Are You a Classist?

[aquapub]

On a scale of one to ten, how much does it bother you when you read a headline about CEOs, athletes, or corporations increasing their salaries, benefits, wealth etc. (one being not at all, ten being furious)?

If it bothers you at all, then state your logic as to why those who create all the jobs and foot a wildly disproportionate amount of the bill for this welfare state shouldn't be improving their lives or what basis there is for treating the poor as if they are owed other people's wealth.

 

[AcePylut]

If their salaries/benefits/etc. is increased by fraud, then it bothers me.

If not, then good for them.

 

[rivrrat]

Doesn't bother me a bit. Why should it?

The only salary increases that bother me are when government officials "vote" to increase their salaries. That bothers me because that's my fricken money they're getting paid with.

 

[Khayembii Communique]

Your argument is based on the notion that everyone starts off on a level playing field, which is obviously untrue.

 

[TOJ]

If I don't own the stock it none of my damn business. If I do and don't like what's going on, I can vote for board members to make changes.

 

[Panache]

Your argument is based on the notion that everyone starts off on a level playing field, which is obviously untrue.

So some people are born smarter than other people. Boo hoo. How does that mean that the smart owe anything to the stupid?

 

[BushWhacked]

CEO's, corporations...not really unless they are exploiting workers or people to get to where they are. Atheles, yes I have a problem with someone who gets paid millions to hit a ball, or catch a ball or run with a ball. I hate that a kid can fail academically but get a full scolarship and acceptance into college based on how well he can play. When the kid who busted his butt to get excellent grades will have to have a mortgage size student loan to get in a that same college. I have a huge problem with sports taking precedence over knoweldge and academics.

But if that kid with excellent grades who busted his butt on schoolwork became a wealthy CEO, nope. But as an aside, I do think that he should choose to share his wealth through charities and such.

 

[BushWhacked]

So some people are born smarter than other people. Boo hoo. How does that mean that the smart owe anything to the stupid?

I don't think that he's talking smart. I think he's talking equal access to a quality education. But partly I think that also begins at home. Kids who tend to live in poverty or low income areas have less parental involvement in thier academics. Some of it is the parents just don't care, but some of it is that the parents are working 2-3 jobs just to get the food on the table and don't have time to make sure that the homework is done or meet with the teacher.

 

[Panache]

Atheles, yes I have a problem with someone who gets paid millions to hit a ball, or catch a ball or run with a ball. I hate that a kid can fail academically but get a full scolarship and acceptance into college based on how well he can play.

Fair enough, but whats the answer? Sports will have more value than academics as long as people value it more than academics.

I do not attend sporting events. I go to the Ballet and the Opera and the Symphony instead. If more people did this, the value of art would increase and the value of sports would decrease.

 

[Cephus]

It doesn't bother me in the least except, as some have said, when there is fraud or criminal activity involved. Then, like with everyone else, those responsible should pay the penalties.

Otherwise, isn't getting ahead the American way?

 

[Iriemon]

On a scale of one to ten, how much does it bother you when you read a headline about CEOs, athletes, or corporations increasing their salaries, benefits, wealth etc. (one being not at all, ten being furious)?

If it bothers you at all, then state your logic as to why those who create all the jobs and foot a wildly disproportionate amount of the bill for this welfare state shouldn't be improving their lives or what basis there is for treating the poor as if they are owed other people's wealth.

These folks are able to make wildly disproportionate incomes by virtue of living in a nation that tolerates an economic system that allows them to do it. Society has the right to have these folks pay taxes for this ability at any level society wants to set. Personally, I don't think taxes should be so high as to disincentivize people from achieving or producing.

And, if we wanted, we could have much higher tax rates without effecting that concern. Professional athletes making $10 million a year would still probably be professional athletes even if the top marginal rates were set to, say, 70% like they were in the 50s (actually the top rate was 91% in the 50s) 60s and 70s. You think a professional athlete would say, "to hell with it, taxes are too high!" and quit his job with Yankees and go work down at the docks for minimum wage just because there was a 70% tax rate on the upper parts of his income?

On the other hand, most folks in this society like living in a country were we don't have to look at hordes of families and old folks or cripples living under freeways and begging for food. Most of us thing that everyone ought to have a fair shot at being successful if they want and that education should not be denied simply because of lack of income. And most think that people should have access to basic health care. Most folks don't mind the Govt helping keep folks off the streets, as long as it is not done in a way so that otherwise able bodied people are able to take advantage of the system by not working.

If the majority of this society decide that programs like public education, social security, unemployment compensation, worker's compensation, medical care and the like make this a better society overall, their reps have every right to pass such programs and raise taxes to pay it.

 

[Donkey1499]

I get pissed when athletes ge a crap load of cash for running/jumping/catching/driving/whatever. But that pissedness (not I word I know) is basically driven by the fact that I'm jealous... nothing more.

 

[BushWhacked]

Fair enough, but whats the answer? Sports will have more value than academics as long as people value it more than academics.

I do not attend sporting events. I go to the Ballet and the Opera and the Symphony instead. If more people did this, the value of art would increase and the value of sports would decrease.

That's the million dollar question now isn't it? That's right up there with how do we get people to turn the tv off and read a book, or get off thier butt and play the sport in their backyard instead of watching others play it on tv. I think that the only thing that we can do, is as parents instill the value of academics over athletics. Athletics are important to an extent (fitness, sportsmanship, etc) but some take them to the extreme. We can't cancel ESPN .

 

[Awesome!]

On a scale of one to ten, how much does it bother you when you read a headline about CEOs, athletes, or corporations increasing their salaries, benefits, wealth etc. (one being not at all, ten being furious)?

If it bothers you at all, then state your logic as to why those who create all the jobs and foot a wildly disproportionate amount of the bill for this welfare state shouldn't be improving their lives or what basis there is for treating the poor as if they are owed other people's wealth.

I don't agree with this... however it may bother some people because they believe the government can use this money better than the CEO's, athletes, or corporations if they paid more of their earnings in taxes to fund national healthcare, education, other social programs etc. Y'know the same re-distribution b.s. that will work apparently if we had a "fair" system?

 

[rivrrat]

I get pissed when athletes ge a crap load of cash for running/jumping/catching/driving/whatever. But that pissedness (not I word I know) is basically driven by the fact that I'm jealous... nothing more.

hehe indeed.

When I was working Ski Patrol, there was a woman I worked with who was sponsored by Burton (Snowboard manufacturer). When a rep came to visit and GAVE her a new snowboard and various pieces of clothing, I thought to myself... "WTF? I'm a good snowboarder too! I want to be sponsored! I want free stuff and to make money snowboarding!"

So, I ran a boardercross race. Hoping, of course, to win first place and be on my way to sponsorship. I got owned. By her. While the rep was there. LOL

Anywho... she was better than me and deserved the sponsorship and "free stuff" and all. While I may have been jealous - I was only really jealous of her skill and determination that allowed her to BE sponsored and get those things.

Never would I attempt to take something away from an athlete just because I can't do it myself. Jealous, sure. But if I was as good as they are... I'd be making the same money. C'est la vie.

 

[Khayembii Communique]

So some people are born smarter than other people. Boo hoo. How does that mean that the smart owe anything to the stupid?

I obviously wasn't talking about intelligence, but social status. People born into rich families have more access to services that put them ahead of people born into poor families. That's common sense.

 

[ARealConservative]

I don't much care to see corporations lobby government for research and development subsidation and then show record profits once it has been created.

I don't care to see Oil company profits break records while we spend trillions on wars in far off Oil producing lands.

I don't much care to see professional athletes salaries keep up with the ever increasing size of their rap sheets.

But all in all, I don't consider my self classist.

 

[RightinNYC]

CEO's, corporations...not really unless they are exploiting workers or people to get to where they are. Atheles, yes I have a problem with someone who gets paid millions to hit a ball, or catch a ball or run with a ball. I hate that a kid can fail academically but get a full scolarship and acceptance into college based on how well he can play. When the kid who busted his butt to get excellent grades will have to have a mortgage size student loan to get in a that same college. I have a huge problem with sports taking precedence over knoweldge and academics.

But if that kid with excellent grades who busted his butt on schoolwork became a wealthy CEO, nope. But as an aside, I do think that he should choose to share his wealth through charities and such.

But the ability of that kid to catch a ball, or hit a ball, or run with a ball, increases the college experience for the thousands of kids who go to the games and for the tens of thousands of parents who follow their alma maters, and then donate money back to the school in amounts that far exceeds the small investment made in that scholarship.

 

[Panache]

I obviously wasn't talking about intelligence, but social status. People born into rich families have more access to services that put them ahead of people born into poor families. That's common sense.

Obviously you wern't, but its equally obvious that I was. In fact, I will assert that a very intelligent person born into a somewhat poor family has the advantage over a very stupid person born into a somewhat wealthy family.

I know that I have personally done much better than people who were born into wealthier families than I.

Some of those people you would tear down built themselves up from nothing.

 

[TOJ]

I obviously wasn't talking about intelligence, but social status. People born into rich families have more access to services that put them ahead of people born into poor families. That's common sense.

Life's not fair. Get over it and quit whining.

 

[72_lemans]

The problem I have with it is that most of them are making so much money that they don't need any more. Some have enough that they could retire at 30-40 and live a happy life without losing much as far as lifestyle goes.

 

[RightinNYC]

The problem I have with it is that most of them are making so much money that they don't need any more. Some have enough that they could retire at 30-40 and live a happy life without losing much as far as lifestyle goes.

What authority do you have to decide what is enough?

 

[aquapub]

Your argument is based on the notion that everyone starts off on a level playing field, which is obviously untrue.

No it isn't.

 

[aquapub]

CEO's, corporations...not really unless they are exploiting workers or people to get to where they are. Atheles, yes I have a problem with someone who gets paid millions to hit a ball, or catch a ball or run with a ball. I hate that a kid can fail academically but get a full scolarship and acceptance into college based on how well he can play. When the kid who busted his butt to get excellent grades will have to have a mortgage size student loan to get in a that same college. I have a huge problem with sports taking precedence over knoweldge and academics.

But if that kid with excellent grades who busted his butt on schoolwork became a wealthy CEO, nope. But as an aside, I do think that he should choose to share his wealth through charities and such.

That brings up another point that's significant here. We are the most charitable nation on Earth, by far.

 

[aquapub]

If the majority of this society decide that programs like public education, social security, unemployment compensation, worker's compensation, medical care and the like make this a better society overall, their reps have every right to pass such programs and raise taxes to pay it.

The tyranny of the majority. Take from those who succeed and give to those who drink.