Authentic Science Fiction Monthly No. 72 — page 45: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

AUTHENTIC SCIENCE FICTION assuming that success and stability in one environment automatically meant success and stability in another. But it had taken a social engineer and a group psy- chologist to point it out. Mark, like Jelks, had been too close to the wood to see the trees. Too much a part of civilization to believe other than it was good. Too in- clined to place his own standards of success on those going to a world where such standards couldn’t apply. “T want a free hand,” he said slowly. “‘I want to throw the government recommenda- tions overboard. Give me permission to do that, and I'll guarantee to make Col- Term a success within six months.”’ *“No,”’ said Jelks. “I won’t do it. Once it’s known that we're sending criminals out to the colonies Ill be broken.”’ “Before you go out on a limb,” said Mark quietly, *‘let me finish. What makes a criminal? Boil it all down and the answer is that a criminal is someone who breaks a law. Who makes the laws? Not 44 the strong—they need no protection, but the weak do. So we have laws made by the weak to protect themselves against the strong. Laws about anything and everything, and the more laws the more law- breakers. We make our own criminals, commander, bear that in mind.” “But a colony formed of murderers and thieves ?”’ Jelks shook his head. ‘“‘I’d never permit it.” ‘““Murderers are lobotom- ized,’ reminded Mark. ‘‘And thieves are usually pretty shrewd. But it goes deeper than that. What about all the tax-dodgers, traffic violators, those who are guilty of break- ing some petty-fogging law? they are criminals, too, remem- ber, and so they are barred from ColTerm. Barred to- gether with those who are on relief because some ‘expert’ doesn’t think that they would make good colony material. Barred with those of low I.Q., which is almost everyone not holding a degree and a good job. In fact, we've barred all those with most to gain and nothing to lose in favour of those with every- comiclbooks.conn