I really don't care about poor people.

Golly, calm down everyone! I was merely going to say that British people are the most arrogant nationality in the world. I've foreign relatives on my mothers side- they'd never criticise their country. I've no explanation, I just think that we're arrogant in the suffering and misfortune that's going on in the rest of the world. If only these people had any idea of the typpical 'foreigners' opinion of Britain- you'd be as proud as I am when I visit such relatives.

The majority of you lot try to adhere to all this 'PC' nonsense. I doubt very much that you'd swap places with a typical Ethiopian child for a year, if only to gain insiht into your narrow-minded little lives. ****in hell- it wouldnt kill you to have a little pride in your beautiful country, thats all I meant.

They often do take them into consideration. We get to know the limits of economic models but they are surprisingly helpful and deep.

It is usually non-economists who think they understand economics who do that. You learn quickly how... "perverse" some markets are.

So the employer has to fork out more money simply because they dont enjoy their jobs.

Economists and physicists are just failed mathematicians!

They often do take them into consideration. We get to know the limits of economic models but they are surprisingly helpful and deep.

This isn't new - it just means a lot of people do jobs they don't enjoy enough.

kb500 can I ask what your profession is?

I am currently a student.

Some people are not clever enough to get a profession. Some people have medical conditions which affects their ability to do work. I for example would make a useless builder due to a medical problem.

Ok I am all for taking into consideration exceptions, however a medical condition which prevents you from taking up one professon does not prevent you from all professions. Some people are not clever enough, fine, but going back to the original point of this thread why should I care then?

From your posts it seems you do care about people who be disabled or have medical conditions which affect their learning ability.

''Yes none of us look down on the poor''.

Neither do I, you fool. Without the working class, I probably wouldn't eat of an evening. And I certainly wouldnt own the fabulous arctic fox fur stole i'm currently wrapped up in. It's a chilly night, and I'm a grounded girl, so get off my case kids.

Yes you are right I do care about people in these conditions but they fall into the category of exceptions, I also have first hand experience of people who have learning difficulties or have been physically handicapped and they both coped very well.

No, we're applied and practical mathematicians.

Be sure to not choke on that fur.

kb500 - some people really do have massive leanings one way or the other in their thought processes.

Of course but not massive enough to prohibit you from doing GSCE's

There are more inputs than 'effort' into securing A level grades. Go back to your econometrics models for this kind of stuff. There are heavily distributed copies of data covering this area you can play around with.

Lol I don't do and never intend to do econometrics let's have a more subjective argument Of course there are more imputs but I would venture that the overriding factor is effort.

Finally - there is 'luck'. Good and bad.

<stuff>

Came over all emotional at that- thanks for your concern.

And what are you? Working 24/7?

You expect people to 'laze' as much as possible in their job as their requirement from wage allow. This isn't new - it just means a lot of people do jobs they don't enjoy enough.

Luck

That large gaping hole in almost every model you test against the evidence. That 'u' error term which all too often happens to be really large...

It's really important in explaining why sometimes, the smartest, nicest, most industrious - can still end up very poor.

And the dumbest, rudest and laziest - very rich.

Then I shall explain myself. I often get the impression that the successful often feel obliged to play down their achievemnts for fear of offending the not-so-fortunate. How about a nice big 'thankyou' to the rich of the world. Without them, we'd all be frickin' poor.

As Machiavelli said it is the way you use luck that determines your success, bad luck isn't a sufficient explanation for a whole life of underachievement.