[QUOTE=only_human;394478]It's a paen to the brains at the apex of a pyramid.
[URL="https://objectivismforintellectuals.wordpress.com/2013/08/31/wealth-is-created-by-action-based-on-rational-thought/"]Wealth is Created by Action Based on Rational Thought[/URL][/QUOTE]

I think it's more: everyone should get what they deserve / earn.

There's nothing in that article, regarding wealth, money, and Capitalism, to disagree with.

[QUOTE=davar55;394573]I think it's more: everyone should get what they deserve / earn.

There's nothing in that article, regarding wealth, money, and Capitalism, to disagree with.[/QUOTE][QUOTE]The CEO has much greater mental work, knowledge, legal responsibility and is responsible for the production of much more wealth. Ignoring that fact of reality and attempting to force equality is the real injustice. It is the attempt to make slaves out of those who are most productive, via government: to [B]make them do their highly productive work for whatever alms the mass of less productive members of society [I]deign[/I] to give them[/B], through government. ([U]This is instead of their earning what the people, [i]with whom they deal[/i], are voluntarily willing to pay them for their work[/U].)[/QUOTE] I have some issues with the portions that I emphasized:

The "deign" snark and the contemptuously offered alternative of reverse welfare.

"With whom they deal" are their crony friends who cut each other in for a spectacular feasting regardless of merit (CEO pay in the US does not diminish much in failing or unproductive companies and is out of line with pay in other countries). And the cushy landing when they leave so that they won't talk out of class is not pay for any work; they were already paid for the work that they did. Put them in the same pension fund as the other workers; i.e.don't mess with the pension or the CEO gets messed with too.

[QUOTE=only_human;394576]I have some issues with the portions that I emphasized:
The "deign" snark and the contemptuously offered alternative of reverse welfare.
"With whom they deal" are their crony friends who cut each other in for a spectacular feasting regardless of merit (CEO pay in the US does not diminish much in failing or unproductive companies and is out of line with commensurate duties in other countries). And the cushy landing when they leave so that they won't talk out of class is not pay for any work; they were already paid for the work that they did. Put them in the same pension fund as the other workers; i.e.don't mess with the pension or the CEO gets messed with too.[/QUOTE]

The wording use of "deign" comes from an attitude based on oppression under communistic governments, where people
aren't paid by what they do or earn or are worth but by fiat of the government. It is merely literary license, but probably
intentionally snarky to create an emotional impact, exactly as you experienced. It goes both ways.

"Capitalism" is not "crony capitalism", and as I've said, we don't yet have perfect Capitalism, so you must
put any blame on those who game the government's current power to interfere in the economy.

The so-called "cushy landing" is part of their contractual pay package, and is thus very much part of their earnings.

[QUOTE=davar55;394573]I think it's more: everyone should get what they deserve / earn.[/QUOTE]

Answer me this: what was the last seminal thought not based on previous seminal thought?

[QUOTE=davar55;394577]
The so-called "cushy landing" is part of their contractual pay package, and is thus very much part of their earnings.[/QUOTE]
The hush money is for the most part written into the contract. Much of it is understandably intended as incentive, but there is no retraction specified for malfeasance.

[QUOTE=only_human;394581]The hush money is for the most part written into the contract. Much of it is understandably intended as incentive, but there is no retraction specified for malfeasance.[/QUOTE]

If you're referring to some specific cases, like Enron, the recourse to law is available under
our partially capitalistic system. It is not capitalism that causes human financial criminality,
it is the degree to which we fall short of having established a fully capitalist economy.

[QUOTE=chalsall;394578]Answer me this: what was the last seminal thought not based on previous seminal thought?[/QUOTE]

Whenever someone either created a new field (Plato, Aristotle, Darwin, Adam Smith, Freud) or discovered
some extremely important new ideas in an existing field (Babbage,Turing, Knuth, Hofstadter).

Dependency of thoughts is a complicated issue, we all depend on language and math, but this isn't
really worth arguing over in this thread.

[QUOTE=davar55;394582]If you're referring to some specific cases, like Enron, the recourse to law is available under
our partially capitalistic system. It is not [B]true[/B] capitalism that causes human financial criminality, it is the degree to which we fall short of having established a fully capitalist economy.[/QUOTE]

Fixed that for you.

[QUOTE=davar55;394585]...but this isn't really worth arguing over in this thread.[/QUOTE]

Oh, I don't know. I think it might be quite profitable.... :smile:

[QUOTE=chalsall;394587]Oh, I don't know. I think it might be quite profitable.... :smile:[/QUOTE][LIST=1][*]Discuss. Define words as necessary[*]Clarify definitions. Discuss.[*]?????[*]Profit !!![/LIST]

[QUOTE=chalsall;394587]Oh, I don't know. I think it might be quite profitable.... :smile:[/QUOTE]

Ha ha.

There's nothing wrong with the profit motive, in a capitalist economy. Freedom would be
ensured, rights would be protected, true criminals (those who deliberately cause harm to
others for their own personal benefit or out of venality) would be prosecuted. Those
who act in their own best interest would generally reap the rational rewards. This rosy
picture can be approached only by establishing or re-establishing capitalism, in a region,
or nation, or the world.