Атлант расправил плечи
The Sign of the Dollar
"Whatwasitthey’dalwaystoldusabouttheviciouscompetitionoftheprofitsystem,wheremenhadtocompeteforwho’ddoabetterjobthanhisfellows?Vicious,wasn’tit?Well,theyshouldhaveseenwhatitwaslikewhenweallhadtocompetewithoneanotherforwho’ddotheworstjobpossible.There’snosurerwaytodestroyamanthantoforcehimintoaspotwherehehastoaimatnotdoinghisbest,wherehehastostruggletodoabadjob,dayafterday.Thatwillfinishhimquickerthandrinkoridlenessorpullingstick-upsforaliving.Buttherewasnothingelseforustodoexcepttofakeunfitness.
Theoneaccusationwefearedwastobesuspectedofability.Abilitywaslikeamortgageonyouthatyoucouldneverpayoff.Andwhatwastheretoworkfor?Youknewthatyourbasicpittancewouldbegiventoyouanyway,whetheryouworkedornot—your‘housingandfeedingallowance,’itwascalled—andabovethatpittance,youhadnochancetogetanything,nomatterhowhardyoutried.Youcouldn’tcountonbuyinganewsuitofclothesnextyear—theymightgiveyoua‘clothingallowance’ortheymightnot,accordingtowhethernobodybrokealeg,neededanoperationorgavebirthtomorebabies.Andiftherewasn’tenoughmoneyfornewsuitsforeverybody,thenyoucouldn’tgetyours,either.
"Therewasonemanwho’dworkedhardallhislife,becausehe’dalwayswantedtosendhissonthroughcollege.
