Атлант расправил плечи
The Sign of the Dollar
Towork—onablankcheckheldbyeverycreatureborn,bymenwhomyou’llneversee,whoseneedsyou’llneverknow,whoseabilityorlazinessorsloppinessorfraudyouhavenowaytolearnandnorighttoquestion—justtoworkandworkandwork—andleaveituptotheIvysandtheGeraldsoftheworldtodecidewhosestomachwillconsumetheeffort,thedreamsandthedaysofyourlife.Andthisisthemorallawtoaccept?This—amoralideal?
"Well,wetriedit—andwelearned.Ouragonytookfouryears,fromourfirstmeetingtoourlast,anditendedtheonlywayitcouldend:inbankruptcy.Atourlastmeeting,IvyStarneswastheonewhotriedtobrazenitout.Shemadeashort,nasty,snippylittlespeechinwhichshesaidthattheplanhadfailedbecausetherestofthecountryhadnotacceptedit,thatasinglecommunitycouldnotsucceedinthemidstofaselfish,greedyworld—andthattheplanwasanobleideal,buthumannaturewasnotgoodenoughforit.Ayoungboy—theonewhohadbeenpunishedforgivingusausefulideainourfirstyear—gotup,asweallsatsilent,andwalkedstraighttoIvyStarnesontheplatform.Hesaidnothing.Hespatinherface.ThatwastheendofthenobleplanandoftheTwentiethCentury."
Themanhadspokenasiftheburdenofhisyearsofsilencehadslippedsuddenlyoutofhisgrasp.
