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who still works and votes. You would have a lot of force to bring to bear, but you wouldn’t be advocating violence and consequently present laws couldn’t get to you.”
    The dentist pursed his lips. “But suppose the other side, the ruling class which doesn’t want to step down, in short, the Uppers, resorted to violence?”
    Joe nodded. “Forming such organizations as the Nathan Hale Society. Then we’d have to take whatever steps seemed necessary. But keep in mind that the Uppers number less than one percent of the population. And even some of them will undoubtedly come over to us. In fact, some already have.” He took another bite of the delicious fish. “I’m a Low-Upper, for instance.”
    Zavala was surprised. “You are?” He scowled, then added, “I’m an Upper Middle.”
    Joe nodded again. “Actually, I was born a Lower and slowly worked my way up in the Category Military to Mid-Middle. After my court-martial I was chosen to go on a semi-espionage assignment to the Sov-world. To give me prestige in the eyes of the Sovs, who are even more status-symbol conscious than our Upper caste, I was bounced to Low-Upper.”
    Max said happily, “This is the best meat I ever laid a lip over.” He took another pull at his beer.
    The Mexican said to Joe, “How would you sum up your goals?”
    “It’s all in our passwords,” Joe answered. “Progress, it must be resumed. Our society is in a rut. The Uppers don’t want change. You start allowing changes and they’ll get out of hand. They don’t want to rock the boat, upset the applecart. So any changes at all are frowned upon. Projects such as the space program have been discontinued, along with practically all scientific research. However, automation and computerization have enabled us to solve the problems of production with a minimum of labor. In fact, nine out of ten of the population, largely Lowers, are unemployed and live on the Ultra-Welfare State. That’s got to end. A society that utilizes only one tenth of its labor power is obviously static and slated for the dust heap. Rome is a good example. The Roman proletariat was given free food and free circuses to keep them amused. They were in complete idleness while slaves did the work.”
    “And we have much the same situation today,” Zavala mused. “We give our people shares of Inalienable Basic Common Stock, which they cannot sell, even if they wish to. All their lives they collect their dividends from it Then we give them the drug trank, non-additive, non-physically harmful, to keep them in a continual happy daze. And on top of that we give them all the violence they want on telly.”
    “That’s right,” Joe said. “Unfortunately, among those tens of millions of largely uneducated Lowers are undoubtedly potential geniuses in science, the arts, and technology.”
    The other took off his glasses, brought forth a handkerchief, and polished them. He kept his eyes on Joe, questioningly. “And how are you coming, thus far in your program?”
    Joe Mauser shrugged. “At this point, the mass organization hasn’t begun to form as yet. What we’re doing is gathering cadres, getting together basic groups who will one day become teachers. That’s why I’ve been sent down here. Thus far, we’ve only got a few members in this city. If you have a group that will come over to us, then we’ve taken a good step in Mexico City.”
    The other nodded and took the last bite of the Pacific crayfish he had ordered. He said, “To go back a little. You pointed out that ninety percent of our people have been displaced by the automation and computerization of our industries. You pointed out that a progressive society must utilize its manpower. Very well, what work can you give them?”
    “There’s other work besides industry,” Joe told him. “We no longer have to do much in the way of the old drudgery. But there are the arts, the sciences, advanced technology. Once again, things like space. We’re