Reply #101: It also brings up the question of motivation (Hierarchy of Needs). [View All]

Do we, as a society, wish to increasingly rely upon the threat to an individual's survival for their participation in our economic system? .. participation in our national defense?

As we allow or even encourage threats to survival as the primary motivation for participation in ANY aspect of our common social systems, we then create a context within which abuses and predations are given greater latitudes. The frightened worker is a worker less likely to unionize or honestly help enforce Fair Labor Practices ... or even insist on a Fair Share of compensation for the value of their labor.

Why is it that we even partly accept the "supply side" hoax where we need to 'encourage' people with wealth to become even wealthier by adding more "carrots" to the motivation and, instead of doing the same 'encouragement' (by reduced taxes and increased returns) for labor, we resort to THREATS?? In my view, that's really bassackwards.

IMHO, there's altogether too much of "that's the way it is" thinking ... instead of calm contemplation regarding the ephemerals such as 'justice and 'fairness.' It's really seductive to regard someone who's unemployed as being somehow lazy or worthless ... and think that threats instead of rewards are The Solution. It's like criminal behavior ... some optimal balance between punishment and reward seems to be getting further and further from the reality of our systems.