Not getting it
Talk about not getting it... from the latest Carnival of the Vanities :
The Radical Libertarian takes to task those who decry people who are said to make too much money. Oh, really? Look at Jeff Bagwell's salary of 19 million and change for riding the bench with a weak shoulder while a guy selling peanuts makes minimum and tips without health care and tell me that isn't unjust.
I'm not a baseball fan, but I'm guessing here that this is part of the standard contract imposed by the league. So what's the point of blaming the guy ?
As for the 19 millions versus the guy who sells peanuts, people value great baseball players far more than they do trading for peanuts. Who are you gonna blame for that ? The baseball player for contributing too much to other people's values, or maybe the peanut seller for contributing too little ?
If he wants to help the peanut seller, maybe this guy should start a campaign dedicated to glorifying the peanut... because he's obviously a nut.
3 comments:
Sports also reifies the competetive ideals that capitalism and consumerism rely on. Children and adults alike envision their lives like games. Similarly, the mitlitary parallels are staggering, and the psychological ramifications of sports has a profound effect on cultural ideals.
I don't blame Bagwell for taking the money, nor do I think the peanut seller should go all George Carver and find a way to make millions with the peanut. I blame the masses for being pacified and tended to while others think for them. Professional sports is about billionaies and millionaires fighting for every bit of money they can in the true American spirit while minimum wage spectators dream about their shot at the big leagues. It's attainable in an unrealistic fashion and it's both prozac and ritalin for a society of producers.
"I blame the masses for being pacified and tended to while others think for them."
Exactly. If you disagree with your fellow's choices, then tell them not to watch sports.
I don't guarantee that you won't get beaten up, though.
I like the nut jibe... that was funny!
And why the hell do so many people always blame the guy getting paid big bucks, when it is the consumer who is happily paying the person big bucks for the job they do?
Why not blame the consumers for being such big sports fans? Arent they the ones who decided that this sports icon is indeed worth paying so much to see?
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