Атлант расправил плечи
The Sanction of the Victim
Thenewspapershadsnarledthatthecauseofthecountry’stroubles,asthiscasedemonstrated,wastheselfishgreedofrichindustrialists;thatitwasmenlikeHankReardenwhoweretoblamefortheshrinkingdiet,thefallingtemperatureandthecrackingroofsinthehomesofthenation;thatifithadnotbeenformenwhobrokeregulationsandhamperedthegovernment’splans,prosperitywouldhavebeenachievedlongago;andthatamanlikeHankReardenwaspromptedbynothingbuttheprofitmotive.Thislastwasstatedwithoutexplanationorelaboration,asifthewords"profitmotive"weretheself-evidentbrandofultimateevil.
Thecrowdrememberedthatthesesamenewspapers,lessthantwoyearsago,hadscreamedthattheproductionofReardenMetalshouldbeforbidden,becauseitsproducerwasendangeringpeople’slivesforthesakeofhisgreed;theyrememberedthatthemaningrayhadriddeninthecabofthefirstenginetorunoveratrackofhisownMetal;andthathewasnowontrialforthegreedycrimeofwithholdingfromthepublicaloadoftheMetalwhichithadbeenhisgreedycrimetoofferinthepublicmarket.
Accordingtotheprocedureestablishedbydirectives,casesofthiskindwerenottriedbyajury,butbyapanelofthreejudgesappointedbytheBureauofEconomicPlanningandNationalResources;theprocedure,thedirectiveshadstated,wastobeinformalanddemocratic.
