITUATION THAT MATCHES A SITUATION IN ATLAS SHRUGGED. AN EXODUS OF INDUSTRIES, INVESTORS & EVEN WORKERS HAS BEEN OBSERVED AS A RESULT, WITH MANY MORE JUST STOOPING WORK AS THE PAYOFF OF GOVERNMENT SUBSIDIES TO NON WORKERS IS MUCH BETTER THAT THAT OF PRODUCTION.
A BOOK WRITTEN IN THE 1950'S IS VERY RELEVANT TILL TODAY.
