A Brief General History of the UK Paint Industry: Part 8. Virtue Triumphs

Mathematical metaphysicians will prove two negatives make an affirmative. In grammar also, a double negative can indicate a positive, but we traders need only pay avid attention to the double singular: the din and smell might be overpowering, but profit makes the world go round. Without profit, commerce would perish and profit can only be generated by an effective work rate — there is no credit in being a busy fool. On another plane, once generated, profits must not be dissipated or confiscated by doctrinaire governments. Rather, a balance between reinvestment and life‐style enhancement should be the norm. It is, of course, in regard to this latter segment where the greatest controversy lies. There are elements in our society who would dole out specie to the good, the bad and the ugly without any sort of differential other than ensuring the former received the smallest fraction. Further, as a corollary to such irresponsible dispensation, such people invariably teeter to other anti‐social conduct instituted to disrupt a society by no means perfect, but which benefits from thousands of years of cultural and realistic altruistic behaviour.