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by jonnathanson 3187 days ago
Please point out where and how you believe I've been "poking fun at the system," or predicting its downfall, or in some broad way denouncing the US, as you seem to suggest I am doing? Critiquing an element of a system does not = opposing that system in its entirety. In this case, the element I take issue with is our short-term-optimized view of the value of human capital. Essentially, we fail to rationally calculate the NPV of a skilled worker's contribution as he or she grows more skilled over time.

In the context of this subthread, which you have missed entirely, I am explaining to someone outside the US what's led to the rise of the contract labor force here in the US, and providing a framework by which we might view the different types of contract labor in our industry. That is all I am doing. That is the whole, fairly narrow subject of my post.

Yes, I'm pointing some fingers in very specific directions where blame is due. I'm hardly denouncing the whole US system, or even the whole financial culture, and I'm hardly throwing the baby out with the bathwater. To be clear, neither is the Wharton professor in the interview we are ostensibly here to discuss.

You have also failed to cite a single number, which is ironic, given the crux of your post. You have provided a broad sweep of claims without citation or data. Put some specific numbers on the table if you're going to make them the basis of your argument. (And hopefully someone else can take you up on that argument, because once again, it's not at all the argument my post seeks to open. If you want to bait me into some broad argument about whether or not the US system is superior to the European or Chinese or Turkish or Brazilian or whatever system, I am not interested in taking the bait.)

Going forward, I'd appreciate if you actually took the time to read what I am saying in the context in which I am saying it. Instead, you seem to have latched onto my use of the words "MBA" and "Reagan" and possibly "Europe," and have thus attempted to beat me in some imaginary debate on a point I didn't even make. If all you're here to do is torch strawmen, you won't find many interested takers.

2 comments

Which numbers would you like? They are all readily available at Google.

Median Income, adjusted: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/37/Median_U...

Gross Domestic Product: https://d3fy651gv2fhd3.cloudfront.net/charts/united-states-g...

Manufacturing Output: http://perspectives.pictet.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/US...

Unemployment Rate: https://infographic.statista.com/normal/chartoftheday_8974_u...

Poverty Rates: https://www.ers.usda.gov/webdocs/charts/82285/povertyratesby...

Now, if you feel you were attacked that is unfortunate, but the system isn't that bad and histrionics about Reagan and being seen as cogs in a wheel is rather dramatic when the system has demonstrated itself to be reasonably effective.

i seemed to have missed the part where you lavished us with citations. i really hate it when people go on for like 9 paragraphs without a single citation and you say something and they are like 'whats your source?! no source no truth!'

most of what you said I generally agree with (about contract workers). then you lamented with the trite: "if only we were like europe" type comment.

tbh, i want to be nothing like europe. who's economy do you lionize? Portugaul 9% ump, Ireland 6.1% ump, Greece 22% ump, Spain 17.6% ump? Even France isn't doing great. Or would you prefer to cherry pick one of the more Nordic countries like Sweden with virtually no ethnic or geographic diversity?

I'm sure Europe is great, but they are by no means an archetype of economic success. Nor is our situation anything like theirs, so this is why people get irritated by such comments.