Parallels to the Government Shutdown

        If there is one thing that the whole class has probably understood by now, it is the idea that Ayn Rand is a supporter of a completely free economy, or laissez-faire capitalism. According to her point of view, companies similar to the fictional Rearden Metal and d’Anconia Copper can survive on their own without government intervention. Moreover, looking at the current government shutdown, I was able to draw a number of comparisons between Atlas Shrugged and the United States today. First off, I would like to note that large, independently owned businesses have not only survived the shutdown, but have possibly even benefitted from it. Let’s look at the stock market where three of the four major U.S. stock indexes have actually risen. So who is really in charge of the country’s economy? According to last few days, the only damage that has come as a result of the government shutdown has been the confirmation by many that the United States’ government is run by a group of unintelligent liars (with a few exceptions). Now back to Atlas Shrugged, do we see any similarities? For one, the companies in the novel would have probably gained from a government shutdown of their own. Moreover, throughout the novel when we see the leaders of companies such as Dagny and Francisco d’Anconia interact, it is difficult for them to make any decisions without consulting the government first. As a result, Taggart Continental hurts from this government intervention, another clear representation of Rand’s political views. The relationship between today’s government shutdown and Atlas Shrugged is not limited only to the roles of large companies, but also to the stubbornness of business and political leaders. Let’s now look at the characters of Dagny and John Galt. The two have an interesting relationship in that they are having an affair, yet they do not join forces. John Galt continues to lead his strike that has no real point while Dagny represents the hardworking businesses that do not wish to follow Galt’s lead. Furthermore, I could not help but draw comparisons between John Galt and President Obama in addition to Dagny and the Republicans. Although the two sides are together in that they are both working together in Congress (the affair), they fail to come to any sort of agreement. On John Galt and President Obama’s side, there is no effort to listen to anything the other side has to say. For instance, after the arguments over the Affordable Care Act (Obama Care), the Democrats thought that they could make a statement by not listening to the House at all. To continue, these stubborn politicians took the idea of selfishness to a new extreme when they even declined to pass a bill proposed by the House to assist veterans that are hurting from the shutdown. On the other hand, Dagny and the Republicans are trying to exercise the power that was given to them as the result of hard work but they are constantly rejected. To conclude, who is John Galt? Who is President Obama? Two men that believe they are standing up for something when in reality they are standing up for nothing at all. A man who has broken nearly every promise he has made to the American people and yet continues to want it his way. Finally, the Republicans are putting a stop to the President’s antics and he refuses to let go. I am excited to see what my final reading has to offer next week and if I can continue with my comparisons. For once, Atlas Shrugged was not such a burden.