Who Is John Galt?

A few years ago I went to see “Atlas Shrugged,” a film based on a novel by controversial American author, Ayn Rand. The book was written in 1957, about the time I was still glued to TV horse operas like “Gunsmoke” and “Maverick,” sure to be decked out in my make believe Stetson and two-gun holsters, “just like” my then favorite cowboy hero, Roy Rogers.

What can I say? I was eight, and becoming anything other than a white-hat-wearing GOOD GUY like that—much less, a “greedy old business owner” with dreams of making an ACTUAL (or as Rush Limbaugh quips, “OBSCENE”) PROFIT—was not on my radar.

Prior to seeing the film, I had never heard of Ayn Rand’s book, and knew nothing of her business or political philosophy. However, watching that first installment of the “Atlas Shrugged” film trilogy was, for me, even more exhilarating than playing cowboys back then, if you can imagine that.

I GOT IT! In fact, I could pretty much relate to Rand’s main character, John Galt, although on a bit smaller scale.

Time eventually caused me to retire those cowboy boots—the ones my mother was sure looked “just fine” with my usual short pants (embarrassing for a serious cowboy!)—and I had gone on to bigger boots, just right for a wannabe rock star for about 20 years. Some years later (boots finally on the ground), I had exchanged my microphone for a slightly used printing press and the keys to my very first business. Something I could really hang my hat on! And, believe it or not, there was not a greedy motive in my head!

So, who is John Galt?

In Rand’s book, Galt is a faceless character, ever in the shadows, who introduces himself, one at a time, to some of the most successful heads of industry in the country—after which, each of them mysteriously disappears. As these powerful, yes, high-earning business owners (i.e. JOB PROVIDERS) seem to vanish from the face of the earth, industry suffers, banks close, stocks crash, jobs are scarce, people panic, and society falls more and more into chaos.

John Galt, we learn by the third film in the series, is an entrepreneur who had invented a game-changing machine that was pirated by a competing industry connected with corrupt public officials who had set strangling regulations and standards in order to take control of Galt’s invention. Galt had honestly built the tool for the greater good of people, but he was demonized, even criminalized by factions whose lying propaganda had convinced the general public, that the “John Galt’s” (the small-to-large business owners of the world) were only after the almighty dollar and needed to be shut down—that his and others’ work needed to be heavily taxed, monitored and restricted, if not taken over completely by government.

No matter, of course, that those so-called “greedy” private owners and employers had provided the masses with 80 to 90 percent of the nation's paychecks, that had afforded people homes, cars, food, energy, heating and A/C, cell phones and other technology, vacations, hospitals, medicines, furniture, trains, planes, boats, music, movies, plays, books, sports and other entertainment; thousands of restaurants, and shopping outlets of every imaginable type—countless products for their comfort and pleasure.

WHO Were the ones who risked “their lives, their fortunes and their sacred honor” (as Thomas Jefferson had said)...who put more on the line than most others in our society, in order to build businesses, to pursue their dreams, and thereby make it possible for others to pursue theirs?

WHO Were the ones who had underwritten so many great libraries, schools and universities for higher education that allowed many more to own their own businesses?

WHO Were the ones that employees and others blamed, when government took more out of their paycheck than anticipated, or prompted economic upheavals that caused employers to have to lay off people who needed those jobs?

Do you know a “John Galt?”

YOU KNOW THEM! They’re the ones many current television shows, movies, and the politically-correct (“PC”) crowd like to characterize as “greedy, underhanded” people who “can't be trusted to give workers a fair wage” or a clean work environment.

Imagine, with over 20 million small businesses in our country there are some who would have you believe that most of them are operated by “greedy and underhanded” owners. Yet these same people who demonize private business owners will tell you grand things about our public institutions and how they are operated with fairness—that government workers (i.e. “public servants”) are always more trustworthy, more fair than owners in the private sector. NOTE: Many public servants today cannot be fired or even held accountable for some very poor performances.

Should we not stop and ask ourselves why we would want to put over 20 million businesses or any of our American workforce in the hands of government officials—most of whom have never owned or operated a business; nor even held a job outside of government?

That would be like a business owner placing a want ad for a general manager of a specific industry, then—after receiving applications from many qualified persons with knowledge and working experience of that industry—deciding to hire someone with absolutely NO knowledge of their business, to run the whole thing. Who would make a decision like that? Sound at all familiar?

Over the past 20-plus years, I have been writing and implementing business processes/systems with unique software, hoping to help companies reduce waste of all kinds—to make them stronger, thereby increasing their chance at being around for years to come.

This is a daunting and often tedious task for many business owners and entrepreneurs. Continuing the process of improvement—day in, day out, year in and year out—takes a lot of energy, uncompromising commitment, and may I add, no little amount of faith, to keep going.

Yet, I've seen others—fairly (if ignorantly, it seems) elected by the majority, who willingly ignore or disregard the kind of systems that could improve our public institutions—ones we pay dearly, that have shown a high rate of waste.

In some quarters, if a public official lets it be known things are getting better organized, and that waste is being reduced through systemization and more accountability, their peers would cry foul, lambast them, and take steps to remove them. They would demand that the “right” people be brought in to maintain the “status quo” (uh…disorder, waste, mediocrity?), to which we the public have sadly become accustomed.

So, who IS John Galt?

He's a guy—a hero, I’d say—who might represent honest business owners everywhere—who gets fed up with those who, professing wisdom, have become fools, thinking that tearing down the very freedom-loving institutions, that have employed the masses since the founding of our country, will somehow improve things.

Folks, look at the unemployment rate in our country today! Look at the number of small businesses that have closed their doors in recent years—or have lost the ability to hire, give raises, or retool—all because “profit” has become a twisted catchword for greed!

So, are all private business owners devoid of personal imperfections? Surely not yours truly!

But, good, bad or otherwise, the “JOHN GALTS” of the world—through their tireless efforts to pursue their dreams, own their own business, feed their families, and employ others so they have a chance to do the same—have created more wealth for the common person, in the history of mankind. Only in a free society that rewards hard work and achievement would this John Galt DARE!

It seems the old sayings, regarding “not biting the hand that feeds” or “not putting the fox in charge of the hen house,” might be worth revisiting for many of us these days.

The Russian-born Ayn Rand (1905-1982), expressed her life beliefs in both of her most well-read books, "Atlas Shrugged" and "The Fountainhead:"

"My philosophy, in essence, is the concept of man as a heroic being, with his own happiness as the moral purpose of his life, with productive achievement as his noblest activity, and reason as his only absolute."

I must say, I can’t agree with much of Ms. Rand’s personal belief system; however, regarding this thing called CAPITALISM—I’m convinced she got that RIGHT!

No, Capitalism is not perfect, but (short of heaven) it’s proved to be the best system on earth for allowing free people to remain free!

Did I mention? Great System Work!

To invite Philip Beyer to speak for your conference or other event...Contact Ebiz Products, (615) 425-2652 or e-mail susan@ebizproducts.com. Philip Beyer’s book "System Busters: How to Stop Them In Your Business" is available at the Printing Impressions Bookstore. For more about System100 software, visit www.System100.com.