The liberal arts

[Ideologue]

That America is a blighted nation where many jobs don't pay a living wage.

Reading comprehension motherfucker, do you have it?

What do you mean by admit?  Have I tried to sustain the illusion that a person working minimum wage can support a family of four in comfort and style?

Nope.

But it is within your purview to pretend it isn't a problem that anyone should do anything about.

[garbon]

That America is a blighted nation where many jobs don't pay a living wage.

Reading comprehension motherfucker, do you have it?

What do you mean by admit?  Have I tried to sustain the illusion that a person working minimum wage can support a family of four in comfort and style?

Nope.

But it is within your purview to pretend it isn't a problem that anyone should do anything about.

I mean don't people always like to spend money they don't have? If it isn't 4 kids, it's a big screen plasma or a cadillac.

[Razgovory]

Aren't people still living who make those wages?

Depends on your definitions.

Well certainly not by garbon standards.

[Admiral Yi]

Nope.

But it is within your purview to pretend it isn't a problem that anyone should do anything about.

I've never pretended people should do nothing about it.  Specifically, if you have a family to support you should look for a job that pays more.  If you just want more walking around money, look for a job that pays more.

[katmai]

Aren't people still living who make those wages?

Depends on your definitions.

Well certainly not by garbon standards.

Damn him and his demands for refrigerated Cheddar!

[Razgovory]

Nope.

But it is within your purview to pretend it isn't a problem that anyone should do anything about.

I've never pretended people should do nothing about it.  Specifically, if you have a family to support you should look for a job that pays more.  If you just want more walking around money, look for a job that pays more.

Great plan.  If you aren't making enough to support a family where are you going to find a job that pays more these days?

[Ideologue]

Nope.

But it is within your purview to pretend it isn't a problem that anyone should do anything about.

I've never pretended people should do nothing about it.  Specifically, if you have a family to support you should look for a job that pays more.  If you just want more walking around money, look for a job that pays more.

Yet I'm the one with unrealistic economic ideology.

[Phillip V]

Nope.

But it is within your purview to pretend it isn't a problem that anyone should do anything about.

I've never pretended people should do nothing about it.  Specifically, if you have a family to support you should look for a job that pays more.  If you just want more walking around money, look for a job that pays more.

Great plan.  If you aren't making enough to support a family where are you going to find a job that pays more these days?

One avenue is to work under the table (thus showing no income) and then claim benefits like welfare, food stamps, disability, free phone, etc.

[Admiral Yi]

Yet I'm the one with unrealistic economic ideology.

Finding a job is no fucking fun.  Being unemployed sucks ass.  Being in a low paying job sucks ass.  Having a family you can't support sucks ass.

But look at the alternative you are suggesting.  Have the courage of your convictions and see if legally mandating that each and every job in the US pay "a living wage" would have the effects you intend.

This is the part of the discussion when Captain Occupy wigs out and throws together some random slogans.  Don't be that guy.

[Neil]

Fun factoid:  every single Mickey D's CEO has started out as a grunt and climbed the ranks.

That's actually really cool.

It is. Makes it kind of a shame that they're in bed with all the companies who are completely assfucking our food supply.

I don't think the supply of food is in any danger.  There's a ton of fatness going around.

[CountDeMoney]

This is the part of the discussion when Captain Occupy wigs out and throws together some random slogans.  Don't be that guy.

When he throws a review of Elvis' Kid Galahad on you, then you'll be sorry.

[Admiral Yi]

 

[Ideologue]

Yet I'm the one with unrealistic economic ideology.

Finding a job is no fucking fun.  Being unemployed sucks ass.  Being in a low paying job sucks ass.  Having a family you can't support sucks ass.

But look at the alternative you are suggesting.  Have the courage of your convictions and see if legally mandating that each and every job in the US pay "a living wage" would have the effects you intend.

This is the part of the discussion when Captain Occupy wigs out and throws together some random slogans.  Don't be that guy.

I don't think you'd notice a dime's worth of difference if every job in the U.S. started paying at least $10-12 an hour tomorrow.  OK, maybe about a dime per purchase.  I wouldn't hurt, would you?

In the medium-term, however, we need to start thinking about how to transition from the job = life paradigm that cannot function in a society with billions of redundant human beings.  But a significant increase in the minwage would be a concrete step to a better, less unequal society that we could take today.

It may also help to address the lack of aggregate demand our late-stage capitalism is experiencing--that certainly makes more sense than the idea that lower taxes will increase growth.

[Ideologue]

This is the part of the discussion when Captain Occupy wigs out and throws together some random slogans.  Don't be that guy.

When he throws a review of Elvis' Kid Galahad on you, then you'll be sorry.

[Admiral Yi]

I don't think you'd notice a dime's worth of difference if every job in the U.S. started paying at least $10-12 an hour tomorrow.  OK, maybe about a dime per purchase.  I wouldn't hurt, would you?

And you came to this prediction how again?

First of all, you chose an hourly wage that's already close to a lot of state minimum wages.  But if you were to really increase the minimum wage, I think the increase would be much more than a dime a purchase.  Cost of labor is the biggest input for a lot of markets.  You can't increase the price of your most significant input by a substantial amount and not expect to see any increase in output price.

Why do you think a Happy Meal costs $8 in the UK?  Why do you think a medium pizza costs $20 in Denmark?