Going John Galt: well, off with you, then

I never really thought that I would be taking any time to comment on the views of someone whose entire ethical system relies on a false dichotomy, but something occurs to me.

Do you ever wonder after dealing with all that is going on with the economy and the upcoming election if its getting to be time to "go John Galt." For those of you who have never read Ayn Rands Atlas Shrugged, the basic theme is that John Galt and his allies take actions that include withdrawing their talents, stopping the motor of the world, and leading the strikers those who refuse to be exploited against the looters the exploiters, backed by the government (via Dr. Helen: Going John Galt).

In other words, if all talented persons were radical laissez-faire capitalists, rejected the idea that we have moral responsibilities to one another, and saw taxation as 'legalised theft' rather than as an expression of the will of the electorate, they might 'go on general strike' as in the book. Seeing as these things aren't even close to being true, I think that Dr. Helen has a jaded and cynical view of human nature. There's no doubt there are a lot of people that subscribe to the simplistic views mentioned above, but serious thinkers vest little credibility in the ideas of Atlas Shrugged. Seeing as there are far more talented people than positions for them (partially due to the competition that laissez-faire capitalism claims will save the universe), I suggest that we encourage the aforementioned 'talented' people to stand aside and let those that acknowledge their responsibilities to others and society take their place. The idea that talent should always get its way is naive at worst and disingenuous at best.