A "rational" project is one that persuades adherents with the promise
of benefit. Such projects fail, Nostromo implies, because men are impatient
and greedy, because they are each out for their own form or definition of benefit,
because no one can persuade another subjective soul of anything, and because for
many men the primary goal is "hates, vengeance, murder, and rapine"
rather than any system of mutual benefit.