Atheism – I think that everything in the universe is connected, that nearly all people perceive this fact on some level, and that it is this fact which gives rise to people’s belief in God. Whether that actually means I believe in God or not… that’s something I’ve never quite been able to figure out. I’ll leave it up to you to decide. However, I have never been a follower of God of Abraham in any form.

For those of you who don’t understand what Going Galt really is or means: you would not lose the big CEOs or many of the leading figures whom you are currently blaming for your problems. They are part of the problem, though not in the way you think. You would lose people like the best science teacher in your kid’s high school who is sick of seeing the incompetents in his profession being subsidized by the teachers’ unions; the doctor who lives down the street and is tired of being forced to accept Medicare patients; the civil engineer who is tired of being called an evil bastard because he knows that if he doesn’t put reality above emotions or feelings, his buildings will fall down; the woman who runs your favorite local restaurant who can’t stay in business because her business is being forced to provide health insurance that it can’t afford to its employees; the artist who loves his work, but can find no support or motivation in today’s culture; the scientist who cares passionately about the truth, but has been edged out of his profession because of political considerations….

You do not want to lose these people. You do not want to see them get disgusted, run down, give up. They are the ones who, more than anyone, run the world and move it forward.

In the words of Charles Sykes, whose 10 things you didn’t learn in school has often been attributed to Bill Gates, “Be nice to nerds. Chances are you’ll end up working for one.”

Be nice to the productive. Chances are you’re depending on them.

“Going Galt” doesn’t require those of us who still depend on society to completly withdraw from society. It simply requires a concerted effort to stop playing ball with the current administration’s efforts trample capitalism in the name of advancing socialism.

There are examples all around us already. The many banks that refused TARP. The many banks now eager to repay TARP after realizing the magnitude of error in their ways. The companies and investment funds unwilling to buy agency MBS while the government destroys the economics of that market. The Indiana state treasurer who would rather push GM into a real Chapter 11 bankruptcy than accept a strong-armed government deal. As this economic correction plays on we may see a lot more examples, which may inspire many others to do the same.

The realistic version of going Galt is slowing (and maybe someday reversing) the migration away from capitalism through our actions. In that fight none of us matter as individuals but in sufficient mass we make a difference, just like voting.

As an example, supporting Chrysler following the government’s populist intervention would be explicitly not “going Galt.” Refusing to buy Chrysler would be. Refusing to bank with Citibank would be.

Perhaps the capitalists will lose at the voting booth, but in sufficient numbers perhaps we win at the cash registers and in the capital markets.

Lisa, thanks for quoting that. It’s just about the best thing I’ve read this year.