101

I often share Meg Ryan's frustration of not knowing exactly what to say exactly when I want to say it. While she struggled in You've Got Mail to fire off a timely zinger as a comeback, today I walked away from Sociology 101 frustrated at my inability to argue. Comparing Marx and Durkheim, Conflict Theory and the importance of stratification. I was peeved at the presentation of Marx and the Conflict Theory because I knew-just knew they were wrong, but found myself without the words to form a halfway intelligent argument. The lecture was completely one sided, and while I so wanted to point out some inherent flaw, my mind refused to stop stuttering.

"Is it fair for the CEO of a company to make 400x the salary of a new hire, when he probably does very little and delegates actual management to others? This creates a situation for him to exploit the employees. Why would he pay the employees more when that would take money out of his pocket? Profit corrupts." -ewu

As I walked away from Patterson Hall, shivering in the cold, bitter wind that has invaded Eastern Washington University, I tried to talk myself through it.

Why is it more fair for a doctor, lawyer, or even my dad (a manager at Boeing) to make the same amount as somebody on an assembly line? They have the experience, they work anywhere between 40-80 hours a week, are employed in stressful environments, are responsible for decisions affecting any number of people, and have sacrificed years and thousands of dollars at school-how is it more fair for them to make the same as a laborer working 8 hours a day putting the same ten bolts in a car all day long? I am not saying that our current capitalist system with its stratification is perfect. But I ask to be presented with a better alternative. One that does not end in anarchy, poverty, or dictators commanding nations at their every whim. I don't think that money is the only thing motivating people. I don't believe that without capitalism we would be back in the stone ages. But take away competition, and incentive for people to work hard and achieve-I do think this would be worse. It all comes back to human nature in the end. Our greed and desire for power is the reason some CEO's do exploit their companies. Human nature gave us Enron. Human nature also gave us Communist Russia. Is there nothing else? Maybe, perhaps not-but whatever solution we may reach will still lie within the limits of humans. Re-distribution of resources-it worked for the early church in Acts. In the end, it all comes back to our focus. I'll bet Jesus has some ideas on socioeconomics.