HOW much is a top class surgeon worth? What’s the going rate for saving hundreds of lives?
Is a bomb disposal expert worth more or less than a doctor, and what about those brave souls working undercover to save us from terrorist attacks? I doubt they have a long and healthy life, so what's their compensation rate?
Now, consider those who possess the ability to kick a football farther, faster and more accurately than anyone else? Generally speaking they don’t save too many lives and tend to fall down for no apparent reason. What do we pay these talented individuals? If Cristiano Ronaldo’s transfer is anything to go by, it’s about £80million.
I wonder how they worked that out? If, as I’m lead to believe, it’s supply and demand, the going rate for a doctor in a disaster must be in the billions. How much is a lifeboat crew worth when a ship capsizes?
Everyone has to make a living, and if you can dribble a ball better than anyone on the planet then you deserve a decent wage, but come on. Eighty million … it’s a joke right?
Fracture the Little Piggy going to market and it’s wee…wee…wee all the way home.
Look, I really admire Ronaldo, I’d pay to see him any day, but not when I’m clinging to a life raft in the North Sea, and should I be in urgent need of a heart transplant, bending one in from 40 yards isn’t going to do it.
The views on this page are Vic Barlow's and not necessarily those of the Express
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Most recent user comments 16 of 16
22/07/2009 at 22:22 Offensive or Inappropriate?
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"[As a side note - are all opinions worthy of respect, MaccSpider? What about those pertaining to religion and other non-factually held beliefs and opinions]? "
Somewhat irrelevant but how about respecting the person whilst disagreeing with their opinion and not patronising them?
There are those who patronisingly caricature those who dislike the status quo and would rather it were different and those who would suppress others opinions and deny them a platform when they differ from there own. I'm sure that you would join me in condemnsing them, wouldn't you.
In this case I find the values that we have as a society sometimes distasteful and also sometimes counterproductive. Where we, as a society, do not see the value of some essential activities then we run risks
26/06/2009 at 08:48 Offensive or Inappropriate?
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Oh, I forgot, Siddy aint quite newsworthy yet are they!
26/06/2009 at 07:06 Offensive or Inappropriate?
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he criticises the deal, then in the same breath says "i'd pay money to see Ronaldo"
You just captured in that sentance exactly why Madrid paid 80m for him!
26/06/2009 at 07:02 Offensive or Inappropriate?
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JUST HUMAN MORAL DECENT THOUGHT OUT OPINION THATS ALL
26/06/2009 at 00:24 Offensive or Inappropriate?
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[As a side note - are all opinions worthy of respect, MaccSpider? What about those pertaining to religion and other non-factually held beliefs and opinions]?
It is indeed possible to "express wonder whilst at the same time completely understanding why these things occur" and I'm not aware of anyone saying otherwise.
And indeed... an acceptance of the current status quo is not the same as finding it palatable, but again, no-one, to my knowledge, has suggested that - certainly not me.
25/06/2009 at 19:30 Offensive or Inappropriate?
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25/06/2009 at 16:15 Offensive or Inappropriate?
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To caricature the indignation of some as naive is insulting and patronising in the extreme. They may be making a moral point which is at least worthy of respect, even if you disagree.
"You may feel that those involved in ministering to the sick and defusing bombs should be paid much, much more than they are now...as nothing to do with the value placed by a for-profit entity on the services of Ronaldo"
Actually, completely opposite to the point I made. It is possible to express wonder whilst at the same time completely understanding why these things occur. However an acceptance of the current status quo is not the same as finding it palatable. Could it be that to suggest otherwise is naive? :)
25/06/2009 at 13:56 Offensive or Inappropriate?
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OK I can afford a season ticket but I see, and know, many there who are scraping the bottom of the barrel to support their team.
Lets face it many of the players, no most of the players, are overpaid and over rated.
25/06/2009 at 13:36 Offensive or Inappropriate?
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As for Surgeons and bomb disposal people, how on earth can you value people like that. As for the waste workers, give me one of them anyday to over paid spoilt little brats.
Football is not a sport anymore, Ronaldo is not a sportsman as he falls over if a blade of grass is sticking up.
At least people like Mr. Victor can see through transparency.
25/06/2009 at 13:16 Offensive or Inappropriate?
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More appropriate comparisons would involve comparing the prices paid for, and to, footballers, including Ronaldo, to the cost of tickets to go see the teams, or the cost of team shirts. Or perhaps the salaries of public sector workers whose functions the public generally value and admire, compared to the salaries of their bosses, or other individuals paid by the same public sector entities, that are perhaps not so well-liked.
25/06/2009 at 13:15 Offensive or Inappropriate?
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Excellent
25/06/2009 at 11:58 Offensive or Inappropriate?
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No they don't, they were statements of fact not of personal values. The comments may suggest how much society or those who spend public money value these various people, but not MF. That suggestion would seem to be rather just having a dig at the writer i.e. at MF.
It seems to me that there is a weird imbalance in the way that various people or professions are valued by society. The most valuable (waste disposal people, those who provide clean water etc) get valued least and those others get valued more. Yet if we were to suggest paying those who dispose of waste or sewage their true worth to public health and well-being I can imagine the protests against the costs to Council tax payers for example.
25/06/2009 at 09:10 Offensive or Inappropriate?
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25/06/2009 at 04:35 Offensive or Inappropriate?
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Your comments just show how much you value, Bomb Disposal people, doctors, etc.
Or are you just after making a dig at the writer, again.
24/06/2009 at 22:38 Offensive or Inappropriate?
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While we can debate until the cows come home whether or not the transaction is worth £80 million, this is a business transaction, plain and simple. It's about the value of an individual to an organization that wants to make money. While Mr. Barlow might be indignant at the size of the deal, surgeons and bomb disposal experts are of little use to business entities wanting to generate profits.
The comparison is just plain silly.
24/06/2009 at 14:05 Offensive or Inappropriate?
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