Changes

== Feasibility ==

== Feasibility ==

=== The electrostatic motor ===

=== The electrostatic motor ===

Electrostatic motors do exist, chiefly as tutorial demonstration projects. However, in 1997, William J. Beaty published to the [[World Wide Web]] a short essay discussing the feasibility of electrostatic motors, especially for applications in the vacuous conditions of outer [[space]]. Beaty also suspects that the power of an electrostatic motor might vary with the length and [[inductance]] of its collecting coil. Beaty reports that one researcher managed to achieve 1/16 horsepower with his motor, using a lightning-rod-like collector carried aloft by a weather balloon.<ref name=Beaty>Beaty WJ, "[http://amasci.com/emotor/emotwhy.txt Electrostatic Motor: What Is It Used For]?" ''[http://amasci.com/ The Science Hobbyist],'' 1997. Accessed May 2, 2009.</ref> (When Dagny Taggart first sees John Galt's wrecked prototype, she spots the collecting coil and realizes its significance at once.)

Electrostatic motors do exist, chiefly as tutorial demonstration projects. However, in 1997, William J. Beaty published to the [[World Wide Web]] a short essay discussing the feasibility of electrostatic motors, especially for applications in the vacuous conditions of outer [[space]]. Beaty also suspects that the power of an electrostatic motor might vary with the length and [[inductance]] of its collecting coil. Beaty reports that one researcher managed to achieve 1/16 horsepower with his motor, using a lightning-rod-like collector carried aloft by a weather balloon.<ref name="Beaty>Beaty" WJ, "[http://amasci.com/emotor/emotwhy.txt Electrostatic Motor: What Is It Used For]?" ''[http://amasci.com/ The Science Hobbyist],'' 1997. Accessed May 2, 2009.</ref> (When Dagny Taggart first sees John Galt's wrecked prototype, she spots the collecting coil and realizes its significance at once.)

According to Beaty, the recently discussed "micromotors" created on silicon chips are actually electrostatic motors. Furthermore, he suggests that electrostatic motors would be much lighter in weight and thus much easier to deploy in space. He also asserts that bacterial [[flagellum|flagella]] and cellular [[cilium|cilia]] run on rotary electrostatic motors, and that all [[muscle]]s are in fact linear electrostatic motors.<ref name=Beaty/>

According to Beaty, the recently discussed "micromotors" created on silicon chips are actually electrostatic motors. Furthermore, he suggests that electrostatic motors would be much lighter in weight and thus much easier to deploy in space. He also asserts that bacterial [[flagellum|flagella]] and cellular [[cilium|cilia]] run on rotary electrostatic motors, and that all [[muscle]]s are in fact linear electrostatic motors.<ref name="Beaty/>

From the above, an electrostatic motor, as used in ''[[Atlas Shrugged]]'', might have been feasible. At least one anonymous source, writing in Wikipedia, suggests that an electrostatic motor would require a recharge every half hour.<ref name=wikipedia>"Static electricity." ''Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia''. 2 May 2009, 02:14 UTC. 2 May 2009 <http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Static_electricity&oldid=287371163>.</ref> However, the collecting coil would be a source of continuous charge, so that becomes a moot point. The chief limitation would be on the size and inductance of the collecting coil.

From" the above, an electrostatic motor, as used in ''[[Atlas Shrugged]]'', might have been feasible. At least one anonymous source, writing in Wikipedia, suggests that an electrostatic motor would require a recharge every half hour.<ref name="wikipedia>"Static" electricity." ''Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia''. 2 May 2009, 02:14 UTC. 2 May 2009 <http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Static_electricity&oldid=287371163>.</ref> However, the collecting coil would be a source of continuous charge, so that becomes a moot point. The chief limitation would be on the size and inductance of the collecting coil.

The novel specifically states that John Galt built an electrostatic [[dynamo]] to provide electric power for all of Mulligan's Valley, and also built a much smaller version to provide electric power for the laboratory that he maintained in his apartment in [[New York City]]. It further states that when the strike was over, John Galt proposed building [[locomotive]]s that would be powered by his invention. That [[Ragnar Danneskjold]] would try to retrofit his vessel to run on an electrostatic powerplant is only logical to suppose.

The novel specifically states that John Galt built an electrostatic [[dynamo]] to provide electric power for all of Mulligan's Valley, and also built a much smaller version to provide electric power for the laboratory that he maintained in his apartment in [[New York City]]. It further states that when the strike was over, John Galt proposed building [[locomotive]]s that would be powered by his invention. That [[Ragnar Danneskjold]] would try to retrofit his vessel to run on an electrostatic powerplant is only logical to suppose.

=== The strike as a political movement ===

=== The strike as a political movement ===

History has seen examples of men defecting from their countries of origin in order to live in other countries that have far more lenient [[tax]]ation and other policies. The history of the United States also has examples of some States drawing population and sometimes jobs from other States on account of differential tax, regulatory, and other policy. Still, the prospect of a total defection from organized society, and a retreat to a secluded mountain valley, provoked derision from reviewer [[Whittaker Chambers]]<ref name=chambers>Chambers W, "Big Sister Is Watching You," ''National Review'', December 28, 1957. Hosted at National Review Online, published January 5, 2005. Accessed May 1, 2009.<http://www.nationalreview.com/flashback/flashback200501050715.asp></ref> and others, and few persons have proposed such a thing and actually expected people to take them seriously. But few indeed have been the instances in history in which the provocations were as great as ''Atlas Shrugged'' describes. Some suggest that the current policies of [[Barack Obama]] and the [[United States Congress]] now under the complete control of the [[Democratic Party]] might indeed provide just such provocation.

History has seen examples of men defecting from their countries of origin in order to live in other countries that have far more lenient [[tax]]ation and other policies. The history of the United States also has examples of some States drawing population and sometimes jobs from other States on account of differential tax, regulatory, and other policy. Still, the prospect of a total defection from organized society, and a retreat to a secluded mountain valley, provoked derision from reviewer [[Whittaker Chambers]]<ref name="chambers>Chambers" W, "Big Sister Is Watching You," ''National Review'', December 28, 1957. Hosted at National Review Online, published January 5, 2005. Accessed May 1, 2009.<http://www.nationalreview.com/flashback/flashback200501050715.asp></ref> and others, and few persons have proposed such a thing and actually expected people to take them seriously. But few indeed have been the instances in history in which the provocations were as great as ''Atlas Shrugged'' describes. Some suggest that the current policies of [[Barack Obama]] and the [[United States Congress]] now under the complete control of the [[Democratic Party]] might indeed provide just such provocation.

Nor would "going on strike" necessarily require building anything as elaborate as [[Galt's Gulch]]. The spontaneous organization, after John Galt's speech, of the "miniature Mulligan's Valleys" in various forest and similar regions is a far more likely scenario.

Nor would "going on strike" necessarily require building anything as elaborate as [[Galt's Gulch]]. The spontaneous organization, after John Galt's speech, of the "miniature Mulligan's Valleys" in various forest and similar regions is a far more likely scenario.

=== Defensibility ===

=== Defensibility ===

The chief defenses of the John Galt strike are the seclusion of Mulligan's Valley and the utter incompetence of those who remain in governmental power. Whittaker Chambers simply did not believe that anyone in authority would ever show the kind of abject incompetence that leaves the "looter society" vulnerable to privateering activities (by a single ship!) and, at the last, a raid on a guarded installation.<ref name=chambers/> But some observers suggest that Barack Obama and some other officials have been conducting themselves in just such an incompetent fashion as ''Atlas Shrugged'' depicts on the part of its villains. Perhaps, then, a modern-day John Galt, perhaps having a command of [[cold fusion]] technology instead of something as problematic as an electrostatic motor, could indeed lead a movement of the magnitude of the strike of the men of the mind, and even lead such a movement to political victory by default.

The chief defenses of the John Galt strike are the seclusion of Mulligan's Valley and the utter incompetence of those who remain in governmental power. Whittaker Chambers simply did not believe that anyone in authority would ever show the kind of abject incompetence that leaves the "looter society" vulnerable to privateering activities (by a single ship!) and, at the last, a raid on a guarded installation.<ref name="chambers/>" But some observers suggest that Barack Obama and some other officials have been conducting themselves in just such an incompetent fashion as ''Atlas Shrugged'' depicts on the part of its villains. Perhaps, then, a modern-day John Galt, perhaps having a command of [[cold fusion]] technology instead of something as problematic as an electrostatic motor, could indeed lead a movement of the magnitude of the strike of the men of the mind, and even lead such a movement to political victory by default.

== References ==

== References ==