Bill James: This Is Not Capitalism. It Is Organized Theft.

When C's paycheck is less, C may not be able to pay all his bills, or his rent. So yeah, it's C's business when A and B cry poverty in front of him.

 

C is free to find employment elsewhere if he's not being paid what he's worth.

Personally, I think the best option is to tax the shit out of A and B and give C a better quality of life through government programs like free health care.

 

People are their own worst enemy. Look at journalists fighting for scraps when sub-$25,000/year jobs are posted on JJobs.

 

I can understand how people are frustrated by CEO salaries and whatnot, but do we really want a law that says the top heart surgeon at Cedars-Sinai or the people pioneering bone marrow transplants at Duke or even the guy at Samsung or Apple who comes up with the next great technological advancement, that these people can only make a certain percentage more than the janitors and cafeteria workers?

 

Except what happens when everybody in other businesses are paying the same, or less, and claiming that they're paying "the industry standard"? What then?

As far as your second sentence, that's likely to happen since C can't pay his bills because A and B have told him that they don't care about how valuable he is, that he's just a number and that if he doesn't like the paycut, they'll have a furlough for him next time. And then A and B bitch and moan about their taxes because C is now getting government benefits so he can pay his bills.

 

Then that is what you are worth. Deal with it.

 

Unionize

 

Cedars-Sinai CEO made $3.91 million in 2011.

http://www.forbes.com/lists/2011/14/charities-11_Cedars-Sinai-Medical-Center_CH0034.html

I couldn't find a heart surgeon, but this second-year advanced residency opportunity paid $70K

http://www.cedars-sinaipharmacycareers.com/includes/PharmacypracticeSecondPGY_2.pdf

Would you think that resident is worth, say, 3X what a janitor is, or more? Is the CEO worth nearly 50 times the resident? More? Less?

 

That's Un-American. May even be treasonous in the South.

 

I don't know what they are worth, that's up to the hospital board to decide. I'm sure the resident works close to twice as many hours as the janitor and probably has at least eight years of higher education more, so three times the janitor's salary seems low.

 

People like to blame corporations for busting unions. Any chance workers bear some of the blame?

Anyway, debating Baron on political economy is like debating a small child regarding bedtime. While you can easily win the argument, is it worth the fight?

 

How many people making less than you could live better if YOU took a paycut and lived without some of life's pleasures that YOU enjoy?

The "yachts" are evil luxuries, but your electronic devices and subscription to MLB Extra Innings on DirecTV and the sporting events and concerts you go to are "necessities."

Maybe YOU are A or B to someone else's C.

As usual, our concern for our fellow man extends exactly to the point where it might begin to negatively affect me me me me me me me me me . . . and not an inch further.