I was reminded of Rand's classic as President Bush and members of Congress recently gathered for the signing of the new energy bill. The Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 is less about energy and more about control. The most ambitious projections by the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy predict it will cut our energy consumption by a whopping 7 percent by 2030.

Ayn Rand could not possibly have known how prophetic her novel, Atlas Shrugged, would be when it was published 50 years ago. Or, could she?

This landmark piece of literature foretold a United States where an ever-intrusive and expanding government begins to smother productivity and shutter the doors of entrepreneurship. Innovators, creators and producers are driven to destroy their own works rather than turn them over to the vultures who have taken over the government.