Plotting the death of the free world

Atlas Shrugged – Day 055 – pp. 539-548

If I may paraphrase Directive 10-289. . .

Point One – you are officially chained to your job — quitting is a criminal offense

Point Two – if you own a business, you have to keep it in operation no matter what

Point Three – all patents, copyrights, intellectual property and the like must be turned over to the state as a “patriotic emergency gift”

Point Four – nothing new shall be invented, produced or sold

Point Five – industry shall be required to produce the exact same amount of goods as they did during the “basic year”

Point Six – everyone shall spend the same amount of money they did on the goods they bought in the “basic year”

Point Seven – all wages, prices, salaries, dividends (and about any other payout you can think of) shall be frozen

Point Eight – anything not covered (or if you break the rules) ends up in front of the Unification Board . . .

. . . whose decision shall be final.

Of course it will.

Well Directive 10-289 is certainly meeting its goal of stopping things in their tracks. Only problem is nothing is static. You can’t make any economy stand still for any length of time.

Money’s gotta move. Bastiat’s broken window story bears that out.

The joined opinion in the room is that the plan – this stopping the downward spiral – will give the masses a sense of security. (Is any of this ringing a bell today?)

Except for Jim Taggart who spoke first.

“Well why not? Why should they have, if we don’t? Why should they stand above us? If we are to perish, let’s make sure that we all perish together. Let’s make sure that we leave them no chance to survive!”

I’ve wondered about him. Seems if all of them in the room are aware of the death sentence they’re pronouncing on the economy and society they live in, he’s the only one willing to acknowledge it.  And express a healthy fear about its impending failure.

The others go on reassuring themselves that what they’re doing is right and for the good of everyone.

Exceeeeeeept for Amalgamated Labor. . . Fred Kinnan, you have the floor:

“Are we here to talk business or are we here to kid one another?”

Count on the labor guy to cut through the crap.

“All I’ve got to say is that you’d better staff that Unification Board with my men. . . better make sure of it, brother — or I’ll blast your Point One to hell.”

The gloves are off.

“I intend, of course, to have a representative of labor on that Board,” said Mouch dryly, “as well as a representative of industry, of the professions and of ever cross-section of –”

“No cross-sections. Just representatives of labor. Period.”

You never know which way the dice will come up when you roll them.

The biggest set of balls in the room suddenly sees what he’s up against and has decided to monopolize the whole show.

“But that will give you a stranglehold on every business in the country!”

“What do you think I’m after?”

Fred Kinnan – as leader of labor – controls the masses. The workers (to use the term loosely.) If there’s going to be any placating, or any revolt, it’s going to come from his troops. And be directed right at the others in the room.

“Do I get the board, Wesley?”

“The selection of the specific personnel is only a technical detail. . . . Suppose we discuss it later, you and I?”

Everybody in the room knew that this meant the answer Yes.

Fred Kinnan – 1    All the other wusses in the room – 0.

They haggle a bit more back and forth over the details. And Jimmy steps back into character:

“Everybody will know his place and job, and everybody else’s place and job – and we wont be at the mercy of every stray crank with a new idea. Nobody will push us out of business or steal our markets or undersell us or make us obsolete.”

“Well, this, I guess,” said Fred Kinnan, “is the anti-industrial revolution.”

Too bad this section doesn’t end on that one…

There are more gold nuggets shouted in defense of their own position…

Orren Boyle: “Centralization destroys the blight of monopoly.”

Huh?  Even Fred doesn’t get that.

Another problem that must be solved. They have to stop all the captains of industry from disappearing. (Uh-huh. They need them now. . .) But they have no idea where they’ve gone.

And the intellectuals? How will they placate them. What’s to keep them from causing trouble? Amalgamated Labor has an answer for that one.

“They won’t. . . Your kind of intellectuals are the first to scream when it’s safe — and the first to shut their traps at the first sign of danger. They spend years spitting at the man who feeds them — and they lick the hand of the man who slaps their drooling faces.”

Rand apparently has serious “media” issues too. (Of course she’s right.)

And the voluntary patent gifts?

“We want to leave to people the illusion that they’re still preserving their private property rights.”

Wow.  Thought I was reading the newspaper.

They’re confident there won’t be any trouble. Except with one man. . .

Our hero who showed them all up at his trial. Who understands what these looters are up to and refuses to give in. Who can ultimately stand against them and survive.

This could be a real problem.

“Are you talking about Henry Rearden?” asked Taggart. . .

“What if I were?” Asked Dr Ferris cautiously.

“Oh, nothing.. . . Only, if you were, I would tell you that I can deliver Henry Rearden. He’ll sign.”

And with Lillian’s discovery yesterday?  It’s all coming together now…