I see the difficulty with the issue of inequality. Success in the market tends to breed success or the ability to game, co-opt or subvert the system and this can be re-enforcing.
There are ways of correcting for re-enforcing success. Income tax, inheritance tax, vigorous anti-trust laws, strong cultural norms on philanthropy, the occasional riot and hanging.
I guess my position when encountering something new is best described as – happy to be talked out of a free market, start talking.
As for footballers role as role models I think they have a social obligation to be better role models but that’s a position that is fraught with moral and political difficulty.
I don’t see how regulation of the market for their labour would particularly help. Unless you are happy that the shareholders of Man U or Sky pick up an additional 60% of the turnover or you happy with a marginal tax rate of 90% footballers are still going to be earning many multiples of the average salary. Given the socio-economic backgrounds many of them come from and their ages this is still going to be a big shock and they are still (some of them) going to wig out. As will musicians and writers or comedians.
I think you can either regulate their behaviour as role models or their presentation. I’m not sure I’m hugely happy with much state involvement in either of those.
What might help is if fans booed players who behaved “badly” or boycotted their appearances on TV. Or we could a few more of them in prison.
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timeasmymeasure
no subject
Date: 2012-02-21 12:11 pm (UTC)There are ways of correcting for re-enforcing success. Income tax, inheritance tax, vigorous anti-trust laws, strong cultural norms on philanthropy, the occasional riot and hanging.
I guess my position when encountering something new is best described as – happy to be talked out of a free market, start talking.
As for footballers role as role models I think they have a social obligation to be better role models but that’s a position that is fraught with moral and political difficulty.
I don’t see how regulation of the market for their labour would particularly help. Unless you are happy that the shareholders of Man U or Sky pick up an additional 60% of the turnover or you happy with a marginal tax rate of 90% footballers are still going to be earning many multiples of the average salary. Given the socio-economic backgrounds many of them come from and their ages this is still going to be a big shock and they are still (some of them) going to wig out. As will musicians and writers or comedians.
I think you can either regulate their behaviour as role models or their presentation. I’m not sure I’m hugely happy with much state involvement in either of those.
What might help is if fans booed players who behaved “badly” or boycotted their appearances on TV. Or we could a few more of them in prison.