Austin: Mr. Mayor, you said  that,  "The  individual  must  subordinate
     himself to society, or more precisely to the authorities whose business
     it is to watch over the welfare of society." Could you elaborate on.
     Mayor: Certainly, my dear Austin. I meant  exactly  what  I  said.  The
     individual cannot put him or herself above the good of the society.  If
     everyone were allowed to roam free, to  do  as  they  please,  wouldn't
     anarchy destroy society? It is my job to ensure that the  good  of  the
     society is obtained through the multitude of interests that  exists  in
     any society.
     Austin: So you believe that everyone should unconditionally follow  the
     leaders? What if the leaders called for the killing  of  all  teachers,
     who were of no benefit to society. Should  the  teachers  accept  their
     fate for the good of society?  It  seems  that  you  are  advocating  a
     dictatorship, one in which.
     Mayor: I am not a dictator! Hitler was a dictator, but I  am  a  great,
     visionary ruler. How can you expect me to rule effectively  if  no  one
     will listen to what I say? When I say "move," I expect people to  move,
     and when I say "jump," I expect people to jump. What  would  happen  if
     people moved when I told them to jump? It would make my job impossible.
     Austin: But, Mr. Mayor, we are not rabbits! We are not  the  slaves  of
     mankind; we are mankind. What you are calling for is the creation of  a
     new race. There would be two types of people in  the world: us and you.
     Why should we let you rule our lives? What gives you the right.
     Mayor: Have you forgotten who I am? Here is my business card.  Read  it
     very, very carefully: I am the mayor. The people elected me and gave me
     the right to rule. The people have said to me, "You, rule  our  lives,"
     and so I have. How can there be something wrong with that?
     Austin: I am not disputing your right to make decisions. But the  right
     of each individual to decide what they wish to do cannot  be  given  to
     someone else with an election. They have elected you because they trust
     you, but their lives are still their  lives.  I  agree  that  most  law
     abiding citizens would follow whatever  foolish  command  you  were  to
     give, but that does not mean that you can  assume  that  everyone  will
     follow you. I.
     Mayor: I will arrest whoever dares to not follow the laws that  I  set.
     It is for the benefit of society.
     Austin: But how can you say what  is  good  for  society?  You  are  no
     different than the rest of us. We have the same right to  rule  as  you
     do. Obviously, your policies are supposedly for the  good  and  in  the
     interest of the majority. Does that mean that the  minority  should  be
     ignored? The only way for a society to have no minority groups  is  for
     the society to consist of only one person. I say that people  have  the
     right and the duty to actively participate in watching over the welfare
     of society. Using simple math, we can  see  that  more  brains  working
     together means a better society. Everyone should.
     Mayor: However, you are forgetting that a lot of  people  do  not  have
     brains. A lot of nothings is still nothing. That is why I  am  here  to
     make up what is missing from the general public.
     Austin: Agreed. There are a lot of brains missing in society.  However,
     that does not justify your comment. Take Raskolnikov  for  example.  He
     went  against  society,  following  his  own  principles.  Although  he
     believed he was helping society, society was harmed by his actions, and
     anarchy would have resulted if everyone was like him. However,  without
     a few individuals who are willing to follow their own mind, you may  as
     well be ruling a group of rabbits.  And  maybe  that  is  how  you  got
     elected.
     Mayor: Society would not be able  to  exist  without  the  law  abiding
     citizens who put complete faith in me to  protect  their  children  and
     property. Why can't everyone be a good  rabbit  for  the  good  of  the
     group?
     Austin: It is impossible to believe that individuals would live so that
     someone else could live. All these selfless people  who  live  for  the
     good of society would  have  long  disappeared  in  a  process  I  call
     unnatural selection. When the time comes for someone to  die,  the  one
     that does not care about himself will  die  before  his  friends.  Very
     quickly, the world  would  be  overrun  with  corrupt  politicians  and
     capitalists, exactly as it should.
     Mayor: Then how could society have lasted  for  so  long?  Why  doesn't
     everyone run around by themselves, instead of  in  packs  and  electing
     leaders like me?
     Austin: Society was created for the welfare of the individual.  Without
     the individual, the  society  would  not  even  exist.  Individuals  do
     whatever is necessary for their own good. This basic nature  of  humans
     will not be changed. When society no longer  benefits  the  individual,
     the  individual  has  no  reason  to  remain  part  of   the   society.
     Individualism cannot be denied.
     Mayor: Let the troublemakers leave! Who needs them anyway?
     Austin:  Certainly  not  you.  You  cannot  see  the  value  in   every
     individual. You would be nothing without the people that make  up  your
     society. The masses rule society and  nothing  will  change  that.  You
     purport to have power and authority, but it is only  an  illusion.  The
     power consists of the  farmer,  the  homeowner,  the  doctor,  and  the
     teacher. Your imaginary  power  only  exists  for  an  individual  that
     chooses to obey it. A person's role in  society  must  come  from  each
     person, as society only has the power that  the  individual  gives  it.
     Although I respect you, I must disagree  with  your  statement,  for  I
     respect myself even more.  And  if  you  respect  me,  you  would  stop
     interrupting.
     Mayor: I will have you arrested for this  blatant  act  of  disrespect.
     Don't you remember that I am the mayor? Doesn't that mean  anything  to
     you?
     Austin: No.
     The-person-so-called-the-mayor: Guards! Arrest this  man!  I  will  not
     allow this traitor to disrupt the good of society.  He  must  not.  [He
     vanishes in a puff of a writer's thoughts]
     Austin: This shows how little power you have. I am so glad I  could  do
     something for the good of society.