Jerry Bonnell's Comment on Chris Winters' Reaction

As you mentioned, John Galt "could care less about how it (the shutdown of Twentieth Century Motor Company) affects others." He only supports his self-interest and never acts on behalf of others. Galt is the epitome of selfishness. I, too, find Galt's view very problematic. I also find his philosophy very childish. He organized the systemic destruction of the world by collecting the great minds of society and convincing them to withdraw their talent and productivity. That is all he did - act as a catalyst for the collapse of the economy by refusing to play the game. Wouldn't a true revolutionary take genuine action to make his ideals into a reality? Galt does not use any of the conventional methods of negotiation, as he undergoes his quest to transform his society. Instead, his silent battle against the current structure of his country takes no-one else but himself into consideration. In fact, it far more resembles an ambush  than it does a prolonged war. Without public consensus or awareness of his actions, how does Galt plan on acquiring legitimacy in the eyes of the people? On the other hand, perhaps Rand would argue that public support is unnecessary. Given that she is such a proponent of capitalism and completely opposes socialism, one would assume that she supports democracy. Ironically enough, how is a representative democracy supposed to function without legitimacy being derived from the people? Perhaps Rand doesn't support democracy at all, but rather supports unfettered capitalism in an anarchist society.