Oh boy that's a long story. I don't want to take this discussion too off-topic. It's from the Lord of the Rings novels. If you read or watch "Fellowship of the Ring" which I highly recommend, you'll get it. Basically, you (Frodo) need to prevent your enemy gaining power by destroying that power, but can you be tempted not to take the enemy's power and try to use it for yourself (Boromir)? That would never happen because you can't control it, and in doing so you would become the enemy's servant. Another way of saying "absolute power corrupts absolutely."

My point relating to Galt and Thompson was that if Galt accepted Thompson's offer in order to reverse 10-289 and its ilk, would he become the thing he was trying to destroy? And I relate it to real-life Libertarians because the irony is in order to take power away from government you have to first take power yourself. Can one be tempted with dictatorial power, and then be trusted to just remove the government and resign?

I wonder what she would say now. We can still speak our minds, but politically correctness has taken over when it comes to saying the N word one time, or not just automatically believing a woman who claims she was sexually assaulted by having her behind patted.

The violence is starting to come out all over too. I wonder if Trump will live through his presidency.

True. Just being jewish was politically incorrect in the beginning. After awhile they burned the jewish shops and then took away the people.

Now, we are seeing the violence against the deplorables starting up ` Harrassing conservatives in restaurants and ripping MAGA hats off students and even older people.

I have to say that I am reluctant to put a MAGA sticker on my car for fear it will be trashed by some liberals.

Yes, things are tending that way. But it's not too late yet.

What I am saying is, that Thompson wasn't the one who was all the interested in killing Galt, at least at first.

That’s how the early fascists did it. The firing squads came later.

Once the mob gets freebies, its difficult to take them away, as Trump found out. The insurance companies and hospitals are making bank from Obamacare (thanks to Obama). Even the republican establishment was against getting rid of government healthcare

Well, look at the politically correct movement the leftists are promulgating. You dont get shot for speaking out (yet), but half the country (the liberals) slam you, take your job, and do whatever they can to demolish you if you speak against them.

but didnt stadler approve of the torture part? When that didnt work, then he figured Galt was the only way he could stay in power.

It could be sold as a documentary today with a few names changed

Who were Frodo and Boromir?

I think it was Dr. Robert Stadler who said, "You must kill him." (But that was before he was captured). And Thompson said, "Kill him, you d---- fool?" We need him!"

Ayn Rand had something to say about that idea in the 60's. She listed some conditions under which it would be time to quit; her position was, not yet.

Not yet. We don't have a one-party state yet. We still have freedom of speech.

Right on! And they still haven't done it, have they?

H***, yes, Galt (and the others) did want society to collapse so they could come in and rebuild. They made no bones about it. If Galt had taken Thompson's offer (I don't remember that he mentioned specifically #10-289; just "regulations"), those "repeals" would have lasted only a short time; the power-lusters would soon have repealed the "repeals"; and it wouldn't have changed the other statist measures that had been in place for a long time; and besides,its being done by an "Economic Dictator" wouldn't have been the right way to do it. He who lives by the executive order dies by the executive order.

If I may reference a non-Rand book, for every Frodo there are a thousand Boromirs. :)

"We'd free the human race, that such a doom endures,
Could you but creep into my skull,
Or I creep into yours".
"Listen.."
By Ogden Nash
Excerpt from One of his few serious poems.

it all comes down to obtaining and maintaining power. The liberals are like any dictator and they use non physically violent methods unless they dont work, in which case they go quickly to violence.

The illiberals are also taking lots of notes from the book, 1984. Thought police, doublethink, destruction of words, rewriting history, etc.

“If you want a picture of the future, imagine a boot stamping on a human face—for ever.”
― George Orwell, 1984

I think AS was not as much a novel as it was a documentary. So many of the things discussed in that book are happening since it was written. To look forward we should look at Venezuela to see whats in store for us.

He could have relaxed some of the stupidity of government regulation and prolonged things by allowing the Dagnys' and Reardens' of the world to put in extra work and make things function. BUT, his whole plan was to stop the motor of the world by convincing the movers and shakers to stop supporting the collectivist system.

Something I can get behind right now. I am tired of working just to see my work and tax money being used to enslave me further

Thompson was a power hungry liberal. He totally understood that if the people were left alone, he couldnt have power over them. Same situation as today in the USA.

Trump wanted to "repeal" Obamacare and then replace it with another government program. I wanted Trump and the democrats to just "repeal" Obamacare and return things to the way they were before (which I totally preferred)

Funny. Thompson tried to kill him as I remember before he realized he needed him to maintain power.

I would argue that there cannot be such a thing as a benevolent dictator. If he was benevolent , he woudlnt be an all powerful dictator.

Galt didnt want to bail out Thompson and be viewed as Thompsons bitch. He also knew that after he "fixed" the problems, he would be dumped and Thompson would take over again. Pretty easy to see.

Thompson was desperate to retain power, kind of like the liberals are today. All things are on the table to get rid of Trump