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Lostplanet22 on 17 March 2011
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Joelcool7 said:
Lostplanet22 said:
Joelcool7 said:

 

1)we would become like China where children would have to start working so the families could get by. Giant factories could open and yes we'd manufacture more stuff here in NA but the quality of life would be shot.

My province has the lowest minimum wage in Canada, at 8$ an hour. But with rising gas, food and rental prices even that isn't enough. So if you give people jobs where they earn 4$-6$ an hour or so, how will they break even or make a living? Right now I'm on welfare so to speak because I can't find work, but I'd make less with a job like your suggesting then I would on welfare, infact I wouldn't be able to survive if I worked full time for a job less then minimum wage.

Example I spend nearly 400$ a month on groceries, after my rent is taken I am actually in debt, luckily I got a credit card before loosing my job. But what if we didn't get minimum wage, heck it would be impossible to survive.

So yes unemployment would drop, but so to would the income of people meaning more poverty. 2)Also unemployment last I checked in Canada was almost back at 8% like it used to be, that isn't that bad considering countries like China, India etc...etc... with low income jobs have much higher unemployment rates.

In the end it would be a short term fix, it would harm the population and would increase the poverty rate. Nothing good would come from it.

1)You know no one of my family or friends or all the people I met ever have to do this for their family..You are generalizing something that only counts for a small part ...How small/big it exactly is no idea but you almost sound like the China of the early 90's...

2) What information are you checking?  If you checked a site like CIA world Fact book you see the last years the unemployment numbers are around 4-4,5%...(Talking about China)


Umm alright so China has a 4% higher rate of employment, do you really think 4% is worth cutting people's living conditions? You fail to read about how drastically a change in living conditions would occur if we got rid of our minimum wages. 8% is pretty low compared to other countries and honestly those who can't find work can always apply for welfare which is funded by tax dollars.

Children are working in China, at least according to the documentaries I watch on CNN, CBC, BBC. or the dozens of activists who talk about the factory conditions in China. Buisnesses have to charge less money for the products they sell. People can't afford much they live like crap (Outside of the major cities).

Do you honestly think 4% unemployment is worth the dive in quality of life that such drastic action would cause?

I myself can barely get by on minimum wage and now welfare. I can only imagine how hard it would be to get by if minimum wages were any lower. Fact is homeless rates would grow which would lead to higher unemployment unless the Government stepped in and spent more tax dollars to assist people.

Trust me lowing minimum wages would only harm the general population, especially in a first world country!


I am only correcting your numbers, Check my first post in this thread and you saw I was against lower minimum wages aswell. And the child labor is a cultural thing;..  Go to your local Chinese restaurant owners and their children probably will work in the restaurant even if they are 12 years old (or younger).  I would have felt horrible if I did not the same when I was younger on the field with my parents..  And watch out with those (older) documentaries.  Some tourists who are trying to find a place where you can eat cats/Dogs are surprised that the police arrest them for it because it is illegal... While their are probably still documentaries going around on National Geographic where they say it is legal to do it...