I think many in public service would be thoroughly insulted
by your assumption that the only incentive that matters is a selfish,
financial one. On the contrary, such as soldiers, nurses and politicians
develop their careers, say from sergeant to colour sergeant, or nurse
to specialist nurse, or back-bench MP to junior minister, out of a sense
of vocation. Given their skills and aptitudes, experience and contacts,
there is no doubt that all these types could take home a bigger
pay-packet each month in the private sector. Yet they stay. How do you
account for that, in the tawdry, self-centred, money-grubbing little
world you propose?
Im not suggesting for one moment that these people got into their vocation simply for the money. In fact, you raise the point of:
there is no doubt that all these types could take home a bigger
pay-packet each month in the private sector
You're right, the doctors and nurses should indeed be earning more (certainly more than $33,000!!). Don't you agree? But they're not. Because, again, the system is set up to benefit the top 1% who are brokers/bankers.
The reason they're not in the private sector is that it's very competitive to get hired in private healthcare. You have to be the best. And the best in the public sector do indeed go over to the private sector.
You say that capitalism works. I agree
that it works reasonably well for some. And for a few it works
extremely well indeed. But it does not work at all for those in
vulnerable penury, who are liable to die from entirely preventable
starvation and hunger related disease. And we should not leave them out
of the calculus, when congratulating ourselves on how well the system
works, just because they do not have the currency to express economic
demand.
The problem with poverty in lack of healthcare is simply a matter of their government not treating this as a problem. We know it is a problem, but some countries would rather spend their money on nuclear weapons or furnishing their lavish private residences while they're in power. There's absolutely no need for any African nation to be in poverty. As we know, the world has enough resources to feed everyone many times over. But giving everyone $33,000 would just make the people selling water and medicine bump their prices up.
I hope you understand, i dont wish the world to be like that, but it is like that.
