In “Atlas Shrugged,” Ayn Rand imagines a world where society’s most innovative thinkers — the “producers” — are worn down by government interference, crushed under regulations and ultimately driven to walk away.
These producers — figures like Dagny Taggart, Hank Rearden and Ellis Wyatt — are not simply businessmen. They are visionaries and builders who dedicate years of tireless work to shaping industries that benefit all of society.
Rand illustrates the tremendous effort and sacrifice required to “produce” something from nothing. This is no clearer than when Ellis Wyatt, an oil magnate who revolutionized energy production, sets his fields ablaze rather than let his creation be misused by those who don’t understand its value.
For Rand, this exit from society is the logical solution to a world that stifles freedom, drive and creativity.
But while her characters retreat, today’s American producers are doing the opposite: They’re fighting to reform the system, not abandon it.
The incoming Trump administration has been likened to the popular superhero team The Avengers, but they are more comparable to the characters in Rand’s novel. These figures lack superhuman abilities but propel the world forward with their vision and determination. The difference is in how they approach the so-called “takers” of the world.
Perhaps “Atlas Shrugged” ends in resignation because Rand, though perceptive, wasn’t American. Her Russian background shaped her views on the dangers of government overreach, but she missed a crucial element of the American spirit: resilience.
America was built on the idea of rebirth and the refusal to surrender, an idea embodied in every wave of revolution, reform and reinvestment throughout our history. From the Revolution to the Civil Rights movement, Americans have refused to give up on a system, even when flawed.
Today, this uniquely American spirit is alive in individuals like Elon Musk, RFK Jr., and President-elect Donald Trump, who see the same problems with our government that Rand’s characters did — but instead of fleeing, they are committed to fixing them. Elon Musk, in particular, embodies a modern John Galt: an inventor and entrepreneur who has achieved the unimaginable across industries, from electric cars to space travel. But Musk’s vision fundamentally differs from Galt’s. In fact, Musk, Trump and others mirror our founding fathers, who pledged their lives, fortunes and sacred honor to create a government deriving its powers from the consent of the governed.
Today’s leaders are pledging their lives to save themselves and the country. Rand’s characters recognized the truths that drive society forward but chose not to preserve them. Modern-day leaders like Musk, Vivek Ramaswamy, Tulsi Gabbard and RFK Jr. are taking the opposite approach: fighting to restore what’s been lost.
And while it’s easy to name today’s well-known “producers,” every American who creates value for others deserves the title. It’s not just the Elon Musks or CEOs of large companies who drive us forward, but also small business owners, freelancers and employees who contribute their talents to the economy. Each of us is negatively affected by an overbloated and uncontrolled bureaucracy that too often stifles growth rather than supports it. An oppressive maze of regulations and compliance requirements takes its toll, and the cost is felt not only by economic titans but by society as a whole.
This is why the incoming administration’s focus on reform is so essential. Trump’s cabinet appointments signal a return to a pro-business, pro-innovation approach that aims to reduce government’s footprint, creating conditions that allow producers to thrive within society, not apart from it. These appointees understand what it takes to drive growth, create opportunity, and restore America to a place where entrepreneurs and everyday Americans no longer fear government interference holding them back.
In Rand’s novel, John Galt chooses to walk away rather than fight the system. But today’s real American producers have chosen a different path.
They aren’t leaving for a secluded utopia; they’re staying to battle for reform in the very institutions that threaten them. They’re doing this because there is no other choice. Either they fight to restore the foundations that build our nation, or they suffocate under the weight of the government.
As Trump has said: “We will not bend, we will not break, we will not yield. We will never give in, we will never give up, and we will never back down. We will never ever surrender because we are Americans.”
At the end of the day, “Atlas Shrugged” offers a vision of retreat. But America’s producers aren’t choosing to shrug. They’re choosing to save the country.
Aimee Mulligan is a political consultant and managing director of CardinalGPS, a full-service political services firm.
