The Trial of Hank Rearden

The following videos form a two-part dramatization of the trial of Hank Rearden from Ayn Rand’s Atlas Shrugged.

Mr. Rearden was being tried for selling a quantity of Rearden Metal, which he had spent ten long years developing to be a stronger, yet lighter, replacement for steel, to a customer who would actually use it for a purpose Rearden approved of. He did this in spite of a law, Directive 10-289, that had been passed specifically because the demand for his metal had greatly outstripped his ability to produce it – a law intended to force him to distribute it only to those with government approval, without regard for the intent of the purchaser.

I’m presenting this, not only because it is an important part of what I consider to be the most powerful story ever told, but also because I think it contains an object lesson for us to consider when deciding how to make the best use of resources in the real world.

I want ice water.