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The Egotist Becomes a Personage
Letmetellyou"—Amorybecameemphatic—"ifthereweretenmeninsuredagainsteitherwealthorstarvation,andofferedagreenribbonforfivehours’workadayandablueribbonfortenhours’workaday,nineoutoftenofthemwouldbetryingfortheblueribbon.Thatcompetitiveinstinctonlywantsabadge.Ifthesizeoftheirhouseisthebadgethey’llsweattheirheadsoffforthat.Ifit’sonlyablueribbon,Idamnnearbelievethey’llworkjustashard.Theyhaveinotherages."
"Idon’tagreewithyou."
"Iknowit,"saidAmorynoddingsadly."Itdoesn’tmatteranymorethough.Ithinkthesepeoplearegoingtocomeandtakewhattheywantprettysoon."
Afiercehisscamefromthelittleman.
"Machine-guns!"
"Ah,butyou’vetaughtthemtheiruse."
Thebigmanshookhishead.
"Inthiscountrythereareenoughpropertyownersnottopermitthatsortofthing."
Amorywishedheknewthestatisticsofpropertyownersandnon-propertyowners;hedecidedtochangethesubject.
Butthebigmanwasaroused.
"Whenyoutalkof’takingthingsaway,’you’reondangerousground."
"Howcantheygetitwithouttakingit?Foryearspeoplehavebeenstalledoffwithpromises.Socialismmaynotbeprogress,butthethreatoftheredflagiscertainlytheinspiringforceofallreform.You’vegottobesensationaltogetattention."
"Russiaisyourexampleofabeneficentviolence,Isuppose?"
"Quitepossibly,"admittedAmory.
