Where is John Galt, now that we really need him?
On March 31, Stephen Moore, Senior Fellow at the Heritage Foundation, published an article, "Atlas Is Shrugging."
In it Moore suggests we are on a "downward spiral" that “repeats itself until there is a thorough societal collapse."
He goes on to say that we are "living through the Ayn Rand Dystopia right now."
My immediate reaction was that Moore was missing the real story. And this post was born. For those of you not getting this discussion, "Atlas Shrugged," a nonfiction/fiction novel, is the perfect quarantine project.
It’s 1,100 page tome of mind expanding philosophy, a wonderful context for our present societal dilemma.
My objections to Moore’s post?
Our single greatest weapon against the coronavirus is our laissez faire economy.
The private sector is muscling up while the public sector is deregulating.
Let’s start with a closeup look at the broad healthcare sector, one of the most government influenced industries in our country. In two months, we have taken testing from five days to five minutes.
That’s phenomenal!
And the five-minute folks at Abbott Labs are looking over their shoulders at the saliva scientists from Rutgers University. It won’t be long before the answer to the testing question becomes: "There’s an app for that."
Along the way we established drive through testing, telemedicine and accelerated drug and vaccine trials. We wiped out our ventilator shortage by enlisting General Motors and others who had the engineering skills to get us up to speed.
Then the 3-D people jumped on board. Today we’re a ventilator exporter. This was in parallel to the multi-million mask marathon which created an oversupply in our nation’s hospitals. Today many beds are empty, many ventilators sit unused, many popup hospitals are coming down and elective surgeries are back on the agenda.
Temperature testing goes on everywhere; in your ear, on your forehead and, in Westport, Connecticut, from a drone.
It’s electronic, non-invasive and instant.
On the support side, Blue Cross and others have suspended Corona co-pays.
Discount drug apps such as Single Care and Good Rx have gotten us price relief.
Nurse practitioners have an expanded array of services they can offer. Foreign doctors have seen artificial barriers to their practicing wiped out and fourth year medical students were sent to work early.
That’s not dystopia. That’s uplifting.
And with this we get daily briefings from the president of the United States, complete with his senior scientist fight team and an often-hostile press corps getting to ask whatever they want.
Every day we get a recitation of expedited testing, shattered regulations and continued mobilization. It was Ayn Rand who asked, "Where are the statues of the captains of industry?"
Well, here they are, on national television. Here’s the mask executive. Here’s the ventilator honcho. And here’s a crowd pleaser and possible future politician, Mike Lindell, of My Pillow, giving us a two-minute soliloquy on God, capitalism, and Trump.
That takes us to right now and active protests in 21 states where people are protesting and wanting to go back to work and business.
We are all federalists now.
Yes, even the Democrats have rediscovered the Tenth Amendment.
Everyone agrees. Let the governors decide. And, well we should.
We have the quiet competence of Texas, the pettiness of Michigan, the cautious optimism of California, the take-no-prisoners attitude of Georgia and the Constitutionalism of South Dakota.
Borders are in. Globalism is out. Rural is in. Urban is out. Cars are in. Subways are out.
Our lives are changed — perhaps forever.
Not only are we working remotely, we’re also teaching and learning remote.
Who could object to major structural changes to our overpriced, underperforming colleges.
Gun store are "essential." Abortion clinics, not so much.
Our food is takeout, curbside and delivered.
Our travel is closer to home. Our thoughts, more serious.
Yesterday, Global Warming was the world’s most serious threat.
Today it’s petty politics.
Our country has been divided into two competing French concepts: Triage or Entrepreneurship. Entrepreneurship is ascendant. It isn’t even close.
As for John Galt? His spirit is everywhere.
Sid Dinerstein is a former chairman of the Palm Beach County Republican Party. He founded JBS Associates, a 600-person financial service company, and currently combines politics and business with Niger Innis in Inclusive Elections LLC, a firm that brings urban electorate voters to the GOP. He is the author of "Adults Only: For Those Who Love Their Country More Than Their Party." Read Sid Dinerstein's Reports — More Here.
© 2023 Newsmax. All rights reserved.