3 ms·

Drive down the wages of your most talented citizens and yes, you hurt the entire country.

andrewmutz 12y ago
So just to be clear, if we have more Doctors & Lawyers, so their wages decrease, and the cost of receiving medical care or getting legal help goes down, this would be bad for everyone?
- waterlesscloud 12y ago
  Yes. Then your most talented citizens will go into other work and the quality provided will go down. This is really quite simple. If there's ways for the most talented to make more money, that's where they're going. The most talented aren't locked into any particular career. Sure, there will be exceptions, but the overall trend will be undeniable.
  - andrewmutz 12y ago
    As long as Hospitals and Law firms continue to hire competent Doctors and Lawyers, this would be a win for society. More people getting health care or access to the legal system, at lower prices, would be a good thing for society. And I don't see any reason why an increase in the number of Doctors or Lawyers would cause Hospitals or Law firms to hire incompetent employees.
    - waterlesscloud 12y ago
      We actually have a surplus of lawyers right now, at this very moment. Large numbers of people with law degrees are unable to find work in the field. So fewer people are going to law school. And this is true even at the top end. The most talented people are going into law in lesser numbers. It's not a theory, it's actual fact.
      - cheez 12y ago
        That's pretty much how free markets operate. There is nothing wrong with it. The idea that X profession deserves the smartest kid in the room is nonsense if the profession has found out how to get along without that kid.
kar2014 12y ago
Actually, here's how I'd put it. If you are not competitive (in your terms, drive down the salary) OR produce something great at prices others can. Then jobs and companies will go overseas. Not only will there be jobs will lower salaries but there will be fewer jobs, period. Now that will be problem for entire country. Having more programmers will not be a problem for the country, they will only be a problem to those who want to maintain their salaries turning their eyes away from reality of globalization.

So just to be clear, if we have more Doctors & Lawyers, so their wages decrease, and the cost of receiving medical care or getting legal help goes down, this would be bad for everyone?

waterlesscloud 12y ago
Yes. Then your most talented citizens will go into other work and the quality provided will go down. This is really quite simple. If there's ways for the most talented to make more money, that's where they're going. The most talented aren't locked into any particular career. Sure, there will be exceptions, but the overall trend will be undeniable.
- andrewmutz 12y ago
  As long as Hospitals and Law firms continue to hire competent Doctors and Lawyers, this would be a win for society. More people getting health care or access to the legal system, at lower prices, would be a good thing for society. And I don't see any reason why an increase in the number of Doctors or Lawyers would cause Hospitals or Law firms to hire incompetent employees.
  - waterlesscloud 12y ago
    We actually have a surplus of lawyers right now, at this very moment. Large numbers of people with law degrees are unable to find work in the field. So fewer people are going to law school. And this is true even at the top end. The most talented people are going into law in lesser numbers. It's not a theory, it's actual fact.
    - cheez 12y ago
      That's pretty much how free markets operate. There is nothing wrong with it. The idea that X profession deserves the smartest kid in the room is nonsense if the profession has found out how to get along without that kid.

kar2014 12y ago

Actually, here's how I'd put it. If you are not competitive (in your terms, drive down the salary) OR produce something great at prices others can. Then jobs and companies will go overseas. Not only will there be jobs will lower salaries but there will be fewer jobs, period. Now that will be problem for entire country. Having more programmers will not be a problem for the country, they will only be a problem to those who want to maintain their salaries turning their eyes away from reality of globalization.