Now We Are ALL John Galt

Ayn Rand wanted Farrah Fawcett to star as Dagny Taggart.

Hat tip: The Corner at National Review Online.

If you haven't read the classic novel Atlas Shrugged, you should. The premise of the novel is to illustrate a world in which all the people of ability go on strike. The author, Ayn Rand (1905 - 1982), features prominently as heroine Dagny Taggart, the Operating Vice President of her family business, the Taggart Transcontinental Railroad. As Dagny tries to run the railroad despite the best efforts of her brother James (the company President and a big supporter of bureaucracy), she finds that everyone she needs to accomplish any necessary task quits and disappears. Soon, she starts to suspect a destroyer at work. Along the way, the novel describes not only Dagny Taggart's search for this destroyer, but also the inventor of a miraculous motor she found in the ruins of an abandoned auto plant, and also love in her own life. The government, in the meantime, grows in size, scope, and oppressiveness as it lurches from one crisis to another (while failing to admit that the government's own actions are what make the situation worse). There is a running gag through the book in which everyone seems to say "Who is John Galt?" as if nothing matters and no one can to anything to change the deteriorating economic situation.

The book is very difficult reading, as Ayn Rand frequently interrupts the plot to go on a one or two or 60-page objectivist philosophy stream of consciousness rant. Many people find that they either really love or really hate the book. However, sales of this book (first published in 1957) have been soaring in recent months, especially as the novel is rather predictive of the consequences of a growing Federal government that makes big giveaways to unions and other special interests (like we are experiencing now).

It is interesting that Ayn Rand wanted Farrah Fawcett to be her Dagny Taggart. What guy wouldn't have wanted to be her John Galt?

Ted Kennedy in Fidelity Shocker

Admits Being Faithful to Wife

In response to reports that Sen. John Ensign (R-NV) had cheated on his wife, Massachusetts Senator Ted Kennedy (D) has now admitted that he was actually faithful to his. “It’s embarrassing to admit, but I was even sober at the time,” said the Senator. “This sure didn’t happen with Joan. Now you can see how I became such a great role model for Patrick.”

Republicans think that other Democrats are subject to damaging stories, including confirming rumors that Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-CA) was once polite to a member of the U.S. military, or that Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-OH?) returned to Earth from Martian orbit.

“There’s no telling where this might lead,” said Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele. “One day, someone might find an image of Hillary Clinton being warm and lovable.”

A Tough Life for Singles Around the World

Making Love, not War

I saw these two articles today:

Shortage of suitable men in Gaza – Hamas is getting into the matchmaking business. Besides their well-known terrorism activities, Hamas acts pretty much as a “ward healer” to bring social services (at least when the local populace is not engaging in destroying infrastructure given to them by the Israelis or Western countries). Since there seems to be a shortage of middle class men in Gaza (wonder why?), Hamas is stealthily trying to find matches for the women.

Shortage of women in China – China’s “one child” policy has worked so well that the country is now experiencing a shortage of women (often due to sex-selection-related abortions). The article to which I linked tells of a man who paid a lot of money to marry a woman and then was dumped after a week or so.

Do you see where this is going? ;)

So let’s match some of these Gaza women with the Chinese men. My guess is that after a few decades, especially if the women go live in China, we’ll be a lot closer to achieving peace in the Middle East! In addition, if the Chinese men are happier, maybe we’ll have better relations with that government as well. Besides, the Chinese will be able to keep more of their accumulated income, and you know how wealth builds health (and a peaceful, growing economy).

My other “shorter distance” idea to help the Chinese men is to have the Beijing government allow single North Korean women to escape into mainland China if they agree to marry the single Chinese guys. With that kind of a mass exodus, the North Korean government will implode pretty quickly. Even if they don’t, they’ll run out of soldiers and slave labor in just a few decades!

With all the big bucks that they pay Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, why doesn’t she (or at least Joe Biden, who has nothing better to do anyway) think of this stuff?