is a gooey, caramel center…at least I hope so.
Have you read this Paul Krugman editorial on the Madoff effect? In short, he talks about the overinflation of the finance industry’s role in our economy and society, how we kind of have had this blind faith in finance to bring us value — but I think the most original idea in this piece is how finance has been a big talent drain; our best and brightest are drawn to the high salaraies of investment firms, instead of going into the science and art. Instead a ruling class of finance geniuses, maybe we could have had the cure for cancer, more alternative-energy vehicles, more art, more scientific discoveries if these kids went else where.
No doubt, money is a driving factor in our country, beyond taking care of basic living costs. One of my relatives said his friends passed on med school because you could no longer make big bucks as a doctor. And I was like really? Isn’t a doctor supposed to help people? But I thought it was positive, hoping that the doctor salary sea change might lead to having doctors who, I don’t know, live to make you feel better rather than send you a bill.
Similarly, with the spectacular collapse (b/c really, it is spectacular) of the finance industry, I hope we can look forward to some cool changes.
P.S. None of the above is my original thought. My friend Becca forwarded me the Krugman piece, and my other friend Angela posted the gooey-center of the economy on her FB status. Both ideas I thought were cool enough to steal.