Re: Economic musing, or a theory of deservation

On Mar 18, 2:10=A0pm, Bill Turlock <"Bill Turlock "@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>
wrote:
> Mary wrote:
>
> > On Mar 18, 11:42 am, Dover Beach <moon.blanc...@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote:
> > > Mary <mrfeath...@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote
innews:99a1e0c9-323c-43b4-ba8e-ee43d71=
c7e6f@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>
> > > > But yes: =A0I do. =A0I worked my tail off to get where I am:
=A0work=
ed on
> > > > acquiring marketable skills, worked on making myself valuable to
the=

> > > > company, and I continue to work to keep up in my field.
>
> > > Well, that's kind of the point that the writer is challenging. =A0We
c=
an
> > > mostly agree that some of your earning power can be attributed to
bein=
g
> > > white and middle class and having decent parents and access to
decent
> > > schools and so on. =A0The writer's point is that the part you're
> > > attributing to free will and hard work are also attributable to
either=

> > > nature or nurture, and either way, you don't get moral "credit" for
it=
..
>
> > You can have the moral credit. =A0I'll take the money.
>
> > Seriously, I think there's a fine line. =A0Yes, many of the
> > op****tunities that I had/have were open to me because I had good
> > parents, a good education, and was lucky enough to have been born into
> > the American middle class.
>
> > But that's no guarantee of success either. =A0I know lots of people
with=

> > the same op****tunities who are in jobs they hate, or jobs they're
> > overqualified for, or both. =A0And while it's not always because they
> > were just unlucky.
>
> > Some people make decisions that delay or obstruct their ability to get
> > jobs they want. =A0Some people never learn that certain behaviors
aren't=

> > acceptable in the cor****ate world. =A0To the extent that Lisa Ann
knows
> > that she can't stand in AnnieB's cubicle and scream "YOU'RE AN IDIOT"
> > at her, Lisa Ann's choices drive her success. =A0And I've known people
> > who act like that, so it's not like it's not a choice.
>
> > And then there are people who overcome disadvantages. =A0One of my co-
> > workers here is from Uganda. =A0He emigrated, attended college and
grad
> > school here, and worked his way up in the company. =A0Does he get
moral
> > credit?
>
> > Or me, even. =A0My hearing's awful - if you have normal hearing I hear
> > about half what you do. =A0Any success I've had is despite that. =A0Do
I=

> > get moral credit?
>
> > > > I also just plain old work hard. =A0We all work hard here, and it
> > > > shows. =A0Our company is well-run and very profitable, and it's
fun
> > > > working here. =A0Honestly, this is the job I've been working
toward =
my
> > > > whole life, and it's great. =A0It really is.
>
> > > Man. =A0I wish I liked my job that much.
>
> > At the risk of sounding really smug, this has been the best year and a
> > half of my life from a career standpoint.
>
> > Mary
>
> ::clap clap:: happy for you!!
>
> I've had years like that. It's fun.
>
> Actually, the past ten days have been some of the happiest days
> of my life, by contrast with the previous eight months. :-)-

Excellent.  Anything nice that you can share, or just good times?

Mary