Changes

== The strike ==

== The strike ==

In March of 2007, Jed Starnes died. His children, Gerald Starnes, Jr., Eric Starnes, and Ivy Starnes, took it over. They then called a meeting of the entire workforce in the main assembly bay, and announced a new "enlightened" plan for paying the workers. That plan followed the precepts of [[Karl Marx]]: {{cquote|From each, according to his ability, to each, according to his need.}}

In March 2007, Jed Starnes died. His children, Gerald Starnes, Jr., Eric Starnes, and Ivy Starnes, took it over. They then called a meeting of the entire workforce in the main assembly bay, and announced a new "enlightened" plan for paying the workers. That plan followed the precepts of [[Karl Marx]]: {{cquote|From each, according to his ability, to each, according to his need.}}

Hastings was astounded. Naturally he voted against it—but, to his dismay, the plan passed overwhelmingly.

Hastings was astounded. Naturally he voted against it—but, to his dismay, the plan passed overwhelmingly.

Perhaps Hastings protested that Acme Motors was not the Twentieth Century, and surely such a bizarre plan could never surface again. Galt said that Hastings had no guarantee—and that, in any event, the "Starnes Heir" analogues at other firms, or in politics, would inevitably count on men like Hastings to keep the world going. Mankind would never come to grips with the moral lesson that it needed to learn, until it ran out of victims to loot from, and ran out of people who "went along to get along."

Perhaps Hastings protested that Acme Motors was not the Twentieth Century, and surely such a bizarre plan could never surface again. Galt said that Hastings had no guarantee—and that, in any event, the "Starnes Heir" analogues at other firms, or in politics, would inevitably count on men like Hastings to keep the world going. Mankind would never come to grips with the moral lesson that it needed to learn, until it ran out of victims to loot from, and ran out of people who "went along to get along."

Finally, in March of 2008, Hastings made his crucial decision. He resigned from Acme Motors. He and his wife would retire to live on their savings. He told his wife nothing, and merely asked her not to question him. She never did.

Finally, in March 2008, Hastings made his crucial decision. He resigned from Acme Motors. He and his wife would retire to live on their savings. He told his wife nothing, and merely asked her not to question him. She never did.

John Galt stayed in touch with him. Galt probably told Hastings what became of the Twentieth Century Motor Company: how it died the very slow death that Hastings knew it would, how the end had come, and how a new group calling itself the Amalgamated Service Company had bought the factory, with a loan from the Community National Bank. Galt was angry about one particular part of this story: Amalgamated Service had first applied for a loan from the Mulligan Bank of [[Chicago]], [[Illinois]]. [[Midas Mulligan]] had rejected the loan, and Amalgamated Service had sued Mulligan to force him to lend the money. The case, tried before [[Judge Narragansett]], ended in a finding for the defense, but was then remanded for retrial when an appellate court found fault with Narragansett's jury charge. Not long after that, Midas Mulligan vanished without a trace, after orchestrating a "controlled run" on his own bank.

John Galt stayed in touch with him. Galt probably told Hastings what became of the Twentieth Century Motor Company: how it died the very slow death that Hastings knew it would, how the end had come, and how a new group calling itself the Amalgamated Service Company had bought the factory, with a loan from the Community National Bank. Galt was angry about one particular part of this story: Amalgamated Service had first applied for a loan from the Mulligan Bank of [[Chicago]], [[Illinois]]. [[Midas Mulligan]] had rejected the loan, and Amalgamated Service had sued Mulligan to force him to lend the money. The case, tried before [[Judge Narragansett]], ended in a finding for the defense, but was then remanded for retrial when an appellate court found fault with Narragansett's jury charge. Not long after that, Midas Mulligan vanished without a trace, after orchestrating a "controlled run" on his own bank.

In June of 2011, Galt invited Hastings to come on a trip with him. They traveled by rail to Melrose, [[Colorado]], that had its own general-aviation field. There, the two men boarded an aircraft that took off and flew into the mountains. Hastings was slightly alarmed to see the aircraft descend into a barren valley littered with rocks—and then that valley disappeared. In its place, Hastings saw a green valley with its own finished airstrip. This was Mulligan's Valley, also known as [[Galt's Gulch]]. It was the private retreat of Midas Mulligan. There, Hastings met Mulligan, Judge Narragansett, composer [[Richard Halley]], and philosopher [[Hugh Akston]]. Hastings also met two other men with whom Galt had gone to college, two men with highly notorious reputations. One was [[Francisco d'Anconia]], supposedly a [[playboy]]. The other was [[Ragnar Danneskjöld]], the [[privateer]] and terror of the [[Atlantic Ocean]].

In June 2011, Galt invited Hastings to come on a trip with him. They traveled by rail to Melrose, [[Colorado]], that had its own general-aviation field. There, the two men boarded an aircraft that took off and flew into the mountains. Hastings was slightly alarmed to see the aircraft descend into a barren valley littered with rocks—and then that valley disappeared. In its place, Hastings saw a green valley with its own finished airstrip. This was Mulligan's Valley, also known as [[Galt's Gulch]]. It was the private retreat of Midas Mulligan. There, Hastings met Mulligan, Judge Narragansett, composer [[Richard Halley]], and philosopher [[Hugh Akston]]. Hastings also met two other men with whom Galt had gone to college, two men with highly notorious reputations. One was [[Francisco d'Anconia]], supposedly a [[playboy]]. The other was [[Ragnar Danneskjöld]], the [[privateer]] and terror of the [[Atlantic Ocean]].

Galt explained that every year, in June, the participants in the strike of the men of the mind were to repair to Mulligan's Valley, to trade their achievements in a place where such trade was possible. Hastings then did something that probably shortened his life. As Galt, d'Anconia, and Danneskjöld had done, he built his own house in the valley, so that he would have a place to stay next year. He probably ought to have hired someone else to do this. He had a heart ailment, of a type that the novel never specifies, that had plagued him for several years.

Galt explained that every year, in June, the participants in the strike of the men of the mind were to repair to Mulligan's Valley, to trade their achievements in a place where such trade was possible. Hastings then did something that probably shortened his life. As Galt, d'Anconia, and Danneskjöld had done, he built his own house in the valley, so that he would have a place to stay next year. He probably ought to have hired someone else to do this. He had a heart ailment, of a type that the novel never specifies, that had plagued him for several years.

{{Nb Atlas}}

{{Nb Atlas}}

[[Category:Fictional characters]]

[[Category:Fictional Characters]]