Звездный десант
Chapter 6
Nottrue!Utterlyfalse!Thiswasthetragicfallacywhichbroughtonthedecadenceandcollapseofthedemocraciesofthetwentiethcentury;thosenobleexperimentsfailedbecausethepeoplehadbeenledtobelievethattheycouldsimplyvoteforwhatevertheywanted...andgetit,withouttoil,withoutsweat,withouttears.
"Nothingofvalueisfree.Eventhebreathoflifeispurchasedatbirthonlythroughgaspingeffortandpain."Hehadbeenstilllookingatmeandadded,"Ifyouboysandgirlshadtosweatforyourtoysthewayanewlybornbabyhastostruggletoliveyouwouldbehappier...andmuchricher.Asitis,withsomeofyou,Ipitythepovertyofyourwealth.You!I’vejustawardedyoutheprizeforthehundred-meterdash.Doesitmakeyouhappy?"
"Uh,Isupposeitwould."
"Nododging,please.Youhavetheprize—here,I’llwriteitout:
‘Grandprizeforthechampionship,onehundred-metersprint.’"Hehadactuallycomebacktomyseatandpinneditonmychest."There!Areyouhappy?Youvalueit—ordon’tyou?"
Iwassore.Firstthatdirtycrackaboutrichkids—atypicalsneerofthosewhohaven’tgotit—andnowthisfarce.Irippeditoffandchuckeditathim.
Mr.Duboishadlookedsurprised."Itdoesn’tmakeyouhappy?"
"YouknowdarnwellIplacedfourth!"
"Exactly!Theprizeforfirstplaceisworthlesstoyou...becauseyouhaven’tearnedit.Butyouenjoyamodestsatisfactioninplacingfourth;youearnedit.Itrustthatsomeofthesomnambulistshereunderstoodthislittlemoralityplay.
