Атлант расправил плечи

           Heleftittotakechargeoftheadvertisingofahair-restorer,thenofapatentedbrassiere,thenofanewsoap,thenofasoftdrink—andthenhebecameadvertisingvice-Presidentofanautomobileconcern.Hetriedtosellautomobilesasiftheywereaboguscorn-cure.Theydidnotsell.

           Heblameditontheinsufficiencyofhisadvertisingbudget.ItwasthepresidentoftheautomobileconcernwhorecommendedhimtoRearden.ItwasReardenwhointroducedhimtoWashington—Rearden,whoknewnostandardbywhichtojudgetheactivitiesofhisWashingtonman.ItwasJamesTaggartwhogavehimastartintheBureauofEconomicPlanningandNationalResources—inexchangefordoublecrossingReardeninordertohelpOrrenBoyleinexchangefordestroyingDanConway.Fromthenon,peoplehelpedWesleyMouchtoadvance,forthesamereasonasthatwhichhadpromptedUncleJulius:theywerepeoplewhobelievedthatmediocritywassafe.Themenwhonowsatinfrontofhisdeskhadbeentaughtthatthelawofcausalitywasasuperstitionandthatonehadtodealwiththesituationofthemomentwithoutconsideringitscause.Bythesituationofthemoment,theyhadconcludedthatWesleyMouchwasamanofsuperlativeskillandcunning,sincemillionsaspiredtopower,buthewastheonewhohadachievedit.ItwasnotwithintheirmethodofthinkingtoknowthatWesleyMouchwasthezeroatthemeetingpointofforcesunleashedindestructionagainstoneanother.