On 30/01/2012 16:33, Cynic wrote:
On Fri, 27 Jan 2012 20:52:58 +0000, Clive George
wrote:

Try answering the question I asked.

No, it's a straw man.

It certainly is not. It is fundamental to the issue of allowing
employees to share the profits of a company. Because if employees
share the profits, they should also surely be obliged to share the
losses.

You seem to be completely ignoring the financial makeup of a lot of big
companies. The people at the top there don't take personal risks. They
risk other's money.

The bosses are not the same people as the shareholders in big publically
traded companies, or indeed in many privately held ones. The link has
been broken, and that is giving the problems we're talking about.
(yes, the bosses have a shareholding, but only a small one)

You've asserted that those at the top earn their
money through taking risks, and those risks affect them. I'm pointing
out you're wrong.

Not in most cases I'm not. Whilst those who finally "make it" may be
in a position of low risk, the vast majority had to risk everything,

Disagree.

and devote a greater percentage of their life to the company than most
employees would dream of doing in order to get to that position.

Working hard is not the same as risking everything.

For every successful person who you envy, there will be 10 who failed
and lost everything.

The people I'm talking about didn't place themselves in a position where
they could fail and lose everything.

Yes, sure there are a few cases where the person has had everything
handed to them on a plate, but that is the exception rather than the
rule. Most people earning 6 or 7 figures worked bloody hard, made
many sacrifices and took many risks to get there.

Disagree. Worked hard, yes, made sacrifices, well as part of working
hard, long hours maybe, took many risks of their own money, definitely not.

There's a question in there - what proportion of those earning that
amount are self-made, and what proportion are those who grew within
existing companies. I reckon the majority are the latter.