Jobs aren't paid based on what the job is worth

[mjr]

equal distribution of wealth, food, medicine etc.

So a cashier at Wal-Mart should make the same as a doctor or lawyer? That's great, if you want the cashier to have to have a Masters degree or doctorate.

Right now, my current job precludes me from running my own "side" thing. But I've certainly considered it. Even starting it as an LLC. I have some skills that I could capitalize on, and use that to make money. Why would it be anyone's concern if I charge $5 per hour or $100 per hour for my services?

Warren Buffet and Bill Gates are billionaires. Do I feel like I deserve some of their money because I have less of it than they do? No.

[telecom_goddess]

So a cashier at Wal-Mart should make the same as a doctor or lawyer? That's great, if you want the cashier to have to have a Masters degree or doctorate.

Right now, my current job precludes me from running my own "side" thing. But I've certainly considered it. Even starting it as an LLC. I have some skills that I could capitalize on, and use that to make money. Why would it be anyone's concern if I charge $5 per hour or $100 per hour for my services?

Warren Buffet and Bill Gates are billionaires. Do I feel like I deserve some of their money because I have less of it than they do? No.

A cashier at Walmart needs to have a living wage, and doctors and lawyers don't need to make more money than they even need. Make legal services and healthcare available for everyone, and the doctors and lawyers can be paid a normal living wage like normal people.

[mjr]

A cashier at Walmart needs to have a living wage, and doctors and lawyers don't need to make more money than they even need. Make legal services and healthcare available for everyone, and the doctors and lawyers can be paid a normal living wage like normal people.

So the answer to my question, then, is yes?

I will say that I'm certainly glad the surgeon who operated on me years ago had years of schooling and even more years in the field.

Capitalism, by its very nature, is amoral. Don't confuse that with immoral.

[jackfaire]

I will say that I'm certainly glad the surgeon who operated on me years ago had years of schooling and even more years in the field.

I don't know if you were intentionally missing the point but I saw this in response to a point about how much money someone should make.

All education in this country should be paid for by taxes. Up to and including Medical School. Paying that doctor less to allow for more affordable healthcare wouldn't suddenly magically make it so that surgeon didn't have years of schooling and practical experience. It would help make it so people don't go broke trying to get a life saving procedure.

No one is suggesting we make the Walmart cashier go perform surgery. We're suggesting that they make enough money to do more than starve. If you're poor in this country because someone making millions decided that he couldn't really afford to pay his employees a living wage, good work conditions etc when he actually could then you're having to rely on other people to survive.

People complain about social programs designed to be those other people but then refuse to make it so those same people don't need those social programs. We redefine any job that pays minimum wage as "a teenager's job" even if you're talking working while said teenagers are in school.

We made Education up through a High School diploma free because at the time you could graduate high school and work your way up to a corner office. These days a Bachelor's Degree is the new High School Degree but instead of adding the first four years of college to our public school system we just told millions of new adults "fuck you if you can't afford it go flip burgers oh you want to make more money well fuck you get a better job stop working a teengers job"

Creating a vicious cycle where we celebrate old people going back to school like it's this amazing heartwarming thing when really they couldn't afford it when they were younger.

[mjr]

I think I mentioned somewhere that I'm not a college graduate. There are a number of well-paying jobs that don't require college degrees.

Should I consider myself fortunate? Probably, yeah. I also busted my hump to get where I am today. I started off at that minimum wage job. Got skills and worked my way into an assistant manager position. Got completely different skills and got into technology. Worked my way up the ladder, and now I'm doing pretty well for myself. All without a college degree.

I'm going to encourage my son to go to college, sure, but I don't think it's fair to say that you can't make it without a college degree. I may be an "exception" to the rule, but I've yet to have someone tell me how much I should be making with my experience and years in the industry.

I'm not missing the point, at all.

Also, I think this is somewhat relevant to the discussion:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z8psaKPTqUg

If he's wrong, I'd like to know where and how.