[r-q-tek86]

Francisco's attempt at seducing Hank is as important if not more so than "the speech" that we will see later. The discussion of Hank being one of the last moral men left and what "morality" means in this context is very relative to what is happening in the world today.

"You, who've created abundance where there had been nothing but wastelands and helpless, starving men before you, have been called a robber".

This is exactly what is happening to capitalists today. People who equate more to Jim Taggert and Orren Boyle are held up as examples of "evil CEO's" as if they were the rule instead of the exception. It's easy to demonize all the producers by holding up the few real demons as examples.

[Publius]

What Francisco says to Hank satisfies the need for the reader to figure out what is being said to industrialists to make them leave their businesses. We don't know what The Destroyer is saying to Ken Danagger before he leaves via the back door, but we get the general idea when we hear Francisco talk to Hank.

Once we hear Francisco and Dagny in a future chapter having a similar conversation, we get the picture much more clearly.

Next week, at the trial of Hank Rearden, we see the effects of Fransicso's speech on Hank. It's almost as if the seduction were a prelude to Hank's taking a public stand. It connects the dots more easily.

[gracie1]

Lets look at the bailout in a nutshell. Banks and financial institutions were given (coerced is probably more apt) bailout money to head off a more dangerous meltdown. Hidden in the monstrous bill are time bombs just waiting to go off. The “scandal” over the AIG bonus’ is probably just the tip of the iceberg. Then the MSM whips the populace into a frenzy over the bonuses. All in an attempt to gain control the financial sector. A manufactured scandal is a good description. Then other institutions start scrambling to give back bailout money, only to be told they cannot do so.

The auto industry is the next example. GM took bailout money. Now the administration exerts its power over GM by ordering the firing of the CEO and ordering what type of vehicles will be produced. I don’t even remember the government throwing it weight around in such a heavy handed manner when Chrysler was bailed out in the late 70’s.

This seems to be the formula for this administration:

Target an industry as at risk of failing

Provide a huge, ponderous bailout no one can decipher (full of gotcha regs)

Let the industry step into the piles of dog doo buried in the bailout bill

Whip the populace into a class-warfare frenzy, demanding the government to take action to control said industry

Yes, this administration does seem intent on criminalizing the producing sector of the population, in its attempt to control all.