“ Industry is privately owned and managed, and co-ordinated—to prevent the waste of competition—by a committee of leaders from private industry, not politicians. By eliminating human error through machinery, and needless competition through organization, we’ve raised the standard of living of the average man immensely. ”
Kurt Vonnegut, Player Piano (1952). copy citation
| Author | Kurt Vonnegut |
|---|---|
| Source | Player Piano |
| Topic | competition error |
| Date | 1952 |
| Language | English |
| Reference | |
| Note | |
| Weblink | https://libcom.org/library/player-piano-kurt-vonnegut |
Context
““Shah says, ‘Communism.’ ”
“No Kuppo!” said Halyard vehemently. “The government does not own the machines. They simply tax that part of industry’s income that once went into labor, and redistribute it. Industry is privately owned and managed, and co-ordinated—to prevent the waste of competition—by a committee of leaders from private industry, not politicians. By eliminating human error through machinery, and needless competition through organization, we’ve raised the standard of living of the average man immensely.”
Khashdrahr stopped translating and frowned perplexedly. “Please, this average man, there is no equivalent in our language, I’m afraid.”
“You know,” said Halyard, “the ordinary man, like, well, anybody—those men working back on the bridge, the man in that old car we passed.”
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