"America Shrugged"
By ParaTed2k
@ParaTed2k (22940)
Sheboygan, Wisconsin
May 20, 2009 4:36am CST
In her book, "Atlas Shrugged", Ayn Rand mused about what would happen if all the minds and investors of society decided to go on strike. After all, if it's ok for labor to call a strike, what's wrong with the ones who create jobs doing the same thing?
Well, what would happen if the United States "shrugged"? What would happen if the US just decided that we've been taken for granted far too long, and suddenly "went on strike"?
What would such a strike entail? I'd say all the industries that have been demonized for so long would stop exporting their goods, services or any of the benefits of their research and development.
What would happen if the Pharmaceutical companies here in the US decided that it isn't worth their time and resources to sell their medications to nations that impose artificial price controls on them?
What would happen if agriculture just "shrugged", deciding to keep all the produce they harvest here in the US... after all, with the growing biofuel industry, there is plenty of market here for them.
What if the Department of Defense called all our soldiers, sailors, marines and airmen back to the US. Abandoning all the cities and towns in the vicinity of US Military bases shouldn't be a problem... after all, no one really wants them around anyway.
Was your country slammed by mother nature? "shrug"! Don't look to the US anymore, we're on strike.
Student visas so your young people can come to the US for a university degree? "Shrug" Educate your own!
Not just government or government sponsored programs, but everything that any American does to support anything in any other coutry.. period.
What would happen to the world if the US just "Shrugged"?
1 person likes this
5 responses
@Adoniah (7513)
• United States
20 May 09
I think that there should be a "strike day" It would only take one day to set the whole worle on its ear. If every thing came to a standstill for one day, everyone stayed home for one day except medical and police it would be awesome. I wrote a whole piece on this very topic a year ago and sent it to folks all over the world.(I have boater friends in like 30 countries) but no one thought it would make a difference. They liked the idea, but they didn't think it would work. I still say it would. It is just getting folks to do it.
The boycott of gas didn't work for long because folks wouldn't stick with it. Now look what they are doing to us. They are speculating on the price and raising it just to hurt us. There is no run on oil. There our billions of barrels of reserves. They don't even have space to store it.
Shalom~Adoniah
1 person likes this
@spalladino (17891)
• United States
20 May 09
For one thing there would be a sudden new appreciation for all that the U.S. has done for the rest of the world, that's for sure. I get so tired of the attitude that we're so evil when we're the most generous nation in the world, responding to the needs of so many who hate us. As MSV said, this would help us here at home at a time when help is really needed.
1 person likes this
@AngryKittyMSV (4317)
• United States
20 May 09
We should try it and see what happens.
Seal the borders so no more illegals can get in (go mooch off somebody else's country or learn how to survive in your own), suddenly a whole bunch of AMERICANS out of work can get jobs as gardeners, landscapers, dishwashers, farm workers, house cleaners, construction workers and factory workers. Stop importing goods from other places and open factories here to make OUR OWN stuff, more jobs for AMERICANS!
There ARE Americans who would happily take those jobs, if only they were made available to AMERICANS and without the source of cheap labor form people who snuck in illegally, those jobs would be available to them!
Great discussion topic, Ted!
@valpopa (154)
• Italy
20 May 09
Boy...That is a serious question!
I don't even want to immagine what whould happen if the US would quit from beint the World Power it is today...not even for a day! I presume all those rogue nations would not hesitate for a moment to take their chance on the civilized world and try to seize power, imposing their stinking dictatorship and rules!!
1 person likes this
