Eugene Lawson allowing the Community National Bank of Madison to fail simply because he was "doing good" for people who needed money. His decision to loan based on that simple criteria, and his statement that he was proud to have never made a profit in his life, not only destroyed everything his grandfather and father worked for, but in the long run helped to destroy his ability to help people who needed it further down the road. It was a short term solution to a long term problem.
Lee Hunsacker too expressed disappointment that after he was given a loan from Eugene Lawson no one would GIVE him a railroad. His indignation at the people who took him in when he had nowhere else to go, yet expected him to earn his keep.
Ivy Starnes who completely blew a fortune by setting up a workers paradise at the Twentieth Century Motor Company by paying everyone the same, then distributing "from each according to their ability, to each according to their needs", the meetings to determine how money would be split up, then getting mad at people for quitting. Her statement that the company was ruined by people who didn't understand the concept of "requiring men to be motivated NOT by personal gain, but by love for their brothers."
Finally the passage of laws that made everyone "equal" thereby eliminating competition. Mr. Wyatt, however, has the last laugh as he purposely destroys his oil fields before the "looters" can get their hands on a gold mine and leaving it as he found it.
All these things had me seeing red throughout the chapter. HOWEVER, look at this quote and see if it could have been put into Rand's novel in this chapter:
"The rich and powerful think mainly about preserving and expanding their wealth and power. President Obama must realize that under the emergency powers of his office, he not only has the authority to seize our assets, but also has access to all the assets of America’s richest men for meeting those emergencies that threaten the common good."
The above was taken from a post at DemocraticUnderground TODAY..truly, truly scary..
That quote was almost verbatim Claude Slagenhop from the party at Hank’s house in a previous chapter.