"there is the ... objection that if we don't reward people with huge incomes society will fall apart

[marmar]

... that progress depends on those People. A dubious argument. Where is the proof that people need huge incomes To give them the incentive to do important things? In fact, we have much Evidence that the profit incentive leads to enormously destructive things -- Whatever makes profit will be produced, and so nuclear weapons, being more Profitable than day care centers, will be produced. And people do wonderful things (teachers, doctors, nurses, artists, Scientists, inventors) without huge profit incentives. Because there are Rewards other than monetary rewards which move people to produce good things -- the reward of knowing you are contributing to society, the reward of Gaining the respect of people around you. If there are incentives necessary To doing certain kinds of work, those incentives should go to people doing The most undesirable, most unpleasant work, to make sure that work gets Done. I worked hard as a college professor, but it was pleasurable work Compared to the man who came around to clean my office. By what criterion (except that created artificially by our culture) do i need more incentive Than he does? (that goes for your law professor too!)

..... from the great Howard Zinn, in 1999


The complete essay is at: http://www.zmag.org/sustainers/content/1999-11/25zinn.htm

[babylonsister]

1. Thanks. No bookmark, but I will read this tomorrow. And the times always

change. That's life.