Atlas Shrugged Week 8: Ch 5 & 6

[Primeperiwinkle]

Atlas Shrugged Part II Ch 5 & 6
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I made it!!! YAY MEEEEE!!! *cough

I mean, yay us! You’re here too!! Woohoo for Friday’s and book discussions on bizarrely convoluted books!! Hah.. it’s gonna be a great Christmas this year. But until then...

Chapter 5 Account Overdrawn
Everything is going to absolute crap. Businesses are shutting down, ppl are dying because of the cold. The Board of Directors hold a meeting to break down The John Galt Line and use the rail to reinforce other tracks. Dagny feels gut punched. Francisco meets her. Lillian discovers that Hank is with Dagny. He declares “I would have it [Dagny] even if it took your life.”

Chapter 6 Miracle Metal
Mouch, Ferris, James Taggart, Lawson, Boyle, Weatherby, and Fred Kinnan meet to discuss implementing Directive # 10-289.

1. Nobody can leave or get fired from their job.
2. Owners of any business cannot quit, leave, sell, retire, or close their business.
3. All patents and copyrights are turned over to the government. All private trademarks and brand names are abolished.
4. No new anything shall be invented, produced or sold.
5. Whatever you produced during Basic Year you must make for every year after, no less or more.
6. Whatever anyone spent during Basic Year they must continue to spend every year after, no less or more.
7. All wages, prices, salaries, profits, interest rates are frozen.
8. All matters pertaining to this will be settled by the Unification Board, all decisions will be final.

Dagny resigns. She asks Hank not to sign over his company, no matter what. Dr. Ferris visits Rearden threatening blackmail. Hank remembers meeting Dagny for the first time. He realizes that Ferris must have gotten this info from Lillian. He signs away Rearden Metal.

My thoughts: I’m reading 10 Books That Screwed Up The World by Benjamin Wilmer. It has a chapter on Karl Marx. This week I also read The Handmaid’s Tale for the first time. It was interesting to read both of those alongside this book.

So basically in Atlas Shrugged, what we’ve got is the full collapse of an economy and some philosophical “awakenings” about reality by the main characters. Seems unbelievable that any of this stuff could ever actually happen but.. societies have failed before.

How is reading this book opening your eyes to stuff in the country you live in?

Are you concerned that you’re in a modern day Atlas Shrugged??

Anybody want to jump in and explain wtf these chapters are really about?

 

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[G-Man]

This book seems almost prophetic as I read the slew of articles that have been coming out in favor of student loan forgiveness.

First, it's not forgiveness. You're just changing who's paying the damn debt. It reminds me of how in this book, the one thing the "looters" are very consistent about, is never coming right out and calling something what it is.

Second, they all talk about how good loan forgiveness will be for "the economy", because in their world, freeing up people to spend more is what drives. Not production. The other similarity is talking about "the economy" as though it's this thing that exists as almost a force of nature apart from the people that produce.

 

[scottmsul]

Seems unbelievable that any of this stuff could ever actually happen but.. societies have failed before.

It happened in the Soviet Union. Although it was more Stalin enforcing everything top-down, rather than looters infiltrating things bottom-up, a lot of the policies/results were the same. This is a good video about the early days of Stalin and how enslaved the entire country. Atlas Shrugged was written in the 50's right in the middle of the Cold War so a lot of this was going on in real life as she was writing it.

There's one thing I'll mention that I found pretty relatable. I was raised Christian, but in my early days of Undergrad I ended up leaving the faith. The hardest part about leaving was that I felt guilty whenever I started having doubts, and I didn't even really notice it was happening because it was pretty subtle/subconscious. Eventually I noticed it explicitly though, and gave myself permission, which ended up getting rid of the guilt. I left pretty soon after. Very similar to how Rearden's perception of guilt changed throughout the book.

I'm pretty sure Francisco, Dagny, and Future Hank will all be angry about Present Hank giving away the formula to Rearden Metal haha. Francisco's been trying this whole time to destroy the wealth of the looters, and now Hank's just armed them with super-productive knowledge.

 

[Primeperiwinkle]

The other similarity is talking about "the economy" as though it's this thing that exists as almost a force of nature apart from the people that produce.

You know the joke about the old fish swimming by the young fish and the old fish goes “Water sure is fine today!” and the young fish goes “Wtf is water?”

That’s how I was before reading TMF . I think ppl are so incredibly under educated and distracted and catered to by pathetic easy media/books that they feel no connection to the economy or politics. I think it’s bizarre when ppl argue about either because, even though I’m never ever ever ever ever supposed to admit this.. I just don’t care.

Because I have kids and I see possibilities for them.. I’ve started to care.. but I completely understand why millions of Americans just don’t. There’s no connection to real life for them, at least not one they can see.

The hardest part about leaving was that I felt guilty whenever I started having doubts, and I didn't even really notice it was happening because it was pretty subtle/subconscious.

Omg dude I ended up have a WHOLE HOUR conversation with one of my clients about religious/moral guilt. He and I both went to {certain denomination} school and even though we’re adults now.. we can laugh and recognize with odd shocked moments that if we’re not feeling guilty we don’t think we’re Being Good. Like, somehow, only good people ever feel guilty?!?!?

It was a fascinating conversation. I have a lifetime of wrapping guilt around me like a fuzzy blanket, a comfort object that I won’t throw away. I even talked to my therapist about it! Super bizarre to actually sit still and ask myself.. “Can I let this go?” “Can I consider myself a good person without feeling guilt in some area?” “Did God give me the ability to follow His rules and be forgiven without guilt?”

And the answers are .. yes. I mean, I have a lifetime of feeling guilty so it’s gonna take practice right? But the things I feel guilty about are mostly my own standards of perfection.. not even necessarily what the Bible recommends.

A LOT of religions use guilt as a manipulative tool to keep ppl in line. It’s sad. I once read a cool (rather bizarre) story about this guy who had a vision of being in a heavenly courtroom and being accused by Satan of breaking the law, being a filthy sinner, being horrible through and through and a million other things. Satan kept saying how The Judge is gonna send the guy to the death chamber because that’s where he belongs.

In the story, the guy just keeps feeling worse and worse and worse and smaller and smaller. He doesn’t even want to look at the Judge cuz he knows he DID break some rules. Then, the guy notices that Jesus is standing right next to him, being his lawyer, but still basically quiet.

He looks at Jesus and then back at Satan then back at Jesus; then he smiles. The guy starts laughing. Like, laughing hysterically. He finally looks back at Satan and he goes “You’re right!! I DID break those rules and I sucked at being unselfish and no matter how hard I tried I screwed a lot of it up! But THAT GUY paid the penalty! FOR ME! He still loves me and the only person I owe an apology to is Him. Now gtfo.”
Then Satan crumpled like the Wicked West Witch and the guy woke up. Happy.

I prolly told that wrong... but anyhoo.. that’s what I remembered. I realized that I can just say sorry. Then I can rejoice because of Love. I don’t have to beat myself up and I NEVER have to let anybody else do it to me, either. It was pretty cool. Of all the times in my life I finally decide to go to therapy.. starting just before this book was prolly a great idea. ROFL. (There’s no connection at all.. it’s just coincidence but wowza. Hahaha)

Oh btw, I’m really impressed you got to the whole guilt thing on your own dude. I was just sharing how I got to it.

This book is definitely combining some very interesting ideas but the conclusions the characters make... are all wayyyyyyy different than what I would think.

I totally wanted Hank to realize that having the info about their relationship plastered everywhere would be ok. He didn’t need to protect Dagny. She wouldn’t have cared one whit. She’s staying true to her values in this book. He’s the one not understanding them. I think Francisco gets it. He knows the only thing strong enough to change Dagny’s moral code would be the complete ruin of her company and society.. which btw is a helluva lot of pride. Yikes.

I’m also verrrrrry curious. Are all the ppl disappearing getting whisked away to a Utopian island?? Is the third part of the book gonna be all different?? I so want to know..

Anyhoo that’s my ramble. #sorrynotsorry

 

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[Primeperiwinkle]

Is this happening to everyone or just me? Like.. I’m seeing Atlas Shrugged everywhere now.. creepy.

 

[Primeperiwinkle]

I made it on time!!!!!

Ha ha ha!! Success!!!

Next week is up!

 

[BizyDad]

Reardon caved?!?!

Yeah almost caught up... Hahahaha.

 

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