High-Powered Incentives

I was determined to leave my econ hat behind on my first ever week-end in a five-star hotel in Mauritius. I forced myself not to try to explain why the samosas were not quite as good as those in the Quatre-Bornes market. I tried hard not to think of the reasons why Mauritian residents pay subtantially less than tourists for the night. But when I realised that my waterski instructor was more interested in selling me kitesurfing and snorkelling packages (operated by his freelance mate) rather than actually teaching me how to waterski (included in my hotel package), I gave up.

Attitudes towards Inequality

What would some years of smug academic life in Britain turn a displaced islander into? A lost soul who dreads trips to the petrol station, because of the discomfort of listening to Top FM while his car tank is being filled by someone, paid a few dollars for a 10-hour working day. A guilt-ridden, middle-class fool who fails to understand titles and hierarchies at work. Beyond the anecdote is the important issue of cross-country differences in attitudes towards inequality.