A new janitor was hired to work in a hospital. After a few days of work, he noticed how doctors were treated with great respect by everyone.So one day, he approaches a doctor and asks him, “Sir, everybody seems to respect you and you seem to be well paid. Do you mind if I ask you how much they pay you?”
The doctor replied: “$200,000 per year.”
“Really?” said the janitor. He thought about it for a few seconds, then asked another question: “And how many years did you have to work as a janitor before they promoted you to doctor?”
This story about a janitor illustrates the sacred “truth” of working hard as the guarantee of the success. The trick is hiding in the words “hard” and “success.” Everybody interprets it differently. Many people use “smart” instead of “hard.” Or include in the notion of success different components.
Another sacred truth that exists today in the American society is the belief that private initiative, driven by maximizing the profit, is the answer to all problems in the society.
Untouchable private initiative as the guarantee of the success of the society.
Sometimes I argue and attract their attention to the fact that, for example, recently we observe an acceleration of the market consolidation. Large corporations absorb potential competition and have now power bigger than many nations. With such market control, they lose the incentive to improve quality of the product and lower the price. Without an alternative, people will buy it anyway. Just push more ads at the prime time. Reminds me a totalitarian system, by the way.
But my friends argue back that it is government (motivated by the lobbyists) guilty of the market corruption. They issue various regulations and even laws that help the big corporations. They agree that monopolization makes the market unhealthy. But the source of the problem they see in the government and its interference with the market.
Meanwhile, I listened recently an interview with the first prime minister of independent Ukraine (1990-1992) Vitold Fokin. He impressed me with his professional expertise, honesty, and life experience (he had a very hard life as a kid and as a young man, working as a coal miner). From other sources, I also knew that he created a solid economic foundation for young independent Ukraine, without which it would be in much more trouble today.
Fokin related several interesting stories (how some important decisions, including the decision to dissolve the USSR, were made behind the closed doors), which I would like to retell you. But, for now, I will mention only one his statement. He said that to turn around the country economy is very easy if only the government really would like to do it. I believe him. And my own experience confirms it, even if on a smaller scale. A group of dedicated people can do miracles.
Just look at Elon Musk. Few people believed he could accomplish what he has achieved today.
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