Originally Posted by 10fords

I am pleased to see this thread is still going strong!
Pooka- have you actually read the book? The achievers didn't give up. They just decided to stop benefitting those who would do them harm, yet still demand the fruits of their labor. Let me see if I can come up with an analogy for this- how about you have a neighbor who borrows your lawn mower because he doesn't have one. You graciously let him use it and then one day he says "I want you to fill the mower with gas next time I borrow it". You think that is odd, but as I said before you are gracious, so you fill it up for him. The next time your neighbor says "I want you to give me your mower so I don't have to keep borrowing it". Astounded, yet still gracious, you decide to give your mower to your neighbor thinking the whole unpleasant ordeal will finally be over. Well, a few weeks later your neighbor calls you and says "that mower you gave me died so you need to buy me a new one". Are you going to buy him a new one, or say "f#$k you- buy your own goddam mower? If so than you are no different than the characters in the book who decided to stop being raped by the government and the looters, and you still have a mower, but just for your own benefit. If not, then I would like a 5HP, self propelled highwheel with a tank full of premium and a lifetime replacement warranty with no questions asked.