Атлант расправил плечи

           We’vehearditshoutedthattheindustrialistisaparasite,thathisworkerssupporthim,createhiswealth,makehisluxurypossible—andwhatwouldhappentohimiftheywalkedout?Verywell.Iproposetoshowtotheworldwhodependsonwhom,whosupportswhom,whoisthesourceofwealth,whomakeswhoselivelihoodpossibleandwhathappenstowhomwhenwhowalksout."

           Thewindowswerenowsheetsofdarkness,reflectingthedotsoflightedcigarettes.Hepickedacigarettefromatablebesidehim,andintheflareofamatchshesawthebriefsparkleofgold,thedollarsign,betweenhisfingers.

           "Iquitandjoinedhimandwentonstrike,"saidHughAkston,"becauseIcouldnotsharemyprofessionwithmenwhoclaimthatthequalificationofanintellectualconsistsofdenyingtheexistenceoftheintellect.Peoplewouldnotemployaplumberwho’dattempttoprovehisprofessionalexcellencebyassertingthatthere’snosuchthingasplumbing—but,apparently,thesamestandardsofcautionarenotconsiderednecessaryinregardtophilosophers.Ilearnedfrommyownpupil,however,thatitwasIwhomadethispossible.Whenthinkersacceptthosewhodenytheexistenceofthinking,asfellowthinkersofadifferentschoolofthought—itistheywhoachievethedestructionofthemind.Theygranttheenemy’sbasicpremise,thusgrantingthesanctionofreasontoformaldementia.Abasicpremiseisanabsolutethatpermitsnoco-operationwithitsantithesisandtoleratesnotolerance.