Is it possible to use “Go Galt” beyond political or business context?

Without going into all the details, the phrase is patterned after Ayn Rand's science fiction novel "Atlas Shrugged", where the genius creators of progress remove themselves from the wider society to prevent being extorted for the benefit of others. Taxes are only one kind of extortion. To 'Go Galt' can be used metaphorically for any kind of disinvolvement when one is feeling being taken advantage of, but is often used for entrepreneurs and taxes.


To answer the question directly: no, not really. It is inherently politically-loaded, because the phrase comes from one of Any Rand's ideological novels.

In the article you quote, it is being used sardonically, along with using the word "oppressed" to refer to highly-paid executives. The term is being used in political context, in this case by someone who is famously critical of the book and the ideology it espouses. Here, he's actually specifically saying that in real life examples, the fictional argument isn't borne out, and is basically using the phrase literally (if negatively), and connected directly to its original source, not in the abstract or as a figure of speech.

Were someone to use this phrase a non-political way, it would probably either be interpreted as actually more political than intended, or it would be taken as a sort of absurdist humor (by applying a heavily-loaded term where it doesn't apply). Probably your audience would just be confused.