What we pay for

From "Celebs shell out big bucks for security"
http://www.cnn.com/2009/SHOWBIZ/Music/11/06/celebrity.security.costs/index.html

"This week, rapper 50 Cent, whose real name is Curtis Jackson, admitted that he spends $20,000 a week on security at his Farmington, Connecticut, mansion."

and

"That cost can rise by a premium of $20,000 a month the second a celebrity stalker enters the equation."

Seems like there might be an easy way for security companies to jack up revenue if they ever get into a pinch: invent a stalker. I'm only half joking here.

This article illuminates some of pathologies in our society. And we are not lacking for pathologies at present are we.

The Wikipedia entry for him reports that:
- "50 Cent is one of the richest hip-hop performers, having a net worth estimated at US $440 million in 2008.
- Born in South Jamaica, Queens, 50 Cent began drug dealing at the age of twelve during the 1980s crack epidemic.[3] After leaving drug dealing to pursue a rap career, he was shot at and struck by nine bullets during an incident in 2000. After releasing
- On June 29, 1994, Jackson was arrested for helping to sell four vials of cocaine to an undercover police officer. He was arrested again three weeks later when police searched his home and found heroin, ten ounces of crack cocaine, and a starter gun.

His music glorifies violence, talks a lot about money for the sake of money and like most rap is filled with misogyny. You can listen to his first big hit here:
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/8/80/How_To_Rob.ogg
He made movie called "Get Rich or Die Tryin"

Basically he started out as a criminal selling drugs (and not just pot but crack cocaine) and has made quite a bit of money for himself in glorifying the criminal lifestyle. He's not alone. Is he a good entertainer? I guess so,when you listen to his stuff (and that or others like him), it's like the "id" run riot, like the call of the wild and there is a certain appeal to that, but that's not my point here.

My point is that regardless of what we say we want our kids to do and grow up to be, this is what we pay for. We may say we want our kids to say in school and acquire skills and so for forth but that's just talk. 50 cent has 440 million dollars. We get what we pay for. Our urban school systems are in chaos with violence and drugs are rampant. 100 school kids shot down in Chicago last year. We get what we pay for. We pay athletes millions per year and guys like 50 can accumulate fortunes. Kids in inner city schools overwhelmingly tell us they want to be rappers and professional athletes. We get what we pay for.

Are people in this country really surprised at how criminal, hoodlum, violent and corrupt we are? We get what we pay for.

And even if you cannot make to to the 50 cent level, there is a lot of money to be made in protecting people like him. From the aforementioned article: "..paying each security guard between $500 and $1,000 a day while away from home." That rate comes to between $135000 and $270000 per year. That's a lot better than McDonalds. In fact, that's a lot better than being an accountant. And there no college degree required and no crushing student loans to worry about.

As has been noted by numerous CEO's, pundits and others defending huge salaries for CEOs and Wall Street traders and such: income is a means of keeping score and keeping score is important in capitalism (and in life). The process of keeping score helps to keep people motivated and focused and informs them of whether or not they are doing the right things.

Come down to any inner city Chicago public school and take a look. We get what we pay for.