Nepotism, Your thoughts.

[coloradodem2005]

I was watching 20/20 last night. They were discussing Nepotism, and even brought up our "favorite" president. But they were debating the idea that people can get ahead if they are related to someone famous. People even priaised the idea of it. It can be a good thing to get a leg up but it irritates me that people with no talent trade on their names. People like Bush. What do you think?

[camero]

1. It's rediculous

Every business that I saw that relied on nepotism to function always failed. Taking care of your family is fine. But don't put them in a supervisory position. It only reduces morale.

[Syncronaut Seven]

2. I think it ought to be prosecuted!

Like every other sex crime! ;)

[Sapphocrat]

3. Close to home for me...

My incredibly rich, incurably arrogant, maddeningly smug, hardcore, Bush*-donating, Republican cousin owes his success to charisma, hard work, a college degree... and his father handing him a thriving, well-established business on a silver platter.

Talent or no talent, it imbues the "heir to the throne" with a sense of entitlement in all things, and the firm conviction that poor people deserve everything they (don't) get.

[HawkerHurricane]

4. Inherited postitions...

Well, a little history lesson...

Everyone's heard of Charlemagne? Hear of his sons? No? Of course, they were incompetent, but they did inherit vast tracts of land which they promptly lost control of...

Whole slews of Kings of England who couldn't hack it...

Russian Czars...

While some people inherited stuff and did as good as (or better) than thier parents, the Alexanders of the world are the exeption, not the norm.

Nope, sorry, we told the last inherited ruler to buzz off; we should have done the same to this one.

[kskiska]

5. Exactly

I remember a section of the old People's Almanac on famous, accomplished people and their offspring. Among the examples were Einstein's children. I also read recently All the Presidents' Children, on the same subject. It's rare that the offspring of these "geniuses" live up to their parents' legacies. Case in point: *. Many end up suicides or unhappy or shortened lives for other reasons. They're constantly seeking the parent's approval, and many times don't ever get it.

Another example I just thought of: Commodore Vanderbilt made a fortune in railroads. He left it to his sons, who left it to their sons, etc. Little by little, it got pissed away. Gloria was left to make her own fortune.

[devilgrrl]

6. With Stossel as the co-host, I'm not surprised that this would be a topic.

Nor does it surprise me that some would defend it. Didn't Adam Bellow write a books praising Nepotism? Seems to me that Stossel and Bellow are of the same ilk, so expect more of these kinds of stories from 20/20.

[coloradodem2005]

8. Yeah...

...it makes me sick that people not only accept nepotism but actually praise it.

[Hamlette]

9. I'll praise nepotism

I've been in managerial positions and hiring people is very difficult. Picking the wrong person can be a disaster.

The experts say "hire someone who is related to someone in your organization or friends with someone in your org." I've had much better luck hiring people who have friends or relatives who already work here. (among the reasons I remember are that someone who works for you would not recommend a dud and someone who was hired based on the recommendation of a friend/relative doesn't want to do a bad job that will tarnish their friends/relatives reputation too.)

Inheriting a business/job is a different story. My cousins from the rich side of the family have accomplished nothing. But that's different than the kind of nepotism I'm talking about.

[Muddleoftheroad]

11. Friends are people we choose

And I will always seek to hire them. I don't hire relatives -- mine or those of others.

[Eric J in MN]

13. Adam Bellow was interviewed on the show (nt)

nt

[SoCalDem]

7. I missed 20/20.. ( I usually do these days)

SoCalDem (1000+ posts) Sat Feb-07-04 10:54 PM
Response to Original message

1. I missed 20/20.. ( I usually do these days)


but that does not surprise me in the least...

The three families mentioned are no different from ANY well to do family. It's only natural for people of one generation to "set the stage" for the next.

Most of us translate that into a U-Haul full of hand-me-down furniture, Mom's old car and a job lead or two for our kids.. If we have more, we DO more.

It's one thing to bring one's children into the family business, but politics is a different kind of "business". The ones at the top are there because of the favors they have managed to either dole out or call in.

The obscene amount of money they raise to acquire their position, far out paces the salary that the position pays. That is the nasty little fact that people do not question, but should. Why would any "good businessman" spend 14 million dollars for a business worth $300,000 ($150,00 x 2 year salary for congress)? It's about the connections and the "favors".

The pernicious nepotism in government is troubling to me, regardless of the party affiliation or surname. When we elect an official , it should be because of WHAT they know, rather than WHO they know.

Did 20/20 mention Ted Steven's son? Did they mention Frank Murkowski's daughter? Did they mention GW or Jeb or Marvin or Neil?
Did they mention Liddy Dole?

The fact that they mentioned Gore is odd too, because it is NOT a bit unusual for father/son to both serve in congress. The husband/wife angle is new, but that's only because this crop of women is the first to reach the "proper age" and experience level.

The Kennedy's are another story in themselves. NONE of the Kennedy "kids" ever needed to do a single day's worth of work. They could have all lived out their lives playing golf, sailing,globe trotting, or just lounging about. The difference is that they were taught that they should give back to the country that had "given" them so much.

Republicans are jealous of the Kennedy's and Clintons because they have always had the two things that republican money cannot buy.. Charisma and empathy..

Why they continue to pick on Gore is beyond me. He is out of their league completely. He is a decent guy with a nice family. His only "sin" is that he was vice president to their target of hatred... Clinton

[ComerPerro]

10. It sucks

You can go places without having a good name, but having the right name sure helps.

Especially in Bush's America

[Muddleoftheroad]

12. Hypocrisy

OK, I'm all for going after the * family. However, it is hypocritical of anyone to criticize THEM for nepotism and fail to point out that Al Gore came from an identical political family.

"The elder Gore served seven terms in the U.S. House of Representatives and then three in the Senate, when he was a leader among liberals. He spoke out against desegregation and opposed the Vietnam War, an unpopular move in conservative Tennessee that contributed to his defeat in 1970."

http://www.cnn.com/ALLPOLITICS/stories/1998/12/09/gore.funeral/

He had also aspired to be president, he just hadn't succeeded.

[Toots]

14. I am a strong advocate of Father/ Son Businesses

Usually certain traits are encouraged within families and those traits may lead toward success or maybe down a road of crime. It certainly is not unusual for a son to follow in his father's footsteps.

[Nikia]

15. It seems rather unfair

I went to college with a couple of people who were guarenteed good jobs upon graduation even if they were C students. Their parents, other realtives, or friends of the family had jobs lined up for them. It sort of makes those of us angry who have to struggle to get hired for less than half of what they are making in an economy with lots of laid off experienced people.
On the otherhand, many small businesses do quite well passing the business to their children especially if the children have grown up around the business and appreciate the hard work that their parents put into the business to make it successful. I think that every parent owning a small business should be able to make that decision whether or not their children have the drive and skills to run the business.
As for me, I am here with my husband in a place where we know few people, and even fewer of any influence, and our families are far away. I almost puposely neglected to mention that I was offered a job out of college too by the same unfair connections, not nearly as grand as my rich counterparts but paying a little more than I make now. Then my cousin turned it down too. Are we a different sort of people, my cousin and I? My husband will likely receive a seven digit inheritance when his parents die but I don't think of it in regards to our future or really want it. It all seems unfair. I want to say that what I have is based on my merits, my hard work, my skills. I don't want to be indebted to anyone for what I have.
On the otherhand, everyone else around me is taking these oppurtunties. We don't live in a merit based society. There are are only a few career tracks that one can make a good salary based on merit. I made the mistake of not picking one although I still could always go to medical school if we could afford that right now.
I'll stay here living this working/middle class life aware that I could do much better than I am doing now, knowing that I have the skills and drive to handle a much better position. I apply for these positions and rarely get a return call. Ninety percent of the jobs here are gotten through networking, which leaves stiff competition for the rest. It all seems rather unfair.