The myth of hard work and meritocracy.

[Mark1031]

I am so sick of the hard work meme and the “we built it” meme I want to vomit. In US politics it is a racially tinged dog whistle because everyone thinks they work hard and you know who the lazy leeches are. People must be surprised to learn that it is 47% of the country (I didn’t know welfare queens were breeding that fast).

So here are 3 jobs and the financial compensation for each. Who works harder? Does the CEO of the coal company work 200X harder than the miner or the SEAL? What would the value of the company be if there were no miners?

Can you justify the compensation differences? And please, he did not build the company or produce some innovation. He has a BA in finance from some no-name University and worked his way up in the company to CEO where he makes decisions with great financial consequence but someone has to fill that chair. It is a poisonous philosophy that $$=merit. It sometimes does, it often times is luck or drive plus jerkishness, it is also work but not harder than many others and usually less hard and it is never done alone. Do a thought experiment and put each of the guys below alone on an island and come back in 10 years. Where do you think each would be?

Don Blankenship CEO Massey Energy. earned $10.4 million last year on top of receiving a $12 million retirement package, the company said.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704658704576275423689188488.html

Coal Miner- Median pay $54,500/yr.
http://www.payscale.com/research/US/Industry=Coal_Mining/Salary

Navy SEAL-$36,600 assume enlisted E-7, 8yrs experience.
http://www.navyseals.com/pay-charts

 

[JollyRoger]

It has been my experience that the more money I have made, the less work I actually have to do.

 

[holy king]

you know, if that coal miner has a good idea, and like, starts a business and gets really really successfull he can totally be a ceo himself one day.

 

[Crezth]

for shame, mark. this is class warfare.

 

[holy king]

for shame, mark. this is class warfare.

the only legitimate form of warfare.

 

[Core Imposter]

It has been my experience that the more money I have made, the less work I actually have to do.

Me too, if you define work in terms of physical labor and otherwise, it depends on how seriously you take your responsibilities. I was the guy that gave everyone my phone number and wore a pager (in pre-cell phone days). Told them to call me 24-7. But I could have dodged a lot of that.

It only seems like a myth because times are hard and opportunities are scarce.

I worked my butt off for 15 years before I got my break. The point is that if I had not paid the price and seized the opportunity I wouldn't have gotten anywhere.

I couldn't sing or dance nor was I born blonde with bit tits. You have to play the hand you are dealt. This idea that we can just use our vote to make our fortune just isn't going to work out. Its a dead end, good luck to the suckers that choose that path.

 

[Core Imposter]

You can whine all you want though.

 

[Crezth]

You can whine all you want though.

actually i'll just vote to have the government use their guns to make you give me your money.

lolololol. you lose.

 

[JollyRoger]

In hindsight, I could have worked less hard to get where I am at today. I didn't really start getting successful until I stopped believing in the hard work myth.

 

[holy king]

really? i, for one, vote to have the government use their guns to protect my property from those who have less. they tax me in exchange for this, but that's ok, because some of that money prevents those who have less from really getting desperate.

 

[Ayatollah So]

It has been my experience that the more money I have made, the less work I actually have to do.

My pay has been uncorrelated to the amount of work I did or was expected to do. But I will say that with more pay, I am more interested in leisure time.

 

[peter grimes]

My pay has been uncorrelated to the amount of work I did or was expected to do. But I will say that with more pay, I am more interested in leisure time.

My experience is similar, but it's hard for me to separate it from my own attitudes as I have aged.

When I was in college and for about 10 years after, all I wanted to do was work. I loved the daily activities my job(s) required. Over time? Yes please, no need to pay me extra! I'm happy to do it!

Now that I'm older (and purportedly wiser), I value my leisure much more. Even if it means a smaller paycheck. Why? Because I'm making enough to get by, and life is too short to spend it all as a 'wage slave'.

That said, I'm now making about 4x what I made just out of college, and I exert quite a bit less effort. However, I also have 20 years of specialized experience that makes me incredibly efficient comparatively.

Edit: SEALS should be paid more, but I'm not sure how this 36k figure is compounded with ancillary or lifetime benefits.

 

[Core Imposter]

My experience is similar, but it's hard for me to separate it from my own attitudes as I have aged.

When I was in college and for about 10 years after, all I wanted to do was work. I loved the daily activities my job(s) required. Over time? Yes please, no need to pay me extra! I'm happy to do it!

Now that I'm older (and purportedly wiser), I value my leisure much more. Even if it means a smaller paycheck. Why? Because I'm making enough to get by, and life is too short to spend it all as a 'wage slave'.

That said, I'm now making about 4x what I made just out of college, and I exert quite a bit less effort. However, I also have 20 years of specialized experience that makes me incredibly efficient comparatively.

You clearly need a heavier tax burden. I am voting for Obama for the Free Phone and because I can trust him to make you pay. You think you are soooo fine.

 

[JollyRoger]

I have also found that taxes are less consequential to me as I work less and make more money.

 

[LightSpectra]

Really disgusts me that the Republican Party is in power on the backs of Christians despite their economic platform being essentially social Darwinist.

I wonder if I'll see a Christian Democrat ("socially conservative, economically socialist" for us non-Europeans) party in my lifetime.

 

[peter grimes]

You clearly need a heavier tax burden. I am voting for Obama for the Free Phone and because I can trust him to make you pay. You think you are soooo fine.

I'd be fine paying quite a bit more in taxes, and if you search my post history and Facebook statuses, you'll see that I'm being genuine here.

Living in NYC I am among the most heavily taxed citizens in the USA, and I'd still like to see more public spending at my own expense.

Shut up or put up, right? ;-)

 

[holy king]

I wonder if I'll see a Christian Democrat ("socially conservative, economically socialist" for us non-Europeans) party in my lifetime.

those dont really exist at all but in label.

 

[ELITEOFWARMAN8]

It has been my experience that the more money I have made, the less work I actually have to do.

Amen to that man!

 

[LightSpectra]

those dont really exist at all but in label.

You don't think there's parties that have left-wing economics and right-wing social policies, or you don't think they're Christian but in name?

 

[holy king]

i dont think there's any christian democratic parties that have left wing economic policies.