One hopes that Nespresso is quietly doing a cost-benefit analysis of moving out of France.

Jan

Dog Eat Dog Rule, anyone?

"As far as the individual is concerned, his ethical duty is to be the selfless, voiceless, rightless slave of any need, claim or demand asserted by others. The motto “dog eat dog”—which is not applicable to capitalism nor to dogs—is applicable to the social theory of ethics. The existential monuments to this theory are Nazi Germany and Soviet Russia."-Virtue of Selfishness

Right out of the pages of A.R.'s magnum opuses, just as if they were written yesterday. It is both amazing and unfortunate that she was so right.

Or they leave. Something the US profited from for years.

Just plain astounding. As I read the article I found myself sitting here with my mouth hanging open. Is this where we're going too, so we can all be equal, and share in the wealth?

The law is an inappropriate way to keep mediocrity in business.

Didn't you mean to write Miracle Metal ? :-)

I've been reading Atlas Shrugged for the first time. I had watched AS I & II and wanted to read the whole book before AS III is released. I just reached the point where Hank Reardon is forced to sign the "gift" certificates giving up his rights to his patents. You're right, just exchange Nespresso for Reardon Metal.

A lot of truth in the old adage, "If you can't beat 'em, join 'em."

Ir;

If you mean the slide toward mediocrity, it won't go on long. It only takes a few years. Once mediocrity becomes law, though, it appears to take a generation or two for people to lay down. The first generation works on out of pride, then habit. In spite of a growing number of slackers, the second generation works on out of deference to their elders and the feeling that something will change. It's the third generation that gets it; forced to watch those who do nothing handed same life as those who work; they eventually lay down and without outside aid, the economy collapses. I hear the same story in Cuba I heard in Russia: "They pretended to pay us, so we pretended to work".

I've always thought Rand a romantic. She hoped the achievers would quit and band together and achieve in their own world. In real world experiments it doesn't seem to happen that way. The achievers finally give up, lay down and live in the same misery as the takers.

This Nespresso case is perfectly analogous to Hank Rearden being forced to share Rearden Metal with Orren Boyle and his cronies.