Another great Brands editorial! I can relate to the “risk-reward factor.” Although my wife and I are financially comfortable (far from rich, but far from poor either), I occasionally buy lottery tickets. My theory is that of risk vs. reward. Five dollars per week on a few lottery tickets isn’t going to make us miss any meals, but imagine if one of the tickets was the winning number.
As to jobs, I recall when I was teaching for the Defense Language Institute back in the 70s. The day I was hired, I had in effect instant tenure. However, the work schedule was demanding. It was an eight-hour-per-day schedule and the vacations were minimal. For example, at Christmas we got one day off, unlike my colleagues in regular teaching jobs who got three weeks off. And there was no summer break. But the payoff, as I’ve said, was that I had a secure lifetime job. Uncle Sam is a good person to work for.
I eventually opted for a college job. I never got tenure, but I was happier even on an adjunct basis, having jobs abroad, etc. Yes, life is often a throw of the dice.
"The latter have strong protections for workers and robust social safety nets..." Really? I am sure that the people of Venezuela, China, Russia and any other socialist countries might not agree with this statement. Socialism might seem to offer security, but at what cost to freedom and human dignity? THIS thinking might be why so many people think academics are socialists
Not fair to compare poor countries to rich ones. Perhaps I should have made that clearer. Measure Sweden and France against the US and the point holds, I think.
Another great Brands editorial! I can relate to the “risk-reward factor.” Although my wife and I are financially comfortable (far from rich, but far from poor either), I occasionally buy lottery tickets. My theory is that of risk vs. reward. Five dollars per week on a few lottery tickets isn’t going to make us miss any meals, but imagine if one of the tickets was the winning number.
As to jobs, I recall when I was teaching for the Defense Language Institute back in the 70s. The day I was hired, I had in effect instant tenure. However, the work schedule was demanding. It was an eight-hour-per-day schedule and the vacations were minimal. For example, at Christmas we got one day off, unlike my colleagues in regular teaching jobs who got three weeks off. And there was no summer break. But the payoff, as I’ve said, was that I had a secure lifetime job. Uncle Sam is a good person to work for.
I eventually opted for a college job. I never got tenure, but I was happier even on an adjunct basis, having jobs abroad, etc. Yes, life is often a throw of the dice.
"The latter have strong protections for workers and robust social safety nets..." Really? I am sure that the people of Venezuela, China, Russia and any other socialist countries might not agree with this statement. Socialism might seem to offer security, but at what cost to freedom and human dignity? THIS thinking might be why so many people think academics are socialists
Not fair to compare poor countries to rich ones. Perhaps I should have made that clearer. Measure Sweden and France against the US and the point holds, I think.