Consumerism and debt is the trap that keeps Joe Sixpack from revolting or striking. Extremely pervasive propaganda reinforces that "American Dream." Liberty is the real dream that once was reality.

I don't think John Galt gave up at all. To suggest that seems to agree with one critic's assessment that the likes of Galt, Dagny, Hank, et al are cowards for running away. Keep in mind Galt saw the face of the beast up close and personal at 20th Century Motors and recognized what he was looking at. The choice for him was to become permanently shackled as a slave to the collectivist plantation or make a run for freedom. His decision to fight the beast was neither giving up nor cowardly. His method is ingenious.

America as a nation of free individuals is worth fighting for, but America as a collectivist plantation is not. When Hank and Dagny realized that, they "went Galt". I believe this is part of the message "Atlas Shrugged" is all about.

‘the price of liberty is eternal vigilance.’ Thomas Charlton, 1809 The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants. Thomas Jefferson Democracy- 21st century serfdom. me, 1991

Sorry, didn't intend to be preaching.

My concern, though, is that revolutions don't last. We get angry, we riot, things change, we fall asleep, then it goes back to normal. I think the only true solution is evolution--changing our culture. Problem is, we don't have time for that...

Time will tell...

Thats right. Revolution only happens when people see their children hungry and feel there is no other option. IMO, revolution is the only possible solution for the US, and it is not a solution with a high probability of success.

Some people have to hit bottom with no further down to go before they can clearly see reality and what needs to be done to make things better. Having NOTHING can be highly motivational. Necessity breeds invention and all that.

Sorry I had to bomb off so fast last night. Thanks for the comments. I am looking at John Galt differently now. I think that in Hank and Dagny's eyes though he was giving up.

Right, the best way to kill the beast is to starve it from lack of food, (taxes).

Galt didn't give up. He fought the war in the only way to win. Keep producing taxable income and you can only lose.

I would say Galt had a military strategy. Galt is the path! Sometimes the best way to fix something is to break it.

Well John Galt just let it go, and watched it go down. Sounds pretty good.

In my opinion, the election is virtually meaningless. Anyone who is agreeable to the major parties is unacceptable in terms of liberty. The current choice is which puppet you prefer: the illigitimate president from Kenya, or the ligitimate liar from Mass.

Fact is I went Galt in the late 90s, but haven't found a Gulch yet.

Very true... Though I don't know if I agree that John Galt "gave up."
Have you ever read Catch-22?
*spoiler alert!*
Basically, Captain Yossarian HAS to fly in WWII, but he's afraid of dying. Thing is, he can't not fly, because if he claims insanity, then obviously he's sane and can fly. But if he wants to fly, then he's insane and has to stay on the ground. But only he can report himself as insane, and if he reports himself as insane, he has to fly, etc.... That's the Catch-22. In the end (here's the spoiler) he realizes that he's not going to play the game, that the Catch-22 does not exist, and he runs away. In effect, he goes Galt. Can you say that Yossarian "gave up" because he did not want to die? Because he was forced into a choice nobody had the right to give him?
It's basically the same with Galt. He can either be a slave to socialism, or enslave somebody else. Which would you choose? John is the first to realize that it's a false choice; he, like Yossarian, does not need to play the game.
I totally understand why you would say he "gave up," but given his philosophy, I don't think it's an accurate statement. I do, however, agree that the US is still worth fighting for. The question is, for how long? Hopefully we can get it back on the right track before we have to make Galt's choice.