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But without the enticement of membership in the elite, with a greater share of society's wealth, power and privileges, no one would bother working hard to becom
by eevilspock 4y ago
But without the enticement of membership in the elite, with a greater share of society's wealth, power and privileges, no one would bother working hard to become doctors, lawyers, software developers and CEOs. We need a stratified society to have all these things the modern world gives us. It is only the desire to escape the cotton fields and sweatshops that spurs people to work. It is the only reason that our world has seen amazing advancements in science, technology and business. Capitalism depends on inequality, and we depend on capitalism.
This is logic of capitalism. This is our society's justification for incredible differences in pay and wealth.
- marosgrego 4y agoWhat? One become a scientist because they are interested in things, or a doctor because they want to help people.
- eevilspock 4y agoI was being rhetorical, echoing back SV's/tech's dominant ideology. For what I really think, see my replies to these threads: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=10793226 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=10793226 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=15659455 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=15659455 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=14282791 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=14282791 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=10451733 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=10451733
- eesmith 4y ago> It is only the desire to escape the cotton fields and sweatshops that spurs people to work. Why do rich people work? They don't need to escape the cotton fields and sweatshops. Slaves worked the American cotton fields - why did they work with no chance of membership in the elite? I'm pretty sure people in 1860 justified slavery with the same argument "It is the only reason that our world has seen amazing advancements in science, technology and business."