Why don’t they do it? Because sitting in a nice cozy chair and having opinions backed by nothing is much higher social status.
It’s like this constant gas lighting from elite sources:
“Hey can’t buy a house? How about being knee deep in toilets all day and having zero respect in society.”
The government and our society has completely failed to "incentivize it" even as it was obviously necessary to do so.
Yet, "try telling that to Gen Z." Pfft.. "try telling that to Congress."
Is that really how you see it? I've never felt that way about the contractors coming to do work at my house. On the contrary, after I fork over a thousand bucks a day (minimum) for their expert work, I'm wondering if they're in fact a bit higher in the social hierarchy than I am. I feel a little self-conscious sometimes admitting that I move bits around on a screen for a living and have to hire someone to do the real work when it's time.
In fact, the vast majority of occupations today are ones society could do without as far as hard requirements are concerned. So long as there are the farmers and the trades, society will work just fine; everything additional is a luxury.
I realize that "plumbers crack" is a meme, but plumbers are some of the most highly respected people I've worked with. I completely don't understand the second clause there.
And, frankly, opinion columnists (rightfully) get less respect than ever.
Over the past decade I've come to hate "journalists" more than I do lawyers, car salesmen, and politicians. They are one of the chief drivers behind many of the problems we face as societies today.