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Wednesday, March 04, 2009
Michelle Malkin :: Townhall.com Columnist
"Going Galt": America's Wealth Producers vs. Wealth Redistributors
by Michelle Malkin
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What was the biggest suprise of Election Day?



Enough. In a word, that is the message of disgusted taxpayers fed up with the confiscatory policies of both parties in Washington. George Bush pre-socialized the economy with billion-dollar bailouts of the financial and auto industries. Barack Obama is pouring billions more down those sinkholes. It isn't just the camel's back that's broken. His neck and four legs have all snapped, too.

Enough. Last Friday, thousands of Americans turned out to protest reckless government spending in the pork-laden stimulus package, the earmark-clogged budget bill, the massive mortgage-entitlement program and taxpayer-funded corporate rescues. Contrary to false left-wing blog smears that the hastily planned impromptu events were "Astro-turfed," the crowds were packed with first-time grassroots activists. They were people with families and day jobs whose usual definition of "community organizing" involves neighborhood yard sales or their kids' soccer matches. They were members of the silent majority who decided to be silent no more.

Enough. These "Tea Party" protests spanned the sunny Santa Monica pier to the icy streets of Chicago and Cleveland to rain-drenched Atlanta, overflowing the grounds of the St. Louis Gateway Arch, with massive turnouts in Greenville, S.C., and crowds of several hundred each in New York City and Washington, D.C., and all points in between. Like those who demonstrated before them in Seattle, Denver, Mesa, Ariz., and Overland Park, Kan., two weeks ago, the Tea Party participants held homemade signs that said it all: "Your mortgage is not my problem"; "Liberty: All the stimulus we need"; "No taxation without deliberation."

The speed and scope with which they mobilized were due not to nefarious outside conspiracists, but to social networking websites Facebook and Twitter, where a burgeoning network on Twitter called Top Conservatives became the central clearinghouse for information. Planning for a new wave of demonstrations on April 15 has begun at www.taxdayteaparty.com.

Enough. While they take to the streets politically, untold numbers of America's wealth producers are going on strike financially. Dr. Helen Smith, a Tennessee forensic psychologist and political blogger, dubbed the phenomenon "Going Galt" last fall. It's a reference to the famed Ayn Rand novel "Atlas Shrugged," in which protagonist John Galt leads the entrepreneurial class to cease productive activities in order to starve the government of revenue. (Not coincidentally, Rand's novel sales are up and John Galt references punctuated many of the Tea Party demonstrations.) Dr. Smith was inundated with stories like these:

"I have frozen hiring in my firm. … No investments will be made in taxable accounts -- only 401k/IRAs. I am buying silver and gold instead of CDs or stocks with non-qualified money and savings. I have stopped taking new clients, thus freezing my income. I barter more and more. Spend less. I stopped leveraging assets (don't borrow)." Continued...

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About The Author

Michelle Malkin makes news and waves with a unique combination of investigative journalism and incisive commentary. She is the author of Unhinged: Exposing Liberals Gone Wild .

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©Creators Syndicate
NOT EXACTLY GOING GALT
All Americans should voice "SPENDING FREEZE" - That will resonate with middle-America. Going Galt may may be reasonable for some but it sounds like a spirit crusher....the painter who must paint less.

For us - letting the world in on the plan "spending freeze" is the way to go. I make our intentions known with each sales call that comes my way, "I'm sorry.....we're unable to spend any of our hard earned dollars because BO just passed a trillion dollar "stimulus" geared toward Gov't waste. Call back in four years." (click)
Galt was inspired by "spread the wealth" but "spending freeze" was inspired by the blatant despicable act "stimulus." I've been beating the drum ever since.
This is a desire to thwart the efforts of an admin. that thinks "trickle-up" via welfare is is a good idea. Not so fast, pal.

http://www.wastedchange.com

GO RESISTERS!

IT'S ABOUT TIME
If this can make washington step back & take a look at who actually runs this country.
"We the people" do. GO GO GALTER'S.
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