LETTER

Private Enterprise’s many enemies 

During WW2, leading to the establishing of Slovak Republic, that state undertook the enormous task to remedy some of the social ills presenting themselves with the widespread rise of what we commonly call the tricks & tricksters. 

A friend of mine, an educated man, was named to lead the task force to eliminate some ills in this budding marketplace manipulation, a common phenomenon. He was the Tax Man and his portfolio was small enterprise. He noticed a big rise in consumption, but not the sale, of alcohol (amongst other irregularities), which finally resulted in a lawsuit against a number of perpetrators,  based on scientific documentation of “salting alcohol by pepper infusion”.  The case was successful, with fines levied on all of them. The result was evident on their faces, departing from the Court House:  “education kills business” was their message, when presented in words.

If this reminds you of somethings happening today, it is just coincidental, as this happened some seventy-five years ago in a ‘land far, far away’.  So many conclusions we could arrive at, if we paused and thought a little!

Rasto Hlavina 

Pontiac