Who is John Galt?

[Wol4ine]

Re: Who is John Galt?

No. In MLB the money flows from the Yankees to the Royals.

[goldy_331]

Re: Who is John Galt?

Yes and no.

Yes, given that the railroad industry isn't nearly the symbol of commercial wealth that it was prior to the 50's. Even Rand couldn't imagine that by the turn of the century the only transcontinental passenger rail service in the US would be government owned. How did she miss that?

No, even as the railroad industry was failing in Atlas Shrugged, it didn't get any bailouts from Washington. They screwed themselves by forming the National Alliance of Railroads and then passing the Railroad Unification Plan. The plan made all railroads operate as a team, pool their revenues, and then receive payment in proportion to total miles of track owned, not necessarily for services rendered. So the smaller, more profitable Phoenix-Durango sent their profits to the bigger, floundering Taggart Trans. Imagine if Pepsi had to bailout Coke!?!

So it was more like MLB?

[Wol4ine]

Re: Who is John Galt?

Given the auto bailouts, a car manufacturing company would make a lot more sense.

Yes and no.

Yes, given that the railroad industry isn't nearly the symbol of commercial wealth that it was prior to the 50's. Even Rand couldn't imagine that by the turn of the century the only transcontinental passenger rail service in the US would be government owned. How did she miss that?

No, even as the railroad industry was failing in Atlas Shrugged, it didn't get any bailouts from Washington. They screwed themselves by forming the National Alliance of Railroads and then passing the Railroad Unification Plan. The plan made all railroads operate as a team, pool their revenues, and then receive payment in proportion to total miles of track owned, not necessarily for services rendered. So the smaller, more profitable Phoenix-Durango sent their profits to the bigger, floundering Taggart Trans. Imagine if Pepsi had to bailout Coke!?!

[Bakunin]

Re: Who is John Galt?

I know they felt they had to be accurate to the book, but isn't it a bit silly to still have Taggart be a train company? Seems so... 1950s.

Given the auto bailouts, a car manufacturing company would make a lot more sense.

[Kepler]

Re: Who is John Galt?

In other words, she would have made a killing on talk radio/TV.

Oh God yes. She was made for it. Apparently she made a living on the plutocrat living room lecture circuit. There's nothing the rich like more than being caressed -- every tin horn dictator has his sychophants. Evidently she threw in a few extras as well although... shiver... pass.
*****http://images.nymag.com/arts/books/features/aynrand091026_250.jpg******

A handy guide to every Ayn Rand novel:
*****http://www.balloon-juice.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/Ayn-Rand.jpg******

[ScottM]

Re: Who is John Galt?

Her shtick was saying facile, outrageously un-PC things at a time when people actually made serious arguments in print. Now everybody writes facile, outrageously un-PC things in chat rooms so, hey, I guess she's a pioneer in dumbing down the debate. Rah.

In other words, she would have made a killing on talk radio/TV.

[Kepler]

Re: Who is John Galt?

I read that book during High School (somewhere between 1961 and 1964) and found it very interesting. I wanted to read Ayn Rand's other best seller The Fountainhead but I still haven't.

I read Fountainhead when I was 15 and found it brilliant (and very badly written). I tried rereading it again about 4 years later and found it childish (and very badly written). I've talked to a lot of people who had the same experience.

Her essays at least drop the pretense of creating "characters" (all mouthpieces or foils for her) and dramatic situations (all morality tales to play out her particularly narrow worldview). I recommend For a New Intellectual to give you all the Rand you want in a tenth the time.

Her shtick was saying facile, outrageously un-PC things at a time when people actually made serious arguments in print. Now everybody writes facile, outrageously un-PC things in chat rooms so, hey, I guess she's a pioneer in dumbing down the debate. Rah.

[WeWantMore]

Re: Who is John Galt?

Yup, I definitely did a lot of skimming while reading that book.

[DaveStPaul]

Re: Who is John Galt?

Has anyone actually read Galt's full speech? Ever?

That's pretty funny. And I was one of those people who, right from page one, was thinking, "This is IT! This makes it all come together! This Rand person is on to something!" Once I hit that speech though, I started checking how far I had to go. "Holy ****, this has been going on for twenty pages. I've still got -- six, eight, ten, how many more to go? Is this all the same speech?" Etc.

[XYZ]

Re: Who is John Galt?

I read that book during High School (somewhere between 1961 and 1964) and found it very interesting. I wanted to read Ayn Rand's other best seller The Fountainhead but I still haven't.

From strictly a story standpoint, the latter is much better. Better characters, better story development and a plot that is much easier to relate to in terms of every day things we all know. Always thought The Fountainhead would make a much better movie than Atlas Shrugged, as not only is it better visually, but Atlas seems to be a watered-down disparate version of something I'm not sure needed to be refined.

Has anyone actually read Galt's full speech? Ever?

[Ralph Baer]

Re: Who is John Galt?

I read that book during High School (somewhere between 1961 and 1964) and found it very interesting. I wanted to read Ayn Rand's other best seller The Fountainhead but I still haven't.

[Wol4ine]

Re: Who is John Galt?

Tell that to Joe Biden. I saw the trailer. They have bullet trains and some pretty sleak bridges made out of Reardon Metal.

[WeWantMore]

Re: Who is John Galt?

I know they felt they had to be accurate to the book, but isn't it a bit silly to still have Taggart be a train company? Seems so... 1950s.

[Wol4ine]

I see that USCHO has a link to Atlas Shrugged movie Part 1 on their home page. I just finished reading the book. I'm looking forward to seeing the movie (comes out tax day, how appropriate) but unfortunately, it appears I'll have to drive to Illinois. It's an indie film with limited showings, so that sucks.