RUBEN NAVARRETTE Says Envy, Class Jealousy Are Wrong

Click here to read the article

He says some people earn more than others because:

"Much of it is tied to individuals' decisions about how much education they're going to pursue, and how hard they're going to pursue it. Most obstacles people face are self-imposed and self-designed. We can't say that enough, especially at a time when too many Americans blame others for their troubles, failings and shortcomings."

and

"Whether movie stars, professional athletes or television and radio personalities, a simple formula decides someone's worth: It's what someone else is willing to pay them. I bet that makes sense to most people. But for others, there is an emotion that always seems to get in the way. It's class envy - the sense that it's simply not fair that some earn in an hour what it takes others to earn in a month. It doesn't help that plenty of politicians and pundits shamelessly try to cultivate that resentment and use it for their own purposes."
Is Navarrette right?

Colleges punish illegal downloaders

Are these students getting what they deserve? You can leave comments anonymously. Here are some excerpts from the article

"For students who are caught, punishments can vary from e-mail warnings to semester-long suspensions from classes."

Students caught twice are forced "to watch an eight-minute anti-piracy DVD produced by the RIAA."

"Under federal law, universities that receive complaints about students illegally distributing copyrighted songs generally must act to stop repeat offenders or else the schools can be sued."

You can read more about this here and here and here and here

Does Money Make You Mean?

Go to Does Money Make You Mean? to see the article. Here is the intro:

"We all know that money can't buy love or happiness. But could just thinking about money actually make you mean?

A new behavioral study finds that folks with money on their minds are less helpful, less considerate and less willing to ask for assistance or engage with others than those who have not been preconditioned to money. On the bright side, the money-minded tend to be more independent and focused and they tend to work longer on a task before asking for help."

If any of my students get a chance, let me know what you think of this issue.

HERO'S JOURNEY ENTREPRENEURSHIP FESTIVAL

The first annual HERO'S JOURNEY ENTREPRENEURSHIP FESTIVAL will be held on March 31 at Pepperdine University. It has been organized by Dr. Elliot McGucken. Here is a description of the day-long event:

"The Hero's Journey Entrepreneurship Festival seeks to give students, artists, and entrepreneurs the tools to make their passions their professions--to protect and profit from their ideas--to take ownership in their careers and creations. For Adam Smith's invisible hand enriches all when happiness is pursued by artists and innovators--society's natural founts of wealth."

There will be several talks and panel discussions. I might be there and give a talk (but that is still being worked on). This festival gets at Why this blog is called The Dangerous Economist. For more information go to The Relationship Between Economics and Mythology