Another John Galt Post

Image by K. Sawyer via FlickrI had an interesting intersection of two idea paths that lead me to believe that we are moving ever closer to the time that the productive people in America just up and leave.

The first was John Stossel's Politically Incorrect Guide to Politics that aired a few days ago. In the segment about farm subsidies John is interviewing a couple of House Representatives - most notably Shelia Jackson Lee. At the tail end of the segment John asks "If we need to subsidize food, then why not housing and food as well?" Shelia Jackson Lee's response says it all "Don't push us."

Compare that with this transcript from the Glenn Beck show where he is discussing "trophy kids." These are the millenials - the kids who grew up being told that everything they did was great. These are the kids who got trophies even when their team came in last.

Guess what? These kids are now coming into the work force - and they are shocked to find out that employers expect them to do a good job - that they don't get validated just for showing up. These kids now want their parents to come in and have a "sit down" with the employers to make sure that the employer knows just how good little jimmy is and how they better treat him right.

Perhaps we should protect jobs as well. They have in France. In large business in France it is so hard to fire an incompetent employee that some companies have entire floors of people who get paid to do nothing. Just show up and get paid.

I am just waiting for the anti dog-eat-dog legislation to be proposed.

It'll probably come from Shelia Jackson Lee.

OMFG . . .

Image by NickStarr via FlickrOMFG, which stands for "Oh My Freaking Goodness" in my local parlance - as opposed to it's more popular sibling.

And why this reaction . . ?

"Community banking executives around the country responded with anger yesterday to the Bush administration's strategy of investing $250 billion in financial firms, saying they don't need the money, resent the intrusion and feel it's unfair to rescue companies from their own mistakes.

But regulators said some banks will be pressed to take the taxpayer dollars anyway." (reference)

Really? We are going to force banks to accept the money? I really like this quote from the article: Peter Fitzgerald, chairman of Chain Bridge Bank in McLean, said he was "much chagrined that we will be punished for behaving prudently by now having to face reckless competitors who all of a sudden are subsidized by the federal government."

This really does sound like we are punishing people for being successful. I really feel a John Galt post coming on.

I really recommend that those who haven't read "Atlas Shrugged" take the time. And don't feel bad about skipping John Galt's monumental speech later in the book. Everyone did.

My Concern is why we are forcing government help on people who don't want it. This moves us from a socialist position - where the government offers to "help" whether their help is the best solution or not, to communism - where by god (note the small "g") you WILL take our help, whether you want it or not.

I am disgusted that we have allowed our government to become an entity that robs us of our freedom to fail and learn our lessons from those failures.

And I continue to search for a way to positively impact my society as an individual.

Any ideas would be gladly considered.

Related articles by Zemanta

• Greg Zehner: Atlas Shrugged: A Reaction to the Paulson Plan (From A Former Goldman Partner)