An economy and therefore economic growth or whatever is a closed circuit dependent on trade..... when any part of the closed circuit is blocked - such as too many people out of work and no money to buy, or too much production/competition, the circuit breaks.

So a degree of fairness is required in a viable economy.

Fairness and Equity are not part of the deal...

Nor is consistency, at least in our current economic system. A free market is the goal, yet, there needs to be some regulation as well apparently, meaning it is not truly a free market.

The quest for fairness will only drive economic growth backwards - ostensibly because those with the biggest slice of the pie presently do not want anyone else having a fair share... That is our current economic model, which has also become our social and spiritual model.... There is only the economy!

Swagman wrote on Nov 9^th, 2015 at 7:15am:


Both terms are undefined making the question unanswerable. Both terms are subjective at best, also making the question unanswerable. To some - like unemployed-crook and unlikable-kat - equality means everyone gets the same wage no matter their job. To them, fairness would mean getting an average wage without the inconvenience of actually working.

And entrepreneur who has put up his house to start a company would probably define fairness as his employees getting the award wage and he getting all the profits.

The terms are undefined and so the answer is likewise, undefined.

mariacostel wrote on Nov 9^th, 2015 at 7:47am:


I see the interpersonal vitriol brought here by He Man and his ilk has taken firm root with this one.... I wonder why Freediver tolerates the descent of this forum into endless bickering... could've sworn I saw a post up above there about 'no personal insults'....

How many entrepreneurs 'put up their house' to raise capital for a business?  Banks loan on a business plan and in most cases personal property doesn't come into it, as shown by the number of failed 'businessmen' who get away with vast properties and cash when a business collapses.

mariacostel wrote on Nov 8^th, 2015 at 6:12pm:


No, fairness isn't a driver of economic growth per se, but having a strong middles class is essential to it.

As to what drives people, making money is only part of the equation. Passion and vision are just as important.

Not everyone does things purely for an economic benefit, and acting as though they do is a mistake.

mariacostel wrote on Nov 9^th, 2015 at 10:39am:


Making enough money to be comfortable it a motivator, but beyond that it really only does tell part of the story.

I could easily make more money than I do, but I value my time too much to do so.

The thing is people often think money is what motivates them, but it's not in many cases.

One study found that if people believed the work was valued they would work for significantly less money.

People want to feel valued and appreciated and as though their work has some meaning. People who don't are less productive.

It's not that money is unimportant, it's that is only a part of what motivates people to work, and certainly to work hard. People at the top end are really working for the status money brings.

freediver wrote on Nov 9^th, 2015 at 12:34pm:



Interesting.....

I suppose it all depends on how fairness is defined... is it fair, for example to force someone to charge what is considered a fair price for a good or service... is it fair to allow rampant runaway pricing without control.... is it fair to hold a total monopoly and thus enforce higher prices.... is it fair to play on a non-level playing field, utilising tax havens and cheap offshore labour etc?

The list goes on... but several of these issues, such as monopoly and over-pricing, have been legislated against, so it would appear that there is a sort of general consensus within the West about what is and what is not fair.