Backfire 1952

[Music] [Music] good afternoon well hello Mr Mayor I certainly enjoyed your talk before the student body today hello mayor well thanks I am always glad to speak of the importance of Civic responsibilities especially to the youngsters you know there's too much let yours do it some people are nothing thinking going on around these days yes I know hello Mr Wilson oh hello Mr Robin you know it seems to me that you're in a very good position to get to the trend of this Merit right in the classroom well as a matter of fact there's something for nothing attitude that you speak of used to crop up in my classes all the time now seeing Miss Robinson reminds me of an experience I had with it once if you have time I'd like to tell you about it it might be encouraging to you are you walking I'll listen well it all goes back to my first PTA meeting now after I was introduced I gave a short talk you know expressing my general approach to economics and there were has been nice meeting you Mr Johnson good night it's nice to met you Mrs Davis good night I think the board made a very good choice don't you oh I think he's cute well after the meeting we had coffee and sandwiches to help us get acquainted I felt as if I were perched in a glass cage I could almost feel eyes looking me over some of their appraisals I could hear Daddy don't you and mother want to meet the new teacher I don't want to meet him I don't like him I don't like my daughter being exposed to his horse and buggy hcial aler work and wind baloney this Pious prejudice against the welfare state is nothing but a front for special privilege I tell you he's the kind of a teacher that blocks progress well please Mary that man actually glorifies the personal gain motive and besides that and there it was right down the line it was a shock but I was glad to know at the outset that I must be prepared for such as this you're supposed to be preparing for a new Dynamic World Daddy please you'll hear you I don't care if he does I have a right to express my opinions that's more than you'll get in his classes now class it's just as important to our economic health that all of us understand the mechanical operation of our economic body and how to avoid Behavior injurious to it as a knowledge of the functions of our physical body and the proper treatment of it is to our physical health let's consider then the elements which make up man's material welfare and suppose we analyze now what is involved in building a simple Log Cabin like this what would we need Lo think again trees come before logs that's right trees all right now what else do we need some elbow grease Manpower right human energy what else well a man has to have something to work with doesn't he an axe a saw that's right a tool well an axe is easier for me to draw there now this crude artwork illustrates that everything which contributes to man's material welfare is the product of Natural Resources plus human energy multiplied by tools man works that is produces goods and services by applying his energy to Natural Resources with the aid of tools the quantity and quality of those goods and services depends upon the quantity and quality of the man's energy and the effectiveness of his tools is that clear now the man who works all day long plowing his Fields with the help of an ox can probably raise only enough food for his own use but if the farmer works all day long plowing his Fields with a team of horses he can increase his food production he can probably raise enough for three families and if the farmer uses a tractor to plow his Fields he can raise his food production to enough for five families now you can see that since the human energy Remains the Same in all three of the food examples the increase in man's material welfare is due to the Improvement in the tool applied to the job now this is a simple illustration to show that man's material welfare has increased according to the increase in the effectiveness of his tools of production and these tools came into being for the simple reason that people wanted to get ahead and they were willing to sacrifice to get the tools is that clear Gail but people no longer get ahead as individuals they get ahead as Cooperative groups not trying to tear each other down but but build each other up no person can be secure economically as long as anybody else is insecure the underprivileged must be rewarded according to their needs and not just according to what they produce class Gail is really quoting Carl Marx who said from each according to his ability to each according to his need what do you think about it sounds fair enough sure sure everyone has to [Music] eat all right class all right now I want you to think about this really think how it will affect you and we'll talk about it later at our next class I was more worried than puzzled how could I combat this kind of thinking what could I do to get back at the source of indoctrination of students like Miss Robinson it's my job there must be a way well at least I have until tomorrow well class there seems to be some surprise at the marks on your last test papers as a matter of fact in most cases those are not the correct grades they are simply the result of doing what we talked about yesterday and naturally some of you do better work than others some of you might even fail While others get high marks but following this motto we've taken the high marks and divided them up with the low ones that way everybody passes even the poor students that's fine but I don't want my grade cut down I work hard for my marks and I want what I earn I know I did better than this we deserve credit for what we do my dad would cut my allowance the kids with the best grades get the best jobs it just isn't fair well suppose we give you a chance to think this grading system over and continue our discussion tomorrow talk it over with your parents if you want to hello d how'd it go today I really don't know mother oh that's a strange answer anything wrong no not really I'm just mixed up that's all what's the matter child well look that is a low grade for you dear oh but don't worry about it you probably misunderstood the question it could happen to anyone you'll be able to make it up oh it's not that mother yesterday the teacher was telling us that American Prosperity was based on personal progress and private ownership of tools of production I got up and said what Daddy's always telling me that that real progress could only come when people's needs were recognized by the privileged class well today we got our test papers back with those grades teacher said he was following the rule we all agreed yesterday was the right one from each according to his ability to each according to his need this is the last STW I am sick and tired of the nonsense we get from your father around the house all the time from each Accardi to his ability personal progress is the law of the Jungle bushwah just wait till he gets home I and what will you do my love give me a kiss what's for dinner now will you listen to me at Gail go set the table for dinner yes M no you don't well I'm serious you've got to promise to quit filling this girl's head with all those silly Notions that fly right in the face of nature you know we want Gail to go to college well I don't know about that but even if she goes out to get a job after she through school she's got to have good marks to get a good job what's this all about anyway she gets good marks doesn't she no she wouldn't if you had your way you'd have everybody knocked down to the same level now wait a minute what's got into you I've got to write any ideas I want yes even at your own daughter's expense we just look at the grades that girl came home with today you know she's a better student than that and it's just because her teacher agreed to follow some of your precious ideas oh I hope he's not serious about all this is this your real grade Gail well this is the grade I earned Daddy but in order to treat everybody in the class equally the teacher had to subtract 20 from my mark everybody received the same grade 75 that's just passing daddy do you think this is fair should I suffer because some of the other boys and girls don't study hard enough here's your chance to practice what you preach come on Gail let's get dinner on the table GA yes Mother it takes a good deal of courage and determination for a man to face the truth when he's wrong when his ideas are found to be unworkable and it takes honesty to admit that you've been passing opinions along without questioning them but Mr Robinson was basically an honest man and he won out in the struggle with himself Gil yes daddy you're not mad at me are you no Daddy I want you to tell your teacher Mr Wilson that I I'm going to apologize to him and thank him I guess I've been preaching something that just can't be practiced really backfired I'm very proud of you and you're much better than the average and I always want you to be thanks Daddy well the next day Gail made a little speech before the class that really warmed the cockles of my heart and the whole class agreed with her that incentive is an economic necessity when I asked them what would happen to production if there were no incentive for adult workers they answered that some sort of a policeman would have to make people work how's that for a happy ending It's a Wonderful story Meritt so beautifully simple you know Meritt if you were eligible I'd like you to run for city council well thanks Mr Mayor but I do have a good friend who really knows the score that I'm sure you could interest well your recommendation is good enough for me who is he Mr Robinson Gail's father well I'll be think it over [Music]