We are told that Marxism can really work (why, just look at Bernie Sanders!), but when we point to its many (bloody) failures in the past, we are invariably told, "It just wasn't done right, so let's keep trying!"  This article is an example of another such attempt.

Three months ago, Mr. Price, 31, announced he was setting a new minimum salary of $70,000 at his Seattle credit card processing firm, Gravity Payments, and slashing his own million-dollar pay package to do it. He was called a “thought leader.” Harvard business professors flew out to conduct a case study. 

Did HBS professors really rush out to see this?  I think since Dr. Lifson left there's been some decline.

“Income inequality has been racing in the wrong direction,” he said. “I want to fight for the idea that if someone is intelligent, hard-working and does a good job, then they are entitled to live a middle-class lifestyle.”

That's the first thing he got wrong.  Employees are paid not because they are "entitled" to a certain salary level; they are paid a certain salary level because they provide at least that level of value to the company.  So how has the experiment been working out so far?

... a few customers, dismayed by what they viewed as a political statement, withdrew their business. Others, anticipating a fee increase -- despite repeated assurances to the contrary -- also left. 

Perhaps they thought that with every employee, including receptionists and janitors, making $70,000, fee increases would be in the offing.  But how did Price's employee take the move?

Two of Mr. Price’s most valued employees quit, spurred in part by their view that it was unfair to double the pay of some new hires while the longest-serving staff members got small or no raises[.]

So everyone is being paid the same amount, but some are dissatisfied because they see that those who work harder, or those who have greater ability, are not given greater rewards.

Mark Levin says that conservatism and free-market capitalism are not a theoretical ideology, but factual observations of human experience.  And he's right.  It's not in human nature to accept the same pay when others around you don't work as hard or are not as capable.  It's not human nature for a highly skilled programmer to be satisified when he sees the receptionist making as much as he does.

The only thing that's surprising is that someone like Mr. Price, who is smart enough to start a company, isn't smart enough to realize this.  He may know a lot about credit card processing, but he apparently has no understanding about human nature or organizational theory and behavior.

By the way, if you want another laugh, have a look at another company that decided to abolish all managers and see what that did for morale.

This article was produced by NewsMachete.com, the conservative news site.