Who’s more important? A CEO, politician, trash collector or nurse

A CEO seems pretty important, but would a business miss them for one day? No, someone else would step up and make the decisions. And let’s face it, most of their decisions are no-brainers or pretty inconsequential in the medium term. After six months, the stock price will likely be affected more by the rest of the market than by any decisions employees made.

Politicians may seem important too, but during the 2025 US government shutdown, the 3rd highest ranked politician in America sent the House home for most of the 43 day crisis. Obviously, Mike Johnson doesn’t think they’re important. And why should he?

After the 2010 Belgian election, the country went 589 days without an elected government. Civil servants can keep things running fine.

A day without trash collectors may not be an issue everywhere, but in a busy city, that could be long enough for some alleys and sidewalks to become hard to pass. After a week, some alleys and sidewalks will be completely blocked. After a month, many roads are completely blocked and rats and pigeons are making themselves at home. After six months, even lights and sirens won’t get you through the city as main routes are completely blocked and packs of feral dogs are moving as freely as the airborne diseases that are striking down the old and infirm.

We don’t even need a full day without nurses to suffer multiple unnecessary deaths. After a week, the health system, public and private, has collapsed and the economy is already feeling the strain. After a month, the economy is trending hard downwards as not only are sick workers missing from their jobs, so are family and friends who are staying home to care for them. After six months, society has regressed more than a century and minor ailments are once again a matter of life and death.

CEOs and politicians invariably form part of the wealthiest 10% of Americans, who hoard 67.4% of the country’s wealth. Trash collectors and nurses are much more likely to be in the poorest 50%, who share just 2.5% of America’s wealth.

So why does society reward CEOs and politicians so well, when they provide so little value, yet reward trash collectors and nurses so badly when they literally save our lives?

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Click to copy post textA CEO seems pretty important, but would a business miss them for one day? No, someone else would step up and make the decisions. And let's face it, most of their decisions are no-brainers or pretty inconsequential in the medium term. After six months, the stock price will likely be affected more by the rest of the market than by any decisions employees made. Politicians may seem important too, but during the 2025 US government shutdown, the 3rd highest ranked politician in America sent the House home for most of the 43 day crisis. Obviously, Mike Johnson doesn't think they're important. And why should he? After the 2010 Belgian election, the country went 589 days without an elected government. Civil servants can keep things running fine. A day without trash collectors may not be an issue everywhere, but in a busy city, that could be long enough for some alleys and sidewalks to become hard to pass. After a week, some alleys and sidewalks will be completely blocked. After a month, many roads are completely blocked and rats and pigeons are making themselves at home. After six months, even lights and sirens won't get you through the city as main routes are completely blocked and packs of feral dogs are moving as freely as the airborne diseases that are striking down the old and infirm. We don't even need a full day without nurses to suffer multiple unnecessary deaths. After a week, the health system, public and private, has collapsed and the economy is already feeling the strain. After a month, the economy is trending hard downwards as not only are sick workers missing from their jobs, so are family and friends who are staying home to care for them. After six months, society has regressed more than a century and minor ailments are once again a matter of life and death. CEOs and politicians invariably form part of the wealthiest 10% of Americans, who hoard 67.4% of the country's wealth. Trash collectors and nurses are much more likely to be in the poorest 50%, who share just 2.5% of America's wealth. So why does society reward CEOs and politicians so well, when they provide so little value, yet reward trash collectors and nurses so badly when they literally save our lives?

Thank you