Unconditionally Basic Salary for everybody.

[Zak33]

COMMUNISM

It saddens me that people say the word like it's a self-explanatory bad thing.

I don't think that's what he meant. I think he meant exactly what the word is. Communism.

A Community all working towards an end goal, with utter equality across the board for everyone.

Communism.

And that's effectively, what paying everyone a similar wage is all about.

It's also utterly impossible, because the world is as full of spongers as it is hard workers... and it's just not gonna happen.

[Mousemat]

I don't think that's what he meant. I think he meant exactly what the word is. Communism.

A Community all working towards an end goal, with utter equality across the board for everyone.

Communism.

And that's effectively, what paying everyone a similar wage is all about.

It's also utterly impossible, because the world is as full of spongers as it is hard workers... and it's just not gonna happen.

IIRC there was a study years back that said that communism only worked in communes. Who'd have thunk it.

[Mousemat]

It all has not been down to money for example. The separation of faith and class from universities also helped a lot.

When UCL was set up in 1826 it was the first university in the country to be secular and admit people regardless of their religion,gender or class. However you still had to pay so it meant that people from sections of society who would never be accepted at university before could go to university as long as they had money. These types of people were considered wealthy but of not sufficient class or religious background to go to the traditional "ancient" universities which had a lot of connections with the Church. The fact is you still needed the money so almost all university admissions were based on ability to pay and/or social standing NOT ability. It has only been in the last century that university entrance has been more connected with actual intellectual ability.

In fact UCL was called the "Godless Institution of Gower Street" at the time by the Church!!

I'm not quite sure what bearing religion and gender has in a thread related to the rich/poor and redistribution of wealth. Race was also a key point for entry for many years too, but none of those is related to the topic at hand...as you say, "The fact is you still needed the money". The aim of my posts was not to focus on privelage in the education system, but to point out that advances which have come from those establishments have benefitted rich and poor alike.

Medical and technological advancements have large costs attached to their research and if some millionaire is willing to fund that research on the hope that he'll get a payoff at the end then I say be glad that he was greedy. It might just lead to the person doing the research curing cancer or something.

[Cris2fer]

^ that's exactly what I thought when I read it!

Me too..... wonder the average salary is in the UK now?... there are sites which are supposed to benchmark your salary in your industry

Maybe there should be a poll on here... would be interesting

I think a few of us would have chosen different careers with hindsight

[CAT-THE-FIFTH]

I'm not quite sure what bearing religion and gender has in a thread related to the rich/poor and redistribution of wealth. Race was also a key point for entry for many years too, but none of those is related to the topic at hand...as you say, "The fact is you still needed the money".

Actually if people are being discriminated against regarding their sex,gender,race or religion they are less likely to get opportunities to do better paid jobs or even set up their own businesses.

Look at what happened with black people in the US and South Africa or countries like Malaysia with their racial policies.

The fact is that it meant there were less "rich" people among these populations as a percentage meaning less could afford to send their children even to educational establishments where race was NOT an issue. The same goes for women who were denied the same educational rights for years men had worldwide which meant on average men had more of the wealth.

In many countries ruled by European nations people who were not Christians were discriminated against actively in education and jobs for years. This has lead to massive problems after independence in many of these nations and even war.

The aim of my posts was not to focus on privelage in the education system, but to point out that advances which have come from those establishments have benefitted rich and poor alike.

Of course they have but is does not mean that it was a good or even correct system.

Medical and technological advancements have large costs attached to their research and if some millionaire is willing to fund that research on the hope that he'll get a payoff at the end then I say be glad that he was greedy. It might just lead to the person doing the research curing cancer or something.

Actually most research is funded by the government,charities or companies.

[TheAnimus]

The classic example of race been defined by economic means was the New Deal offered after the great depression in the US, and it was a new deal..... Just so long as you where white.