Why Do We Pay These People?

Will the 99%ers occupy the Super Bowl?

You may have figured out from previous postings that 99%ers can be very entertaining. Most entertaining of all is how often they’re paying the top 1%. Perhaps being a vocal 99%er is just so easy that they don’t really believe that it matters whether they know who the 1% are. Facts have a nasty habit of interfering with a good rant.

Yet, in the Super Bowl spirit, a posting on the topic seems appropriate. When other than Super Bowl Sunday do Americans huddle around the screen to cheer for their favorite group of the 1% of earners? Granted other professional sports and entertainment awards shows gather large audiences for no purpose other than to watch some of the 1%, but the Super Bowl is the king. Don’t get me wrong. Entertainers and sports figures deserve what they earn. After all, they are entertaining. But, if income inequality really bothers you, skip the Super Bowl. If you watch it, you’re just contributing to inequality by justifying the earnings of some of the 1%.

Not so entertaining are the US congress and the appointive executive branch. Why we put then in the top 1% by income escapes me especially since some of them do little other than rant about the injustice of the 1%. It doesn’t seem logical to pay someone enough to be in the top 1% if all they do is create obstacles to keep others from earning as much as the 1%. If you’re bothered by inequality, get rid of them.

Questioning why we pay the 1% so much doesn’t stop with politicians and entertainers. The ECONOMIST (12/21/2012) had an interesting article entitled “Who exactly are the 1%?” Many of the 2011 November and December postings already explored some data about the income distribution. What is it about this article that makes it interesting? What does it add?

It provides some interesting data on how the 1% earn their living. But, discussion of the article will have to wait lest we miss this opportunity to either protest the inequality the Super Bowl represents, or enjoy the day when America celebrates merit even if everyone can’t play professional football. The Super Bowl represents inequality (income and all) that we all appreciate.