Wealth as a result of hard work and sacrifice is very comforting to most people. It is one that provides hope, motivates, and staves off dejection. The idea that hard work alone ensures financial stability is, however, false. Sure, some work ethic is usually necessary to achieve and maintain success, but there are many other factors involved in creating individual wealth. Some of these can be managed such as risk taking, communication, assertiveness, and vision. Other components cannot be easily controlled including health, innate ability, opportunity, and luck. Anyone looking to become a self made millionaire will require a variety of the aforementioned. A brilliant, hard working, business-minded-person with a great idea can be stymied if they can’t get a proper loan because their opening came during a recession. Conversely, someone with an enormous amount of start up capital will fail without proper business sense.
What’s even more obvious is that work ethic isn’t even required in many scenarios where wealth is gained. Chief among these is inheritance. The current Rockefeller generation is still well off despite the passing of time and having gone through the most progressive taxation in U.S. history. Other situations include:
- Gambling
- Marriage
- Lawsuits
Republican policy goals reflect the assumption that wealth is directly related to work ethic. Here are some examples:
Policy
Replace progressive tax with flat tax
Assumption Based Reasoning
- Progressive taxation is unfair because it punishes people for working harder.
- Progressive taxation does not make economic sense since it discourages hard work.
- Progressive taxation redistributes wealth and is therefore socialist.
Different markets drive different pay rates for incomparable types of work. Does an NFL quarterback making millions of dollars a year work more or less than a college president also making seven figures? Do they both work harder than the 3rd shift paramedic making 40k a year?
Progressive taxation also does not nullify differences in pay either so there is still incentive to be a better worker. Someone making 75k still takes more home than someone making 60k.
Policy
Abolish social security, government healthcare, and other social programs.
Assumption Based Reasoning
Why should the hard working pay for the well being of the lazy and irresponsible.
Reality
The ability to work, make money, save and invest depends on the ebb and flow of economic tides as well as being healthy enough.
Policy
Prevent and rollback labor and union protections.
Assumption Based Reasoning
Labor laws and union protections hold back the hardworking from reaching their true earning potential while stifling business from growing and hiring more people.
Reality
While overpowered unions are detrimental to businesses and laborers alike, labor rights exist to bring balance to a free job market that inherently creates downward pressure on compensation and benefits. Work ethic is a hard sell when competing for job against someone else is who is willing to work for less and forego sick days.
The above examples are not particularly offensive considering the GOP has traditionally been the party aligned with big business. What’s more disturbing is their ability to sell their agenda without anyone questioning this transparently flawed assumption.