Do Sport Athletes Get Paid 2 Much?

[freddyg12]

Originally Posted by WillH

I agree that it does not apply only to athletes, but how can you say: "I find the statements about how teachers should get paid more to be very tired, and for that matter, intellectually challenged."


That is just BS, you have made no real argument, just criticized people for their view. Maybe these intellectually challenged individuals are so because their teachers weren't good enough because it is such a low paying position. Look their is a big difference between socialism and trying to balance wages to make sure that those who deserve money more get it. Should a custodian get paid the same as a Doctor? No F'ing way, but there are circumstances when a capitalist system falls short. We, by the way, do not have a completely free market, we have subsidies, taxes, and the like. So why not give compensation where its due? And the reason teachers always come up is because our educational system SUCKS and our teachers are grossly underpaid, and I'd argue that the two are related.

Sorry I came across poorly. What I was referring to was the typical line that goes something like; "pro athletes shouldn't get paid more than teachers" or something to that effect. Usually, teachers are held up in such arguments rather than so many other professions.

The reason this argument is so poor is that it's essentially based on socialist principles, which in most countries (eastern europe, china, n. korea, cuba) meant that some jobs were more highly valued than others simply due to the activity of the job itself rather than the value in $. That's what led China to produce tons of iron & steel in the "great leap forward" that they couldn't use or sell. Production was valued as a noble cause, while services weren't.

That said, people who think teachers do more for society than do pro athletes - a sentiment I agree with overall - seem to think that has some relevance to what people get paid in a capitalist system (note: not a total free market, which doesn't exist in any civilized nation). In reality, it has virtually no relevance to what either gets paid.

Your statement - "Look their is a big difference between socialism and trying to balance wages to make sure that those who deserve money more get it," actually makes my point that arguments about who gets paid what are only pertinent to the organization or field itself. In this case, if you made that argument to a particular school system, that would make sense. Since any school or school system has only limited funds to pay teachers, then the issue is how much they get paid relative to other employees in the system. If you also want to make the argument that the state & fed. government should pay teachers additionally that makes sense too.

In a nutshell, pro athletes & teachers do not get paid from the same pool of money, that's why the comparison between the two might make for a good statement about wealth in the US, but doesn't have any value otherwise.