Sen. Ron Johnson: We’re Living in Atlas Shrugged

“…we really have developed this culture of entitlement dependency that is not what America’s all about. I mean, America— and that’s, of course, what Atlas Shrugged is about— is individuals aspiring to build things. To make their life, and as a result the world, a better place. And when we shift to a culture where people are just saying I’m happy to sit back and let the government provide me with things, that becomes a very dangerous point in time for this country.

What do you see as the differences between your ideas and the ideas of Ayn Rand?

I’m not sure there are too many differences. I guess when you take a look at the book Atlas Shrugged, I think most people always like to identify with the main character— that would be John Galt. I guess I identify with Hank Rearden, the fella that just refused until the very end to give up. And I guess I’d like to think of myself more as a Hank Rearden— I’m not going to give up. “

Transcript from The Discovery of Strawmannium