>conflating contractually obligated compensation with (what
>appears to be) the overall strategy behind executive
>(over)compensation. I reeeally really don't think CEOs are
>compensated based on some calculus of how deserving they are
>compared to workers, or how much more qualified, etc. I think
>it's all about profits.

Why are contractual obligations guaranteed? Why don't they come with performance clauses? The CEO is already paid handsomely. Why add a contractually obligated payment regardless of performance?

>Like, you're 100% right. Shitty CEOs still get paid for their
>work. But I think that's moreso in honor of whatever contract
>was agreed to between the company and the executive, not
>unlike the way shitty employees are also still paid for their
>work. Shitty CEOs don't usually end up keeping their job,
>though (eg. Marissa Mayer getting booted/asked to resign from
>Yahoo is a recent example that comes to mind. She was still
>paid handsomely.)

Does it really hurt to lose a job that paid you $260 mil to leave (yes, she got $260 mil)? C'mon. You act like losing that job is some detriment to her livelihood.

>In contrast, I think the crux of the overall strategy behind
>executive (over)compensation is that those millions that a
>board hands off to an executive is viewed more as a price to
>pay for profits. Meaning, if they have somebody with whatever
>combination of experience, network, strategy, and ruthlessness
>who can consistently help them meet or exceed desired profit
>targets, than X% of said profits is a reasonable price to pay
>to make said profits.

And the rest of the workforce doesn't contribute to said profits? This is a cop out. Paying a livable wage 'should' be a cost of doing business mandate but because oligarchy is the norm in government, no one makes corporate greed accountable for the masses. So they conflate the importance of a CEO, pay them even if they fail and complain whenever the 10's of thousands of peasants say, 'it's hard to live on $11/hr in New York/DC/Chicago/LA/Houston/Atlanta, etc'.

How dare you ask for enough to keep up with inflation when we have to pay CEO's more than they've ever made in history?!?!