Judging from what we pay people to take care of money as compared to what we pay people to take care of people, then money>people.

Bernie Madoff was sentenced to 150 YEARS, the average sentence for rape is 117 MONTHS.

MONEY > PEOPLE

[Edited on April 20, 2010 at 5:01 AM. Reason : ..]

4/20/2010 5:00:41 AM

Of course it is.

[Edited on April 20, 2010 at 7:42 AM. Reason : Historically speaking, slaves were a dime a dozen.]

4/20/2010 7:42:20 AM

bernie madoff raped 100s

4/20/2010 8:07:25 AM

Unless we are in the Matrix, yes.

4/20/2010 8:19:49 AM

Quote :

"the average sentence for rape is 117 MONTHS"

We got to make room in the jails for non-violent drug offenders duh!

Think of the children!!

4/20/2010 8:28:57 AM

The novelty of unbanned pryderi wore off quick for me.

4/20/2010 8:39:31 AM

there are a lot of worthless people on the planet.

4/20/2010 9:07:14 AM

bernie madoff is an american hero.

but yes, individual people can be given a net value and there is a point where the cost to keep them alive passes that value. What you do after that point is really what matters.

If you're a republican, you dont want to give them $$ because it doesn't help you. If you're a democrat you want to give them just enough money to keep them alive because it adds value to you in the form of votes.

If you're a reasonable person you make sure they have the opportunity to increase their value through education, and let them take it from there.

4/20/2010 9:22:26 AM

and what if they just aren't very smart?

4/20/2010 9:32:00 AM

My assumption is based on the idea that most unskilled workers lack the opportunity for education rather than the ability. If this is the case, then most will be able to get into new jobs leaving fewer unkilled workers. Those incapable or unwilling to learn new things can continue unskilled labor. Theres also the military.

If they're all special ed cases (which I seriously doubt) then they're/we're screwed.

4/20/2010 9:37:18 AM

Note that I'm talking about education reform at all levels. Getting unskilled adult workers into vocational schools or 4 year programs where appropriate. Getting primary school students better education and convincing them to take advantage of it.

4/20/2010 9:40:22 AM

With this logic are sports more valuable than people?

Football players make more than many "people who take care of money" and "people who take care of people". So is it

football>money>people?

4/20/2010 9:45:47 AM

Money is a stand-in for the labor of others. So, what you are saying is people>people

4/20/2010 11:04:38 AM

Quote :

"My assumption is based on the idea that most unskilled workers lack the opportunity for education rather than the ability. "

I completely disagree. I am sure their are many that have the ability and the intelligence but in all honestly were born
into circumstancers or through bad luck were not given the chance to succeed. For each person like this though their is
one person who is just not intelligent, one person who has the intelligence but is simply to lazy to improve their life situation (know plenty of people like this),
one person who may be capable of succeeding but has alternative life motivations and content with unskilled labor just to make
enough to get by (a factory worker here where i work earned his 4 year degree while working but did not get a new job), and one person who has psychological/criminilistic issues that prevent them from gaining meaningful employment ( ex. someone
who gets caught raping a girl and is thrown out of college and spends 12 years in prison.

Quote :

"Football players make more than many "people who take care of money" and "people who take care of people". So is it "

I may be guilty of it too, but i blame the fans for being enablers.

4/20/2010 12:16:49 PM

There is such a thing as the "statistical value of a life," meaning that yes, in any given context, there is an amount of money that is worth more than a person.

And this isn't some arbitrary figure set by corporate fatcats or the government. It's what we as a whole are willing to pay.

4/20/2010 1:02:17 PM

Quote :

"Bernie Madoff was sentenced to 150 YEARS, the average sentence for rape is 117 MONTHS."

50 billion dollars = 150 years.
50 billion rapes = 487,500,000 years.

Pryderi fail.

4/20/2010 2:20:04 PM

madoff raped peoples bank accounts, thats twice as bad

4/20/2010 3:19:55 PM

Madoff's sentencing is really an exception due the publicity involved and the fact that it occurred just as people were really foaming at the mouth over the whole banking crisis.

Raffaello Follieri, the guy who was banging Anne Hathaway, got 4 years for stealing 50 million.
Michael Milken did 2 years.
Anthony Elgindy is facing 9 years.

Hell, Follieri's story got me thinking. He got arrested a few days before he turned 30. He'll be out when he's 34. Thats not too hefty a price considering that he spent all of his 20's living like a rock star and banging starlets on private jets.

4/20/2010 3:36:59 PM

didn't he basically just implement social security on a smaller level

4/20/2010 6:28:10 PM

SS is more like an annuity

4/20/2010 8:42:40 PM

Is gov't power more valuable than people?

4/20/2010 9:19:37 PM

Quote :

"We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence,[1] promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America."

4/20/2010 9:20:44 PM

Obama could show us that people are more important than money by returning the $1 million donation that the evil Goldman Sachs gave him.

4/20/2010 9:34:44 PM

yeah that would prove everything

4/20/2010 9:36:49 PM

OP: Yes.

4/20/2010 9:57:41 PM