IN THE SECULAR WORLD, ATLAS IS SHRUGGING

Dave Shrugged

Declare war on “entrepreneurs, investors, business and more” and you get a market crash. Stocks, reflecting our future hopes, have bonked 28% since the November election, 14% since the stimulus passed and 5% since Obama revealed his budget last week.

Amid the carnage, Obama retains a 60%-plus approval rating. He may soon find out how thin that is.

During my speech travels last week, and at friends’ gatherings this weekend, I saw fear turn into something resembling cold hate toward this administration and Congress. People at my church are not haters. They are lovers, but they know that Obama’s budget is more than a war against “entrepreneurs, investors and business.” It is also a war against the church. When taxes go up and charitable deductions go down, church budgets will shrivel.

Let me amend. Church budgets will shrink even more than they have already. Over the last 12 months, my church has laid off 15% of its staff. We’ve managed to keep missions to Mexico and Africa, where members build shelters and dispense antibiotic soap, toothbrushes and water purification tablets sold to us below cost by Procter & Gamble. Some of this good work will go away after Obama’s tax plan is implemented. Which means people will die.

In the secular world, Atlas is shrugging. I have a friend who is the embodiment of the American dream. He now gives thought to quitting that dream. Dave grew up in a working-class family and paid his way through college as a grocery checker. He advanced to managing fruit and vegetable sections, got married, raised three boys. He and his teacher wife saved every nickel they made, invested in apartments and now own about 120 units. They’ve done well. They live quietly and modestly, your typical millionaires next door.

Dave tells me the biggest hassle of owning apartments is not single mothers who fall behind on rent payments, as community activists would have you believe. Rather, it is renters who destroy the property or disturb the neighborhood peace. Dave is forced by law to give a politely written notice to jerks who get high and spray-paint up his apartments. One night a single mother tenant with a baby called Dave to complain about a loud neighbor. Dave showed up to calm the rowdy tenant down. The yob started punching Dave in the chest.

Under Obama’s plan, Dave will be taxed higher. The vandals and loudmouths will have access to more community lawyers. Dave is thinking about cashing in.

Capital is on strike. The Daves are in revolt.