RANDBLOGGING - Part III

Part I
Part II

So, the anti-capitalist railroad owners pass the "Anti-dog eat dog world" resolution to restrict competition. Dan Conway (owner of the Phoenix-Durango line) will now abandon his successful Colorado business, because he agreed to abide by the majority's decision.

Interesting to see Dagny Taggart's response: this guy is her main competition in Colorado, and now he’s out of the way. Yet she's horrified by this trickery.

Means one of two things - or more likely both. She simply has that much respect for the competitive, capitalist process, even though she probably wouldn’t put it that way.

I think it’s something else: an inability to recognize new and unique challenges.

I'm reminded of the many times I've heard people complain about "office politics." They can't get this done, or can't accomplish that, because of office politics.

My inward reaction is: well, why don't you win?

That's what's going on here: two characters, Dagny Taggart and Dan Conway (probably Hank Reardon and Eddie Willers, too), are focused, able, overachievers, but aren't capable of thinking strategically and “out of the box.”

They’re 10th degree black belts who expect everybody to challenge them physically. When somebody files a lawsuit, they’re completely helpless.

We’ll see if they figure this out in time to do any good. Political strategy takes time, though, so it might already be too late.