Absolution

Atlas Shrugged – Day 027 – pp. 264-273

Absolving himself. For his inabilities. . . For falling back on the excuse of doing things for the heart — the right reasons. The other reasons.

I wonder if Rand doesn’t think “other reasons” are valid motivations for anything. There are those who beg charity to help the less fortunate. And they are virtuous. Maybe it’s my Catholic upbringing. Maybe it’s the fact that I’ve never been a zillionaire industrialist. I wonder if its expectation (of shared wealth) that she rails against.

One thing is for certain. The willingness to accept “it’s not your/my/their fault — you can’t be blamed” as an excuse is a major character flaw.

Anyway, Jim’s in the “confessional” with Cherryl — a new character – poor, awestruck shop-girl from Buffalo — talking, essentially about how everyone who’s great today, ain’t so great. . .

Rearden. He didn’t invent smelting and chemistry and air compression. He couldn’t have invented his Metal but for thousands and thousands of other people. His Metal! Why does he think it’s his? Why does he think it’s his invention? Everybody uses the work of everybody else. Nobody ever invents anything.

She said puzzled, “But the iron ore and all those other things were there all the time. Why didn’t anybody else make that Metal, but Mr. Rearden did?”

“He didn’t do it for any noble purpose. he did it just for his own profit, he’s never done anything for any other reason.”

Pause. . . The only motivation for doing anything is profit and that is virtuous. Profit is the most noble purpose? Profit = the only motivating reason for anything. . . for any business endeavor…

Here…

“I’m not so sure it was great — building that Line for all those prosperous industrialists in Colorado, when there are so many poor people in blighted areas who need transportation.”

Of course you build your business where the profit is. Kind of a vicious circle. What about the poor people? I guess they’re on their own?

Two things I’m wondering, Rand’s real attitude toward charity and does Jim actually believe his own crap?

Ah, and he has a few choice words about his sister as well. “She’s a hard insensitive woman… she thinks she’s so good…”

A little perverted logic…

“What right has she to think it? What right as anybody to think he’s good? Nobody’s any good."
“You dont’ mean it, Mr. Taggart . . . But if a man knows what he’s done is good?”
“Then he ought to apologize for it.”
“To whom?”
“To those who haven’t done it.”

He’s looking for some validation and an apology. (“Sorry your such a fucking loser, Jim” seems appropriate.)

Then for good measure:

“I . . . I don’t understand.”
“Of course you don’t. It takes years and years of study in the higher reaches of the intellect.” . . .
“I’m sorry . . . Oh I know that I have such an awful lot to learn!”

Rand makes a bit of a point about the natural state of people I think. This is a young girl, naive, innocent — a block of clay. She meets an . . . hmmmmm . . . anti-industrialist of the day who spouts things she can’t understand. When presented to the innocent, the bullshit of the likes of Taggart and his cabal resonate as bullshit. Still the awe factor…

Through the obvious confusion this has put on her face she still in awe of Taggart.

Does he really believe in his “nobler cause” idea? Or is it an excuse? And does it belong anywhere in the world of business?

Scene…

Dirty Dagny and Hot Hank arrive in Philly and go ther separate ways without a word. (I’ll call you…)

And later that evening, he’s knocking at her door.

Talking for a bit, both have seen a transformation in their business. Hank is getting RM orders faster than he can write. Dagny dealt with the press. They asked her questions in admiration…the courage she had in pursuing her goals, the strength to stand against everyone . . .

“They looked at you as if they knew that one may not approach you or speak in your presence or touch a fold of your dress. They knew it and it’s true. They looked at you with respect didn’t they? They looked up to you.”

He seized her arm, threw her down on her knees, twisted her body against his legs and bent down to kiss her mouth.

Ah. . . foreplay.

Ah, there’s mention about a past love in her life. . . when she was 17. . . “did you love him? — did you like sleeping with him?” Hank’s a little jealous.

Cut to Mr Mowen looking at the Quinn Ball Bearing company getting packed up to move to Colorado.

It’s a result of the EoO bill says a young man working to pack up materials for the move.

“I hear Mr. Quinn was making plans a year ago to open a branch in Colorado. The Bill knocked that out cold. So now he’s made up his mind ot move there, lock, stock and barrel.”

Mowen laments the situation. All he wants is to be rich and successful Not to have to compete to do it.

?Are they taking you along to Colorado?”
“Me? No. I don’t work here. I’m just transient laborer. Just picked up the job helping to lug the stuff out.”
“Well, where are you going to go when they move away?”
“Haven’t any idea?”
“What are you going to do if more of them move out?
“Wait and see.”

Mowen continues his monologue to the young man about how things should be. (See being rich without the work above.) But then I stumbled over a paragraph on the G. . .

“What have they got down there (in Colorado) that we haven’t?”
The young man grinned, “Maybe it’s something you’ve got that they haven’t got.”
“What? . . . I don’t see it. It’s a backward, primitive, unenlightened place. They don’t even have a modern government. (BINGO!) It’s the worst government in any state. The laziest. It does nothing — outside of keping law  courts and a police department. It doesn’t to anything for the people. It doesn’t help anybody. I don’t see why all our best companies want to run there.”

I want to run there now . . . . . .

Let’s see an aside… competition in your target market is good if your down in the sales polls — gives you more prospects to sell your stuff to. Competition in your market (the stuff you sell) is bad — seniority should rule there. . .

Something should be done about the whole situation. The wise young man asks the obvious question. . .

“What do you want to do about it?” asked the young man?

And here’s the telling part. Bitch, bitch, bitch but he wouldn’t lift a finger to change anything. About his business, the government, the competition.

“I can’t solve national problems. I just want to make a living. All I know is somebody ought to do something about it . . . Things aren’t right . . .Listen — what’s your name?”

Wait a minute. . . We know him!!!. . .

One Reply to “Absolution”

  1. I can’t tell if James has completely lost himself in the political rat race, if he really is all about himself, if he is just a dark person (he has been sarcastic and cynical since childhood.) It almost looks here as if he really does care about those “less fortunate,” but maybe it’s only because he’s been trained to say these words for so long . If he really cared about others, he would, at the very least, be kinder. Maybe I’m trying to see some good in this guy, because he seems as conflicted as anyone. I predict a 180 on his part… The question will be, though, at whose benefit.

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