Going John Galt?

A caller today asked if I intended to go John Galt? Good question. But more and more of the workers and producers are not happy with the Obama administration’s assault on wealth and achievement. The workers are the life blood of the country. Without us, we who pay taxes, there is no government.

Thus, and since, the Obama administration has declared wealth evil, and the aspiration to wealth as fruitless (through taxation), many are considering ways to cut back on work, living with a little less, and cutting off DC’s lifeline.

If you are considering in some small, legal way, to go John Galt … watch the featured video and send Dr Helen an e-mail. And click here to learn more.

Update: Malkin sees a trend. Lots of folks asking the question.

Posted in

Jim Vicevich

Jim is a veteran broadcaster and conservative/libertarian blogger with more than 25 years experience in TV and radio. Jim's was the long-term host of The Jim Vicevich Show on WTIC 1080 in Hartford from 2004 through 2019. Prior to radio, Jim worked as a business and financial reporter for NBC30 - the NBC owned TV station in Hartford - and as business editor at WFSB-TV in Hartford for 14 years while earning six Emmy nominations and three Telly Awards.

23 Comments

  1. davis on March 6, 2009 at 9:22 am

    I do not recall the Obama administration declaring wealth evil. But never mind, that is what you say. I don't think you are helping much with the continual bashing. In the end we will all be poorer for it. That does not work for me, but it seems like the Conservatives REALLY want to be poor. If by some miracle you got all the tax cuts you desire and all the spending cuts you want, it will take years to get from where we are now to where we were just one year ago.



  2. Dimsdale on March 6, 2009 at 9:34 am

    You don't have to explicitly say something to effectively declare war on it.  Tax something, you get less of it, subsidize it, you get more.   Lowering taxes also works as does subsidization, without the government getting its hands on the money as a middleman and taking its cut. 

    On what theory or fact do you base your last statement?

    Look up the Laffer curve.  Of course, for it to work properly, you have to keep the politicians (of both parties) hands off of the new revenue (as they did when Reagan lowered the tax rates).

    As for "bashing," it was the Democrats themselves that said it is patriotic to dissent.    Consider me a patriot.  The last thing conservatives want is to be poor.  Obama is deincentivizing success.  He is deincentivizing charitable contributions for crying out loud!  We are already poorer for his "help." 

    People that stand around say nothing about a demonstrably bad program give it their tacit approval.



  3. Jeff J on March 6, 2009 at 10:07 am

    Going John Galt is in full swing.  Everyday those with capital are pulling it out of the markets, banks and other financial structures.  Capital is not participating on BHO's stimulus program because it fears that to do do will cause it to be ruined like the banks that were drawn (many under duress) to TARP.  Governments can reward or punish, encourage or discourage, behavior based on its notion of what is right or just, Obama and his tribe are out to get even.  Capital knows the best way to keep from being damaged in this class war is to hide.  Make no mistake about it, this is all about class war. 

    How do you spell Mugabe?



  4. davis on March 6, 2009 at 10:59 am

    I am poorer than I was one year ago, and I don't like it (was there, done that). I don't care about Reagan, he is dead and was President 25 years ago! I can also make guesses like everybody else, and be either right or wrong, no need to prove anything, Laffer curve or not.

    Stick to your theories and good luck. And if the Obama administration did not declare wealth evil, then say it did not, instead of another dodge.



  5. Dimsdale on March 6, 2009 at 11:36 am

    Keep sticking to your optimism (or is it blinders?), davis.  We can "guess" all we want, but he can't afford to.  I don't want our president "guessing" about what will work.  He is supposed to know what to do, or hire those who do.  I see neither case.  What he is doing was proven to be patently ineffective in Japan, resulting in the "lost decade" in that country.  If you must reinvent the wheel, don't invent one with a blowout.

    You are so very quick to dismiss the real accomplishments of Reagan, but equally quick to accept Obama as your financial saviour.  Lotsa luck with that.  Your dismissal is nonsensical.  Do you reject the lessons of history?  Remember the words of Goerge Santayana……

    Yes, you are poorer than you were a year ago, but I bet you are a lot poorer now than you were a month ago too, and thanks to Obama, you can count on your children and their children being poorer than they should.

    Continually condemning the rich is a defacto declaration of wealth being evil, not a dodge.  Don't hold out for any straight talk from Obama.  He is the only one doing the dodging.



  6. JohnFromBolton on March 6, 2009 at 7:15 pm

    This is my first post.  I'm glad there's finally a place to go where there's some sanity.

    Going John Galt?  Maybe.  I hadn't thought of it like that, but the more I think about it, the more it seems like that's where I'm heading.  I'm done.  I'm sick of all of this.  I hate that a large portion of what I make goes to fund all of this nonsense.  And I don't know what to do about it.

    I am 100% in favor of a large number of us organizing, and simply turning in our resignations.  I don't know how else you fight this other than refuse to participate, and if that means we all quit to prevent tax money from support this garbage, then so be it.

    If that's going John Galt, then count me in.  Really.  I'm at the end of my rope.



  7. davis on March 7, 2009 at 3:56 am

    Dimsdale, you made a mish-mash of what wrote. Who is the "he" who cannot afford to guess. If you are referring to the President, he has a plan, you simply do not like it. That's fair.

    How was I optimistic? What did not understand of what I said?

    It's still true that I don't care about former (and dead) Pres. Reagan, as much as I don't care about former (and dead) Pres. FDR or JFK or LBJ and any other no longer president. The world has changed since they were around (check how many Made in USA labels you can find).

    As for my children, they are old enough to make their own economic, political and any other decision that they  care to make without my intervention, and change from getting poorer to getting richer.

    I also learned lessons from history, and as for the current situation, I have been screwed in spite of my learning.

    Finally, you can put words or your your interpretations on what others are saying, but that does not make them true, relevant or valid.



  8. Dimsdale on March 7, 2009 at 4:48 am

    I don't see the "mish mash."  Please explain.  I will quote you from now on for clarification.

    "If you are referring to the President, he has a plan, you simply do not like it. That’s fair."

    Yes the president has a plan.  No, I don't like it.  More and more, and perhaps most, economists don't like it either.  Wall St. doesn't like it.  Chris Matthews and Whoopi Goldberg don't like it.  NPR is criticizing it.  You like it or tolerate it.  You are becoming a majority of one.

    "It’s still true that I don’t care about former (and dead) Pres. Reagan, as much as I don’t care about former (and dead) Pres. FDR or JFK or LBJ and any other no longer president. The world has changed since they were around (check how many Made in USA labels you can find)."

    So to repeat the mistakes or accomplishments of the men you mentioned or ignore the methods they used in similar situations is not an option?  The Santayana quote I was referring to was "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it."  Perhaps you have a different philosphy, or perhaps a dead Santayana just doesn't count anymore because he is dead.

    "As for my children, they are old enough to make their own economic, political and any other decision that they  care to make without my intervention, and change from getting poorer to getting richer."

    So you don't believe that any actions you can take to stop stupid, ineffective, and probably dangerous policies are worth taking, even if your kids are able to fend for themselves?  Are they quietly accepting their fate too?

    "I also learned lessons from history, and as for the current situation, I have been screwed in spite of my learning."

    Yet you dismiss those lessons as the detritus of dead people?  How about insisting that Obama learn a few lessons from history?

    "Finally, you can put words or your your interpretations on what others are saying, but that does not make them true, relevant or valid. "

    Exactly what I am saying about Obama….



  9. davis on March 7, 2009 at 10:02 am

    Dimsdale, more mish-mash.

    1. When did I say I like Pres. Obama's plan? You assume I do, though I simply noted that it's not a guess, but it's a plan.

    2. The world the former presidents dealt with is not the same as what we have today. Hence what they did and how they solved the problems of their time is of questionable value today (my opinion). What they did was accepted/not accepted in their time. Nobody seems to have a handle on what is going on today. Ergo what they did may/may not work today. The people with the power are trying to do what they think will work. Your guys do not have the power,you had it for 8 years, some of us suffered for it  and you blew it (my opinion).

    3. My adult children are fending for themselves, I am fending for myself first and try to make things better for them. Do you want to ask them if they are quietly accepting their fate?

    4. I am not dismissing any lesson that anybody else wants to learn form the "detritus of dead people". I referred to my situation. Pres. Obama is an adult, he is president (and I am not), he will do what he believes is in the best interest of the country. If it does not work, we will all pay, including him.

    5. You keep putting words or interpretations on what others are saying, just as I noted above in points 1 to 4.



  10. Dimsdale on March 7, 2009 at 11:56 am

    Dimsdale, more mish-mash. Okay, here we go!

    1. When did I say I like Pres. Obama’s plan? You assume I do, though I simply noted that it’s not a guess, but it’s a plan.

    Your reluctance to criticize it in any way, along with your scolding us for "bashing" his "plan" are one reason.  Silence on the actions or legislation of a politician are tacit approval of what he/she is doing.  If you don't like it, say so, then accuse yourself of bashing him and his plan.

    2. The world the former presidents dealt with is not the same as what we have today. Hence what they did and how they solved the problems of their time is of questionable value today (my opinion). What they did was accepted/not accepted in their time. Nobody seems to have a handle on what is going on today. Ergo what they did may/may not work today. The people with the power are trying to do what they think will work. Your guys do not have the power,you had it for 8 years, some of us suffered for it  and you blew it (my opinion).

    You mean 6 years, as Congress was taken over by Dems in 2006.  So economic theory is not valid?  Their problems were not the same as today's?  Well, many economists disagree with you, including many financial advisors that I have spoken to.  In fact, here is a link to over 400 leading economists that deplored the first mortgage plan, and Obama's, which is a continuation of it (http://faculty.chicagobooth.edu/john.cochrane/research/Papers/mortgage_protest.htm).  Even the radio financial guys.  Apparently, you prefer them doing what was shown to be ineffective and counterproductive in analogous situations, and "thinking" it will work.  I would use the word "assume" though, instead of "think."  How far down will the Dow have to go before the people with the power stop thinking what they are doing will work?  When does hubris end and actual responsible actions begin?

    3. My adult children are fending for themselves, I am fending for myself first and try to make things better for them. Do you want to ask them if they are quietly accepting their fate?

    So how is meekly accepting, e.g. not "bashing," Obama's plan in the face of accepted economic theory making things better for them?

    4. I am not dismissing any lesson that anybody else wants to learn form the “detritus of dead people”. I referred to my situation. Pres. Obama is an adult, he is president (and I am not), he will do what he believes is in the best interest of the country. If it does not work, we will all pay, including him.

    Precisely!  But if what he does, presumably in the best interests of the country, is counter to the recommendations of experts, and drives the Dow lower and lower, and they don't change course, why do we have to sit silently and accept it, as per your recommendation?  Why can't we, after examining his plan and alternatives, "bash" the plan for being ineffectual and incompetent?  Why do I have to accept thousands of porky earmarks because he says so?  Being a complete cipher, a total incognito with zero accomplishments in his portfolio, and the rather dubious associations in his past, I find it difficult to trust him, particularly with the fate of the country.   And do you really think that regardless of what happens, he will suffer?  Puhleeeze.  Remember the things you said about Limbaugh?  Apply them here.

    5. You keep putting words or interpretations on what others are saying, just as I noted above in points 1 to 4.

    Interpretations on both words and actions you mean.  If you don't want your words interpreted in any way other than what you want, then say what you mean.  The "you" really being Obama.  When Obama isn't blaming Bush for something, it is the wealthy's fault.  What has that achieved except distrust and abandonement of the market?  His perpetuation of the Democrat class warfare model is completely dependent on attacking the wealthy.  How do you attack good vs. evil?  You can't, unless you are evil.

    The bottom line in my criticism of your post is that you rail against us for "bashing" the president, even if it is for valid economic reasons, and are willing to sit back and see what happens.  My view is that legislation is subject to continual modification by our presumed representatives, and as such, complaining to them can get things changed for the better.   Remember the ill fated amnesty bill? 

    You think silence is "helpful," but it is actually tacit approval of Obama's actions.  If you agree with them, fine.  If not, then you are being a sheep.  Me?  I am going to fight for my future.

    From the first post: If by some miracle you got all the tax cuts you desire and all the spending cuts you want, it will take years to get from where we are now to where we were just one year ago.

    And how long will it take using Obama's method of burying us in so much debt that we can never dig our way out?  Decades?

    If you aren't part of the solution, you are part of the problem, right?



  11. Lazybum on March 7, 2009 at 12:55 pm

    Davis, in this battle of wits you came unarmed. Dimsdale appears to have understood the same ideas from your statements as I did, and I am sure others will too. You basically are saying we should wait till BO drives the country right off of the cliff and we can dust ourselves off as best we can. I will do my patriotic duty and protest this insanity as is my constitutional right.

    Your arguements are circular and unsupported. Dimsdale appears to have hit the ol' nail right on the head.



    • Dimsdale on March 7, 2009 at 2:28 pm

      Thanks, Lazybum!  I am glad I am not the only one to see it.



    • rush on March 8, 2009 at 3:11 pm

      Way to go Dims.Teach this guy a lesson.



  12. Steve McGough on March 7, 2009 at 1:53 pm

    I'm going to respectfully ask that comments are limited to a maximum of 75 words as noted in the sites Terms of Use. The comment section is not an area for back and forth discussion between guests.



  13. Dimsdale on March 7, 2009 at 2:27 pm

    You got it, Steve.  I am just pounding sand anyway…..



  14. davis on March 7, 2009 at 3:05 pm

    Pounding sand might feel good. It may relieve frustration, not much influence on policy, no matter of which flavor. Look at the number of votes on the polls. I am glad that you all agree on the issues and on the revelations brought forth in this blog.



  15. Dimsdale on March 8, 2009 at 1:35 am

    Yawnnnnn…….  you silence (i.e. "no bashing) has even less effect on policy.  Stop bashing us!



  16. Dimsdale on March 8, 2009 at 1:43 am

    You did read Steve's message, right?  You can stop repeating yourself now.  We get your point.



  17. rush on March 8, 2009 at 3:09 pm

    Dims,

    You nailed him.



  18. Wyndeward on March 8, 2009 at 4:59 pm


  19. davis on March 8, 2009 at 11:57 pm

    I am not part of YOUR solution.



  20. Dimsdale on March 9, 2009 at 4:57 am

    You mean you have actually mentioned a solution?  Musta missed it……



  21. Steve McGough on March 9, 2009 at 5:31 am

    Comments closed on this topic. No more of this back and forth please.



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