Hard Work is a Good Thing

[Bravus]

But those who work hard should get a fair share of the products of their work. A system in which massively hard work is required just to get by, for workers, while those who own the businesses are getting even richer on the proceeds of the work, is not a fair system.

This article does a nice job of explaining it in an intelligent way: http://www.investorvillage.com/smbd.asp?mb=476&mid=11055565&pt=msg

No-one is asking for handouts. Just a fair day's pay for a fair day's work, and the possibility of *not* have to work two jobs just to keep ahead... only to go under if anyone in the family gets sick.

[bonnie]

But those who work hard should get a fair share of the products of their work. A system in which massively hard work is required just to get by, for workers, while those who own the businesses are getting even richer on the proceeds of the work, is not a fair system.

[Dr. Shane]

Seems kind of like a topic for the proper role of labor unions.

[Tom Wetmore]

Very few people get really wealthy on just their own individual hard work. Wealth is created by exploitation. One has to exploit something or someone else to do more than merely survive and take care of ones own needs. The surplus of ones own efforts is of no value unless there is a market for it that can be exploited. And many of the markets are created not by exploiting the fulfillment of needs, but by creating desires for goods and services we really don't need.

[Bravus]

bonnie, I was *not* talking about small business owners. I was talking about billionaires. The people who own Walmart, and do everything they can to give their employees low pay, no benefits and no job security, are not the people you are talking about running mom-and-pop businesses. What we're talking about is updating to the new Learjet while your employees are workinig 70 hours a week just to put food on the table.

[Bravus]

bonnie, did you read the linked article? I thought it did a nice job. It's not about penalising the rich, it's about fairness for the people that carry America on their backs.

[Dr. Shane]

Wealth is created by exploitation.

[Dr. Shane]

I was *not* talking about small business owners. I was talking about billionaires. The people who own Walmart...

This is kind of why I lean toward a law that does not allow a CEO of a publicly held company to earn more than 1,000 times the wage of the lowest paid employee. That would mean if the lowest paid person made $10/hour the CEO couldn't make more than $2 million.