A thread about objectivism, Ayn Rand and Atlas Shrugged

[Enoch the Red]

No, near-free energy and cheap energy-to-matter conversion do. And again, Star Trek isn't really seen as a triumph of Communist propaganda.

I'm not saying it is. I'm just pointing out the irrelevance of theoretical technology to the underlying philosophy. Does it matter if it's Dilithium crystals powering the plow, or the strong, willing arms, and sweaty brows of our happy comrades?

Okay, please help me out here with not reading the book bit. I thought that Galt could only "go Galt" (isolate his übermensch self and others from society at large) thanks to having a source of energy for their compound. Was I mistaken there? I mean, you could "go Galt" with wind power today if you wanted, but you couldn't compete with "collectivist" society at large because of inefficiencies and so forth.

The motor was certainly utilized in Galt's Gulch, but it wasn't necessary for it's construction, or for Galt to leave the wider society. The only requirements, as I see it, were privacy/secrecy, and a commitment to Galt's oath. Had you replaced Galt's motor with hydroelectric, solar, or wind power, the results would have been the same. Galt's community didn't have to compete with collectivist society, individuals who had, "gone Galt" did so because they were already fed up with the wider collectivist society.