Larry Blanchard wrote:
On Mon, 09 Nov 2009 22:56:20 -0700, Mark & Juanita wrote:

Why
bother to pursue excellence or make significant sacrifices only to
see any resulting reward mandatorily re-distributed to someone who
either lacked the skill or motivation to achieve?

So money is the only motivator?

No, there are many motivations, some of which cause eyebrows to shoot up!

Consider Jonas Salk, peering through the microscope throughout countless
nights and weekends. He was, without doubt, motivated by the HATE of seeing
children in iron lungs, by PRIDE in thinking "If I can solve this, people
will give me the recognition I crave," by out-and-out GREED in that "I'll
make enough money to do the kind of research I want to do without having to
suck-up to administrators and bureaucrats!" and by envy of that goddamn
Albert Sabin who's getting all the press.

By a combination of altruism and venality, we've eradicatd Polio in my
lifetime - except in areas run by Islamic extremists (and I was around in
1976 when Smallpox disappeared). I've lived in fortunate times.