Thursday 2 April 2009

Don't Hate Me - Just Do Something About It

Some of the comments that have been made about me are just plain unfair.

Firstly, don't make a judgement on how hard I have worked to get where I am. If you haven't realised we are living in a capitalist society; a meritocracy if you will. You get what you put in. And let me tell you what I have put in - 3 A* and 8 A for GCSE and 5 A levels. Oh, and also a degree in Economics. I have worked hard, and I wasn't part of the city boys before I started - I had to work my way up there.

There were a few lucky breaks, but I worked hard to put myself in those positions in the first place. I bet most of you wouldn't understand this because you've not done it - to be honest I don't even think you realise that we live in a meritocracy.

This is why I am where I am.

If you are jealous of how much I earn then I am giving you two options:

1) Do something about it
2) Shut up

Your choice guys.

3 comments:

  1. "1) Do something about it
    2) Shut up"

    Very fair point.

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  2. "If you haven't realised we are living in a capitalist society; a meritocracy if you will. You get what you put in. And let me tell you what I have put in - 3 A* and 8 A for GCSE and 5 A levels."

    About the same results as some of my friends. They don't feel the need to broadcast it to the world. Also, they all realise that if there situation was different, they'd probably not have had the incentive to work as hard as they did. Is Peaches Geldof a good example of "you get what you put in" society? Paris Hilton? What about JK Rowling - knocked back by 20+ publishers before she got - yes - LUCKY. She'd put the work in; just needed a publisher to recognise it. If you think the kid who grows up on the sink estate with the shittest school in town has the same chance to "put in" the same amount of work as the kid in a gated community with the expensive public school - well, your clearlly not THAT smart. Not everone is a pragmatic robot. What's your favorite band? Was that a pragmatic choice, or was it influenced by how you grew up and who you are as a person?

    Have you read any Nassim Taleb by the way? Think you'd enjoy it.

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  3. I haven't posted on my blog about this because my blog isn't about politics. I hope you don't mind me posting my thoughts here instead.

    Your blog title reveals a bias; you use the word "riots" instead of "protests". You seem interested in violence rather the reasons behind the protests.

    Your call on people to "shut up" suggests that we should accept the status quo meekly, and that you're not interested in debate, dissent, or democracy. People are "doing something about it", in political parties, NGOs, charities, think tanks, and small businesses. I know it's more comfortable for you to believe that these people only shout a few slogans now and again, but don't imagine that this protest was a rent-a-mob.

    You believe in meritocracy. I'm better educated than you, but I chose not to pursue a career in the financial sector (and I don't crow about my educational achievements). I'm not envious of your earnings; I live comfortably. Your belief that others criticise the industry you work in through envy exposes a poverty of thinking. You don't deserve more money than others; you get it because your work enables a profit for your company, yet profit is not the same as worth.

    Does someone who earns £1 million a year contribute 40 times more to society than someone earning the median wage? Do women deserve less than men, do ethnic minorities deserve lower wages? Do the disabled deserve to live in poverty? Wage inequality has increased since the 1970s, but it's scarcely believable that the merit of CEOs has risen by the same proportion.

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