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'''John Galt''' (b. 1980) is the mysterious [[protagonist]], or more accurately [[anti-villain]], in [[Ayn Rand|Ayn Rand's]] novel ''[[Atlas Shrugged]]''. For much of the novel he is merely a name without a face, about whom people ask, "Who is John Galt?" without knowing what or whom they're talking about. Eventually John Galt answers them directly, in a manifesto for individualism and [[capitalism]]. More to the point, he is an inventor, a philosopher, and a political movement leader, though not a politician in the usual sense, because he functions neither as legislator nor as administrator.

'''John Galt''' (born 1980) is the mysterious [[protagonist]], or more accurately [[anti-villain]], in [[Ayn Rand|Ayn Rand's]] novel ''[[Atlas Shrugged]]''. For much of the novel he is merely a name without a face, about whom people ask, "Who is John Galt?" without knowing what or whom they're talking about. Eventually John Galt answers them directly, in a manifesto for individualism and [[capitalism]]. More to the point, he is an inventor, a philosopher, and a political movement leader, though not a politician in the usual sense, because he functions neither as legislator nor as administrator.

John Galt resembles Henry Galt, the main character in a 1922 novel by a [[Garet Garett]] (1878–1954), a leading conservative economics writer of the day. It tells the story of a Wall Street financier, Henry Galt, a shadowy figure who stays out of the limelight as much as possible until he unleashes a plan that had been years in the making: he uses his extraordinary entrepreneurial talent to acquire control of a failing railroad.<ref> See [http://books.google.com/books?id=SoqU_RBwhNIC&dq=intitle:driver+inauthor:garrett&lr=&as_drrb_is=q&as_minm_is=0&as_miny_is=&as_maxm_is=0&as_maxy_is=&num=30&as_brr=0&source=gbs_navlinks_s ''The Driver'' (1922) online]; [ Jeffrey A. Tucker, "Who Is Garet Garrett?," [http://mises.org/story/2751 ''Mises Daily'' 10/25/2007]

John Galt resembles Henry Galt, the main character in a 1922 novel by a [[Garet Garett]] (1878–1954), a leading conservative economics writer of the day. It tells the story of a Wall Street financier, Henry Galt, a shadowy figure who stays out of the limelight as much as possible until he unleashes a plan that had been years in the making: he uses his extraordinary entrepreneurial talent to acquire control of a failing railroad.<ref>See [http://books.google.com/books?id=SoqU_RBwhNIC&dq=intitle:driver+inauthor:garrett&lr=&as_drrb_is=q&as_minm_is=0&as_miny_is=&as_maxm_is=0&as_maxy_is=&num=30&as_brr=0&source=gbs_navlinks_s ''The Driver'' (1922) online]; [ Jeffrey A. Tucker, "Who Is Garet Garrett?," [http://mises.org/story/2751 ''Mises Daily'' 10/25/2007]

]</ref>  

]</ref>  

Two years into his strike, he recruited the manager of the Taggart Terminal into his strike. One week later, the replacement for that manager made some careless errors that snarled the traffic in and out of the terminal. [[Dagny Taggart]] came to the terminal, dressed in evening clothes, to straighten out the mess. And that is when John Galt saw her for the first time.

Two years into his strike, he recruited the manager of the Taggart Terminal into his strike. One week later, the replacement for that manager made some careless errors that snarled the traffic in and out of the terminal. [[Dagny Taggart]] came to the terminal, dressed in evening clothes, to straighten out the mess. And that is when John Galt saw her for the first time.

He fell hard in love with her, and from that day forward would pump Eddie Willers for information whenever he saw him. He would maintain that contact until June of 2019&mdash;the last "vacation month."

He fell hard in love with her, and from that day forward would pump Eddie Willers for information whenever he saw him. He would maintain that contact until June 2019&mdash;the last "vacation month."

Every year in June, Galt would meet somewhere with Francisco, Ragnar, and all their recruits. He labored for a year to persuade [[William Hastings]], his former immediate superior at the [[Twentieth Century Motor Company]] to join the strike. Hastings joined in the springtime of 2008, the second year of the strike. Next he recruited a [[composer]] named [[Richard Halley]]. He joined about a month after Hastings joined. (He did not try to recruit [[Robert Stadler]]. Though he never understood Stadler's real motive, he understood Stadler well enough to realize that any effort by Galt to recruit Stadler would be worse than useless.)

Every year in June, Galt would meet somewhere with Francisco, Ragnar, and all their recruits. He labored for a year to persuade [[William Hastings]], his former immediate superior at the [[Twentieth Century Motor Company]] to join the strike. Hastings joined in the springtime of 2008, the second year of the strike. Next he recruited a [[composer]] named [[Richard Halley]]. He joined about a month after Hastings joined. (He did not try to recruit [[Robert Stadler]]. Though he never understood Stadler's real motive, he understood Stadler well enough to realize that any effort by Galt to recruit Stadler would be worse than useless.)

# A Fair Share Directive forbidding any one customer to receive any order larger than any other.

# A Fair Share Directive forbidding any one customer to receive any order larger than any other.

Those directives came down in November of 2017. In response, [[Ellis Wyatt]] blew up his shale-oil fields and joined John Galt's strike. [[Andrew Stockton]] followed. [[Lawrence Hammond]], the automaker, was third. Several other [[Colorado]] businessmen followed. ([[Ken Danagger]] would quit in 2018.) The Colorado strikers converted everything they could into gold and/or machinery, and brought these to Mulligan's Valley. ''Now'' the valley became a thriving economy. The next time John Galt's long-term strikers came to the valley on vacation, many of them stayed to work for Wyatt and the others. One of them was the actress Kay Ludlow, who had married Ragnar in 2015; she now lived in Ragnar's house full-time and opened a restaurant.

Those directives came down in November 2017. In response, [[Ellis Wyatt]] blew up his shale-oil fields and joined John Galt's strike. [[Andrew Stockton]] followed. [[Lawrence Hammond]], the automaker, was third. Several other [[Colorado]] businessmen followed. ([[Ken Danagger]] would quit in 2018.) The Colorado strikers converted everything they could into gold and/or machinery, and brought these to Mulligan's Valley. ''Now'' the valley became a thriving economy. The next time John Galt's long-term strikers came to the valley on vacation, many of them stayed to work for Wyatt and the others. One of them was the actress Kay Ludlow, who had married Ragnar in 2015; she now lived in Ragnar's house full-time and opened a restaurant.

Andrew Stockton opened a foundry in the valley, and that gave Galt an idea. He designed several pieces of laboratory equipment, and asked Stockton to make them. These he moved into his New York apartment, where he outfitted a complete physics laboratory. He installed one of his electrostatic motors for electric power, so that no one need question why the tenant of such a run-down apartment was using so much "juice." And so for eleven months out of the year, John Galt would extend the body of knowledge of physics as much as he could by running a one-man laboratory. Then, every June, he offered a course of lectures, at ten dollars (in gold) per person, to men whom he could be sure would apply his knowledge most effectively in their own designs.

Andrew Stockton opened a foundry in the valley, and that gave Galt an idea. He designed several pieces of laboratory equipment, and asked Stockton to make them. These he moved into his New York apartment, where he outfitted a complete physics laboratory. He installed one of his electrostatic motors for electric power, so that no one need question why the tenant of such a run-down apartment was using so much "juice." And so for eleven months out of the year, John Galt would extend the body of knowledge of physics as much as he could by running a one-man laboratory. Then, every June, he offered a course of lectures, at ten dollars (in gold) per person, to men whom he could be sure would apply his knowledge most effectively in their own designs.

== The great speech ==

== The great speech ==

Mr. Thompson, the Head of State, prepared to make a "report on the world crisis" on every [[radio]] and [[television]] channel, on November 22. But at about 5:45 p.m., John Galt simply jammed the airwaves with his own signal that overrode every carrier wave. Then, promptly at 8:00 p.m. Eastern time (or 6:00 p.m. Mountain time), John Galt delivered his message: on voice only, but clear, distinct, and, depending on the listener, either inspiring, infuriating, or terrifying. In three hours, John Galt expounded on the strike of the men of the mind and his reasons for calling it. He made no demands. Instead he made a simple suggestion to any man of the mind still left in the world to go on strike himself, each in his own way.

Mr. Thompson, the Head of State, prepared to make a "report on the world crisis" on every [[radio]] and [[television]] channel, on November 22. But at about 5:45&nbsp;p.m., John Galt simply jammed the airwaves with his own signal that overrode every carrier wave. Then, promptly at 8:00&nbsp;p.m. Eastern time (or 6:00&nbsp;p.m. Mountain time), John Galt delivered his message: on voice only, but clear, distinct, and, depending on the listener, either inspiring, infuriating, or terrifying. In three hours, John Galt expounded on the strike of the men of the mind and his reasons for calling it. He made no demands. Instead he made a simple suggestion to any man of the mind still left in the world to go on strike himself, each in his own way.

=== The abridged text ===

=== The abridged text ===

{{nb Atlas}}

{{nb Atlas}}

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Galt, John}}

[[category:Literary Figures]]

[[Category:Literary Figures]]

[[Category:Libertarianism]]

[[Category:Libertarianism]]

[[Category:Libertarians]]

[[Category:Libertarians]]

[[Category:Anti-Communism]]

[[Category:Anti-Communism]]