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> Like the early Romans, could we create a kind of social reward that would be able to compete with wealth? Public service attempts to do this with stability a
by jackcosgrove 6y ago
> Like the early Romans, could we create a kind of social reward that would be able to compete with wealth?
Public service attempts to do this with stability and benefits. In other words, in exchange for power you are promised a comfortable life. This used to work but no longer does because property prices near desirable cities, where the bureaucracies are located, are increasingly unattainable even to well paid bureaucrats. The military gets around this, with much lower pay, by providing lodging for soldiers. Perhaps we should do the same for bureaucrats? The revolving door would have less appeal if you didn't need to plonk down a million dollars to live in Bethesda.
- sheefrex 6y agoThis is the question exactly. The difficulty is that there is a downward spiral: if fewer talented people enter the public service or politics because it is becoming relatively unattractive, the average performance of that class goes down. That makes it harder to justify any increase in salary or other benefits, reinforcing the dynamic.
- xhkkffbf 6y agoThe stability and benefits are just another currency. The article, though, wants to pretend that only inequality of money matter. Somehow giving someone extra benefits because of honor is great but giving them money is tacky. In any case, people will find a way to "monetize" other things. That's why the verb "monetize" exists.
- jackcosgrove 6y agoI think the article is correct in that Romans created a system where honor was, at the beginning, not fungible with anything other than public service. There should always be a reward gradient. The problem is when power becomes fungible with money.
- sheefrex 6y agoYou've misinterpreted that part of the article. The reason to avoid a monetary reward is not that it is tacky, but because money can easily be used to pass on influence to offspring, such as by boosting their profile, or buying votes for them. This can undermine a selection mechanism where they should win or gain reputation by engaging in pro-social activities. Also, not everything may be monetised. I cannot sublet the garage attached to my apartment for example, because the contract forbids it. AirBnB is banned in some cities/situations.
- jhbadger 6y agoAcademia is beginning to realize this problem. NYU for example offers subsidized apartments to faculty realizing that it would be almost impossible to afford an apartment near the campus on an assistant professor salary.
- candiodari 6y agoSo as soon as there is either a divorce or sometimes even just a kid becoming an adult they have no choice but to leave? That, or say goodbye. Doesn't seem like a solution to me.