Re: Economic musing, or a theory of deservation

Mary wrote:
> 
> On Mar 18, 2:10 pm, 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-ee43d71c7e6f@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> >
> > > > > But yes:  I do.  I worked my tail off to get where I am:  worked
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.  We
can
> > > > mostly agree that some of your earning power can be attributed to
being
> > > > white and middle class and having decent parents and access to
decent
> > > > schools and so on.  The 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.  I'll take the money.
> >
> > > Seriously, I think there's a fine line.  Yes, 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.  I know lots of people
with
> > > the same op****tunities who are in jobs they hate, or jobs they're
> > > overqualified for, or both.  And 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.  Some people never learn that certain behaviors
aren't
> > > acceptable in the cor****ate world.  To 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.  And 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.  One of my co-
> > > workers here is from Uganda.  He emigrated, attended college and
grad
> > > school here, and worked his way up in the company.  Does he get
moral
> > > credit?
> >
> > > Or me, even.  My hearing's awful - if you have normal hearing I hear
> > > about half what you do.  Any success I've had is despite that.  Do I
> > > get moral credit?
> >
> > > > > I also just plain old work hard.  We all work hard here, and it
> > > > > shows.  Our company is well-run and very profitable, and it's
fun
> > > > > working here.  Honestly, this is the job I've been working
toward my
> > > > > whole life, and it's great.  It really is.
> >
> > > > Man.  I 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

well, ummm... TMI... the BMs