HV on Communism, Bosses, Ego and Truth

Mar. 24.
Had a delicious argument with the boss. He's a Communist. Has severed diplomatic relations with some of the other boys over it. I knew it was coming so took it easy. I admit with him that capitalism is due for a fall. Its sin is in its failure to spread the national income to all the people needed to buy the products of industry. Two of its principles, private enterprise and individual freedom must survive. He agrees. I say, “There is no such a thing as Communism in operation on the earth. The only way you can enforce it is by a dictator.” We mess around a while, he hates to but has to agree. When you have a dictator you have imperialism.
Now then. I say, There is an institution in operation that has all the answers. If the Mormon Church with its Church Welfare Plan, production for consumption, takes over the nation at the psychological moment, the smash up that the scriptures tell about can be prevented. That doesn't mean seizing the reigns of government any more than it does door-to-door tracting. It means sending out a swarm of missionaries who understand the system and can set it up on a national basis. He doesn't like the church but is forced by reason to admit that here is the answer.
Spent .30 for pie and ice cream.

Mar. 30.
The boss got in a quarrel with old man Carlson about the hot water at no. 12. The old boy couldn't keep it hot and wouldn't do as he was told. They had words so I had to go take it. It isn't always that they come after me to do the job that some one else has failed at. I'll do my best but I'm not sure that I can keep it hot either. At least I'll obey orders and I won't talk naughty. There's really something wrong with the machinery I think. Hope we find it.
(in pencil at bottom: ".20")

Apr.11
An announcement came out in the paper asking for men to keep things straight in liberated Germany. Sort of administrators. I thot my college and Co Agt. experience might qualify me for it and got all hot and bothered. Looked like my chance to study Europe in war times. A good setting for “Rollo the Viking.” I hit them but no soap. Too many little penny antie jobs back of me. I'm still a fireman and a farmer. Churned 3 1/2 # butter.

April 29 Special
That's right. I guess yesterday and today are about as important as any days I ever spent. I won with conviction a battle that has been going on for 25 years. I've had a lot of good jobs and some not so good but I've lost them all for one cause. Inability to juggle a pyramid of forked tongued bosses. I don't mean that individually my bosses have all been crooked. Far from it. But collectively they have all proved too much for my guilelessness.
I mentioned my situation here at the boiler. Two bosses disagree on methods of handling a naughty problem. Each gives his own order to his man. It's the same old story. I've got to disobey one. This time I got some info & find that they're both wrong. I corner the sub boss & say over my figures, "No matter what orders you give if they differ from the man above you, you're wrong & I'll disregard you. I know where the trouble was. It's fixed now but I won't tell you where it was. You can stay here & find out." He's boiling mad. Stomps out. One of the few times of my life. I'm neither angry nor afraid. This morning I say to him, "I want to see you up at the boiler." Mad, he shakes his head and I wonder but soon he comes up. He's cooled off. We go thru the whole problem and he goes away a good boy.
For some time I've been developing a theory that the first essential in any controversy is truth. Tact and a lot of other things help if you know how to use them but they are worthless if you don't. Fear & anger are the companions of ignorance. They are always bad. When you've got truth, then the less one can say, the better. If you have an idea that you think is right, advance it then let it fight its own way while you watch. The time to fight is when you get caught between two egos. Ego wilts before truth. I hope I'm about done working for bosses. In any case I think I will never again be whipped by that old problem.