America Shrugged

"Mr. Rearden," said Francisco, his voice solemnly calm, "if you saw Atlas, the giant who holds the world on his shoulders, if you saw that he stood, blood running down his chest, his knees buckling, his arms trembling but still trying to hold the world aloft with the last of his strength, and the greater his effort the heavier he world bore down on his shoulders - what would you tell him to do?" "I... don't know. What... could he do? What would you tell him?" "To shrug."

I realize Atlas Shrugged, Ayn Rand’s 52 year old novel is fast becoming the opiate of disgruntled capitalists, but the concepts behind the novel are fitting for this moment in time. It seems the main message behind the book,  creativity and the will to succeed that are cultivated in a capitalist society, are quickly extinguished with the introduction of socialism. As Churchill described, “Socialism is a philosophy of failure, the creed of ignorance, and the gospel of envy, its inherent virtue is the equal sharing of misery.” By that well articulated description alone, it becomes evident that anyone who dares to strive for excellence with their God-given talents and attributes, will quickly be discouraged by the insurmountable task of sharing their accomplishments with those who are in no way entitled to them. The policies put forth by the current administration are certainly beginning to force America to shrug. It seems the movers and shakers of this capitalist society have begun to pull back. Rather than giving in and waiting to be taxed to oblivion, they have begun to sell off the investments they have accumulated through hard work. My grandfather always used to say, ‘the harder I work the more they take’. Now mind you this was long before this country elected a president who would go on to implement a spending plan that enslaved the American people to the government for eternity, all the while ensuring a future raise in taxes in order to fund his plan for power.

Where is the incentive you ask for all those enterprising Americans to bank on their creativity, take a chance, and foster a thriving business, when the government is promising to take it away the moment they reach success? Take for example my chosen profession (which I have yet to complete my degree for)- Interior design is definitely at the top of frivolous expenditures in an economy, it is a luxury only afforded to those who sit a top the economic tier. I am being told by my teachers that there will be ‘plenty of opportunities to design government buildings'… when I hear these words I cringe. I cringe knowing that my hard work, my creativity ultimately will be regulated and controlled by the government, which will have effectively wiped out a class of people who would have provided the basis for my livelihood. They have instead replaced my sea of possibilities with a job they see fit for me to do. It is a creative person’s worst nightmare, and for someone like myself, the ultimate blow to my will to succeed. I know I am not alone in my feelings of discouragement. My dad has worked for 20 years designing equipment and running his own business, capitalizing on his own ingenuity. As the economy continues to recede, and with it increased taxes on the horizon, my dad is being forced to lay off employees, and curtail any further growth, knowing that the impending future will rob him of the fruits of his labor.

It’s only the beginning for the pull back of the American entrepreneurs and free-thinkers that thrive in a capitalist economy. It’s all a matter of perspective, when socialist policies threaten to punish one’s accomplishments, one must make the decision- continue to strive knowing in the end my zenith will be pre-determined- or take a step back and not allow the fruits of my labor to be shelled out by the decree of another man. Right now, I do not know what fate has in store for me, or the rest of  Americans for that matter, but I know that I have the power to take a stand, and ‘shrug’…pull back, escape from it all, and decide how to capitalize on my own talents when the government is no longer trying to rob me of them.