Hard work = $250,000 ?

iVillage Member
Registered: 07-11-2006
Hard work = $250,000 ?
376
Fri, 10-24-2008 - 9:07am

I’ve read repeatedly that the $250,000 is hard earned money that the government has no right to tax. Personally, I don’t believe that hard work consistently results in high salaries and I’m not convinced that people who make more money work harder or deserve more than most people. Most people, I believe, do work hard and most people are rewarded with 25,000 – 45,000 salary. Not all some hard workers make more and some make less. What do you think? Is the Just World view valid?

http://www.princeton.edu/~rbenabou/beliefs7csend.pdf

most people have a strong need to believe that they live in a world that is just, in the sense that people generally get what they deserve, and deserve what they get. When confronted with data that contradicts this view they try hard to ignore, reinterpret, distort, or forget it —for instance by finding imaginary merits to the recipients of fortuitous rewards, or assigning blame to innocent victims.

Because of their imperfect willpower, individuals constantly strive to motivate themselves (or their children) towards effort, educational investment, perseverance in the face of adversity, and away from the slippery slope of idleness, welfare dependency, crime, drugs, etc. This is another recurrent finding from the sociological evidence. In such circumstances, maintaining somewhat rosy beliefs about the fact that everyone will ultimately get their “just deserts” can be very valuable. Furthermore, if enough individuals end up with the view that economic success is highly dependent on effort, they will ultimately represent a pivotal voting block, and set a low tax rate. Conversely, when individuals anticipate that society will carry out little redistribution, the costs of a deficient motivation to effort or savings are much higher than with high taxes and
a generous safety net. Each individual thus has greater incentives to maintain his belief that effort ultimately pays, and consequently more voters end up with such a world view.

For instance, data from the World Values Survey shows that only 29% of Americans believe that the poor are trapped in poverty, and only 30% that luck, rather than effort or education, determines income. The figures for Europeans are nearly double: 60% and 54% respectively. Similarly, Americans are more than twice as likely as Europeans to think that the poor are lazy (60% versus 26%).

Indeed, 59% of Americans agree or strongly agree that “in the long run, hard work usually brings a better life”; this view commands much less support in Europe, ranging from 34% in Sweden to 43% in Germany.

Is the “American dream,” according to our theory, just a self-sustaining collective illusion?

http://www.princeton.edu/~rbenabou/beliefs7csend.pdf

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iVillage Member
Registered: 01-12-2008
Mon, 10-27-2008 - 9:33pm
"Value" just means money in the terms absinthe is using. So a person who generates a lot of "value" is a person who generates a lot of money or revenue for a company. And that person then gets paid more than a person who generates less money. CEOs generate a lot of money, so do doctors, teachers don't. My argument was that there are people who don't generate "value" in that sense, but do important jobs to society.


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siggy aug 09
iVillage Member
Registered: 07-11-2006
Mon, 10-27-2008 - 9:37pm

>>my point is- not all US citizens want to work hard to earn their money. <<

I'm assuming that you are speaking for yourself here.

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iVillage Member
Registered: 07-11-2006
Mon, 10-27-2008 - 9:39pm
Truly Brigette, this is one of the greatest posts I've seen here on iVillage!!

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iVillage Member
Registered: 03-03-2008
Mon, 10-27-2008 - 9:40pm

your assumption is incorrect.

Mommy to Rowen and Weylin, my boys rule- ME

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iVillage Member
Registered: 07-11-2006
Mon, 10-27-2008 - 9:41pm
great post!

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iVillage Member
Registered: 07-11-2006
Mon, 10-27-2008 - 9:45pm

Ok, OK you caught me. I'm a little behind on the thread and if memory serves (?) you and I agree a lot of the time.

I'll try to catch up - and re-post.

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iVillage Member
Registered: 03-03-2008
Mon, 10-27-2008 - 9:48pm

no problem, and thanks for remembering!

Mommy to Rowen and Weylin, my boys rule- ME

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iVillage Member
Registered: 07-11-2006
Mon, 10-27-2008 - 10:08pm
Hey, it's not easy - my mind's like a steal trap these days! What goes in, does not necessarily go out, KWIM?

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iVillage Member
Registered: 08-25-2008
Mon, 10-27-2008 - 10:15pm

simple.


Think of a janitor.


The work is simple, requires no skills, and is of minimal value - anyone can do it.

iVillage Member
Registered: 07-11-2006
Mon, 10-27-2008 - 10:17pm

>>If you know you suffer from debilitating mental illness the result of which places a large burden on society through your inability to care for yourself is it right for you to risk adding to that burden by having children who are likely to burden society in an equal manner?<<

Holy %^&*(!

Please, please tell me I didn't read what you posted.

I sooooo remember that movie Steal Magnolias in which Julie Roberts says its important to have children rather than a whole lot of nothin'.

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