Bill!, Merle,
I think that wealth has mostly to do with Inheritance, not production.
This is the traditional passing down of wealth within families, as a windfall
to each succeeding generation which obviates -- even discourages -- production.
I don't think that the truly wealthy are productive in any sense, not even as
consumers. ;-)
Well, when they feel an urge toward philanthropy, and fund the building of
libraries, research-trusts, and medical facilities, there is production, but
only funded by them: they do not dirty their hands to do the actual work to
build these productive places, and don't have skills.
Now, from the point of view of INCOME, and not of WEALTH, I can say that, as an
academic scientist, my salaries have always been extremely small, yet I
consider my productivity to have been extremely high (I work in a society that
features a Capitalist economic system).
I also feel this way in my present role as a Yoga teacher, and
beginning-meditation instructor and Dharma teacher. It's not measured by
income, neither by me nor by society, my clientele.
Bill!, the artists -- Painters -- who painted in France and lived impoverished
lives during their times... many died paupers. Were they "productive"?: They
had nothing to show for it in their times, if they were (and, how about
Mozart?). Now, some of their paintings sell for a quarter BILLION dollars US:
are they productive? In what sense, Bill!?
--Joe
PS Was Mother Theresa productive? She worked in Capitalist India.
> "Bill!" <BillSmart@...> wrote:
>
> In a society with a capitalistic economic system isn't wealth the measure of
> how productive each member is? If that's the case then aren't wealthy people
> by definition more productive than poor people?
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