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No, the greatest incentive to man is immortality. Everyone pursues this in some way, even if only through their descendants. Others want to make their mark on the world in an attempt to leave something that endures. To do this in a meaningful way requires some essence of power!
There are two types of power:
1) personal power - This is what you have the power to accomplish without the aid of others. It encompasses strength of body and mind and character, but you don't get any help. Think of Tom Hanks with his buddy Wilson.
2)granted power - This is power that is given to you by others. It could be granted by friendship, love, money, or titles or government, but it's the ability to get others to do stuff for you.
Of the two, granted power is the most powerful, enabling one to use the services of others to further his own immortality project. This is why we say that money talks, because especially under our government system, money is an almost direct stand-in for granted power.
So yah, money is a great motivator, but it's very indirect to what truly motivates people. How else can you explain a young man's willingness to fight and die on a battlefield for wages most others would scoff at? He's undertaking a hero's journey, buying immortality through heroic acts, and not using money at all.
The pie is fixed the pie is fixed, they stole our money.
Explain why Edgar Codd, inventor of the relational database, never became a billionaire, and Larry Ellison, a fat fuck who couldn't make a database system if his life literally depended on it, became a billionaire off of Codd's invention. If the system worked even a tenth as well as you claim, Codd would have been a billionaire and Ellison would be living in a cardboard box on the street.
Where did all the wealth in the country come from when we started with nothing?
Ruthless exploitation of our natural resources. So, in a sense, we started with a lot, and the most energetic, capable and sleazy made off with most of it. Same as any other time and place.
Those best able to purchase rights to resources by bribing government officials, and by suing anyone else in their way to oblivion, scored the large resource-extraction fortunes: if able to con investors for bubblicious schemes, they either lied on the balance sheets to bilk investors of their shares, or declared bankruptcy after moving assets to the next limited-liability venture.
Ruthless exploitation of our natural resources. So, in a sense, we started with a lot, and the most energetic, capable and sleazy made off with most of it. Same as any other time and place.
Word.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anaconda_Copper
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Standard_Oil
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Indian_reservations_in_the_United_States
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indentured_servitude_in_Pennsylvania
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Padrone_system
Ruthless exploitation of our natural resources. So, in a sense, we started with a lot, and the most energetic, capable and sleazy made off with most of it. Same as any other time and place.
Word.
That's pretty much the cycle every culture goes through during industrialization. Still, the outcome likely outweighs the scenario of no industrialization. Maybe if population would have been kept in check via no medical advancements whatsoever it may have been feasible to burn trees and forage your way through nature, but today's technologies are necessary and those have resulted from industrialization as well.
Explain why Edgar Codd, inventor of the relational database, never became a billionaire, and Larry Ellison, a fat fuck who couldn't make a database system if his life literally depended on it, became a billionaire off of Codd's invention.
Codd didn't do poorly either and got awards, so if you have skills you will do well in a meritocracy. Life is not fair but by the law of large numbers a capitalistic/meritocratic society is much fairer than socialism/communism. It also generates more wealth because the pie is not fixed. Even if you consider Ellison greedy overall people and companies benefited from Oracle databases being distributed worldwide, otherwise they would not have kept buying them.
Still, the outcome likely outweighs the scenario of no industrialization.
It's also better than shoving hot needles into your eyes.
So you see vulture, robber-baron capitalism as the only way to rise out of hunter-gatherer life?
So you see vulture, robber-baron capitalism as the only way to rise out of hunter-gatherer life?
It's a byproduct. These days billionaires are trying to buy immortality via gene therapy, freezing their heads or whole bodies while others still die from treatable infections. A free marketplace is the best incentive for breakthroughs while reducing costs and giving access to technology to everybody. Robber-barron and crony capitalism may have originated from lawlessness back then, but today (where everything can travel globally within a day for next to nothing) it originates from collusion with big government. We have enough, even too many laws and regulations, they just need to be applied to everybody without exemptions.
Billions in fiat currency or billions in assets,physical & paper, based on fiat currency.
Why can't I print worthless money?
She needs to marry a multi multi billionaire and divorce him for half his stuff.
The pie is fixed the pie is fixed, they stole our money.
Explain why Edgar Codd, inventor of the relational database, never became a billionaire, and Larry Ellison, a fat fuck who couldn't make a database system if his life literally depended on it, became a billionaire off of Codd's invention. If the system worked even a tenth as well as you claim, Codd would have been a billionaire and Ellison would be living in a cardboard box on the street.
Inventors make lousy entrepreneurs. Bringing a successful product to market requires a whole set of skills rarely available to just one person. I am acquainted with a person who is a professor of an entrepreneur class. If he knows everything, how come he ain't rich? Because he is an introvert who can't handle the real world.
Where did all the wealth in the country come from when we started with nothing?
Ruthless exploitation of our natural resources. So, in a sense, we started with a lot, and the most energetic, capable and sleazy made off with most of it. Same as any other time and place.
If you dig up some silicon, you will have a nickel's worth of silicon. If you can turn that silicon pice into a state of the art chip you have $500.00 worth of silicon. To get to that high value point you need all the skills, the inventions, management, entrepreneurship etc. that go into creating value that only capitalism can provide. North Korea has lots of natural resources, while South Korea has almost none. Yet, they have a lot more wealth than NK. Japan, Singapore, Switzerland have little or no natural resources, yet they have some of the best standard of living.
Natural resources is good to have, but the real value comes with adding value to that.
Codd didn't do poorly either and got awards
If you are trying to make the point that capitalism rewards innovation than Codd should be the second richest person in the world, right after Tim Berners-Lee, and Ellison should be penniless. The system empirically does not work like you claim. Historical fact contradicts the religion of capitalism. When observation contradicts your theory, your theory is wrong, not the universe.
Inventors make lousy entrepreneurs
An "entrepreneur" is nothing but code for crooks who bribe politicians to make their crimes legal. If capitalism was all so great, it would reward innovation and productivity, not sleaziness, deception, and bribery.
Life is not fair but by the law of large numbers a capitalistic/meritocratic society is much fairer than socialism/communism.
And that is why your opinion, and those of all other capitalist worshipers, is worthless. You think that capitalism and communism are the only two choices. There are literally an infinite number of ways that an economy can be structured. Two is far less than infinity.
Also, capitalism is not a meritocracy. It does not reward merit, or productivity, or innovation, or advancement. Capitalism rewards only one thing: bargaining power.
If you are trying to make the point that capitalism rewards innovation than Codd should be the second richest person in the world, right after Tim Berners-Lee, and Ellison should be penniless. The system empirically does not work like you claim. Historical fact contradicts the religion of capitalism. When observation contradicts your theory, your theory is wrong, not the universe.
On average and by large numbers the theory holds true.
An "entrepreneur" is nothing but code for crooks who bribe politicians to make their crimes legal. If capitalism was all so great, it would reward innovation and productivity, not sleaziness, deception, and bribery.
That's not accurate, plenty of entrepreneurs play by the rules and take big risks.
There are literally an infinite number of ways that an economy can be structured. Two is far less than infinity.
That's true, but because of human nature all of the ones (if we believe their good intentions) in between gravitated towards as what you see as the extremes, they were simply not stable. We're far from perfect, why should our economic system be?
Making a product is important, but being able to market it is a whole another story. But especially for tech folks, there is an animosity with the business. Techies almost always seem to forget that the business pays their bills and just seem to rejoice in their "knowledge". Geeks squad gone wild!!
But especially for tech folks, there is an animosity with the business. Techies almost always seem to forget that the business pays their bills
Actually, familiarity with businessmen will give you animosity towards the business.
I take the editorial attitude of The Economist on this matter: businesses are a necessary thing, but one should be clear-eyed about the nature of business practices and many people in business.
Little of this has anything to do with merit, BTW. I doubt that either Dr. Codd or Larry Ellison are either deserving of special accolade: nothing about relational databases is earth-shaking revelation. Truly remarkable, special people are quite rare, and, because the world does not run solely on merit, unlikely to be widely recognized.
Call It Crazy was forcing his dog to give him a blow job this morning when suddenly the dog turned on him, but the dog's ass was just as good.
Inventors make lousy entrepreneurs
An "entrepreneur" is nothing but code for crooks who bribe politicians to make their crimes legal. If capitalism was all so great, it would reward innovation and productivity, not sleaziness, deception, and bribery.
How come I didn't become a billionaire like Ellison? I have no problem with sleaziness, deception, and bribery. I would love to do it.
How come all those criminals who hold up 7-11's don't become billionaires? You think a little thing like bribery will stop murderers?
Dan, you need to walk into reality. Stop smoking that Jamaican stuff.
Because he is an introvert who can't handle the real world.
You just described Dan....
Oh Boy, you are really gonna piss off Dan.
Call It Crazy was forcing his dog to give him a blow job this morning when suddenly the dog turned on him, but the dog's ass was just as good.
I told you.
How come I didn't become a billionaire like Ellison? I have no problem with sleaziness, deception, and bribery. I would love to do it.
How come all those criminals who hold up 7-11's don't become billionaires? You think a little thing like bribery will stop murderers?
Dan, you need to walk into reality. Stop smoking that Jamaican stuff.
Look at Christian Holmes IV I just posted. He flits in and out of private enterprise and the government regulators. Manufacturing to China Envoy for USAID. Clean Energy Exec at Enron after a stint in the EPA. Now he's the "Global Water Coordinator", and shortly thereafter a Bechtel family member joined his daughters medical company board.
Chertoff goes to work for Rapiscan, and then all their machines are brought by the TSA. Now they're being replaced because they're well nigh worthless and expensive to operate.
That's how shit is done - networking aka nepotism, masquerading as skill and merit.
The problem is Everyone does not believe it as attaining riches has not panned out for them despite working hard.
However, what they don't realize is that they are too stupid to realize it.
Anyone who works hard will be rich, unless they're stupid. Everyone knows that.
IOW...honey couldn't sell his "Hello world" baby javascript to uncle Sergey...now every entrepreneur must survive the floridian onslaught...
An "entrepreneur" is nothing but code for crooks who bribe politicians to make their crimes legal. If capitalism was all so great, it would reward innovation and productivity, not sleaziness, deception, and bribery.
How come I didn't become a billionaire like Ellison? I have no problem with sleaziness, deception, and bribery. I would love to do it.
All pickles are cucumbers, but not all cucumbers are pickles. Again, A implies B does not imply B implies A. Have you learned nothing this week?
How come I didn't become a billionaire like Ellison? I have no problem with sleaziness, deception, and bribery. I would love to do it.
All pickles are cucumbers, but not all cucumbers are pickles. Again, A implies B does not imply B implies A. Have you learned nothing this week?
So you agree with me. Entrepreneurship requires a whole host of skills, many of which I do not have, which is why I am just average.
I can assure you 98% of the population would have no scruples or hesitation doing something that enhances their wealth. Would you cheat on your taxes if you could? Come on, tell me the truth.
:)
That's how shit is done - networking aka nepotism, masquerading as skill and merit
I think you are confusing the feminazi/juvenile fantasy of merit with reality. That the world is some magical world where everybody goes and does their work and some magical wise supreme being recognizes their talent and gives out rewards in a just and fair way.
Reality is like the jungle, a dog eat dog world. Where merit, quality, talent, time, fate, luck all mingle and we push our way through and try and make it. We may be knocked over a few times and sometimes may never stand again. But most of the time we do-brush it off and realize that life ain't fair and plough along. Utopia only exists in fairytales and even they have monsters. reality is more mixed and you live with what you got.
The feminazis and Obozo's attempt to mandate equality will only create an entitled class-unable to withstand the onslaught of a more fiercer "enemy" . Instead of fighting back, we will become fat tubs of lard on gubmnt dole and act like sheep lead to slaughter. Men/women -big deal-there are going to be winners and losers. It will change-one must accept reality in the raw, embrace it and move on. if one thinks mgmt. is all clowns, then become one and change the culture.
Oh Boy, you are really gonna piss off Dan.
Call It Crazy was forcing his dog to give him a blow job this morning when suddenly the dog turned on him, but the dog's ass was just as good.
I told you.
Is it any surprise that Dan lives by himself in his apartment and has NO significant other in his life?
I'll be surprised if he even wants to live with himself. I think he drove himself nuts.
Japan, Singapore, Switzerland have little or no natural resources, yet they have some of the best standard of living.
Singapore and Switzerland have tremendous natural resources: location.
Singapore is in a beautiful location for handling shipping. Switzerland is in a beautiful location for storing people's money, and usually allowing them to retreive it.
Japan ain't doing so well lately, as it hasn't replaced its business efficiency (now widely emulated) by some other advantage. They must devise a means of helping other societies exploit their natural resources. China is doing this now, by investing in Austrailian and African natural resources, which it can do because it has provided so much cheap labor to the world.
But all of these places are examples of accidents of good government
Japan, Singapore, Switzerland have little or no natural resources, yet they have some of the best standard of living.
Singapore and Switzerland have tremendous natural resources: location.
Singapore is in a beautiful location for handling shipping. Switzerland is in a beautiful location for storing people's money, and usually allowing them to retreive it.
Japan ain't doing so well lately, as it hasn't replaced its business efficiency (now widely emulated) by some other advantage. They must devise a means of helping other societies exploit their natural resources. China is doing this now, by investing in Austrailian and African natural resources, which it can do because it has provided so much cheap labor to the world.
But all of these places are examples of accidents of good government
HUH!
Dear God,
If getting to heaven requires teaching my weird friends like Hydro, Dan, SBH, Bob of the most basics of facts, I give up. Take me to hell now, because they are incapable of learning.
Yours truly
Startegist
Look at Christian Holmes IV I just posted
But what does that have to do with Liz Holmes? Sure money can buy an edge in education and get you/your kids into certain jobs, but she certainly didn't become a billionaire because all the nepotists decided to pour money into her company even though they thought it had no merit. She is smart, educated and started a business that benefits everybody.
Dear God,
If getting to heaven requires teaching my weird friends like Hydro, Dan, SBH, Bob of the most basics of facts, I give up. Take me to hell now, because they are incapable of learning
Interesting argument: I hadn't considered this angle. This changes everything.
So you believe that the reason South Korea is more successful than North Korea has nothing to do with their respective governments?
Dear God,
If getting to heaven requires teaching my weird friends like Hydro, Dan, SBH, Bob of the most basics of facts, I give up. Take me to hell now, because they are incapable of learningInteresting argument: I hadn't considered this angle. This changes everything.
So you believe that the reason South Korea is more successful than North Korea has nothing to do with their respective governments?
One practices Capitalism, the other practices Stupidity. You tell me which is which.
So you agree with me.
Your reading comprehension skills are as lacking as your logic.
One practices Capitalism, the other practices Stupidity. You tell me which is which.
You mean to tell us, one country is run by Liberals?
Worse. Someone like Dan, SBH, Hydro, and Bob put together.
The worst things in the history of the United States...
1. Genocides
2. Slavery
3. Wars founded on lies
4. Carpet bombing of villages
5. Medical experimentation on unsuspecting civilians
6. False evidence used to convict and execute innocent people
7. Segregation
8. Homophobic laws
9. Disregard for the environment
10. Trashing of Constitutional rights including due process
Yet, Strategist and CIC are in favor of all of the above. 'Nuff said.
The worst things in the history of the United States...
1. Genocides
2. Slavery
3. Wars founded on lies
4. Carpet bombing of villages
5. Medical experimentation on unsuspecting civilians
6. False evidence used to convict and execute innocent people
7. Segregation
8. Homophobic laws
9. Disregard for the environment
10. Trashing of Constitutional rights including due processYet, Strategist and CIC are in favor of all of the above. 'Nuff said.
In other words we are no worse than the rest of the world. :)
Here is why are are better:
1. We fought and died to end slavery.
2. Everything else you mention is illegal and punishable by law.
3. The whole world wants to be American.
Aren't you glad you live in America?
Worse. Someone like Dan, SBH, Hydro, and Bob put together.
Talk about the ultimate circle jerk...
Are you sure you want to explore this line of attack, given the mutual suckfest between you and your zombie shih-tzu Ingenous?
Feminists will just ignore and pretend people like this do not exist. It's much easier to drown in self pity for them and blame others for their own personal failures.
1. We fought and died to end slavery.
Well technically instead of blacks picking cotton, we just have Mexicans cook and do all the jobs we had slaves do. We moved slavery from black to "white south of the border". World is same today as it was years ago, just a little more window dressing.
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http://www.cbsnews.com/news/elizabeth-holmes-youngest-self-made-female-billionaire-revolutionize-health-care/
A 31 yr old woman who dropped out of Stanford at 19 and is a self made billionaire-kudos. No obozo the clown's rules-but self-made. Feminazis might have to wake up and actually earn for a change.